General Slang:
* "The Depression": This term, of course, referred to the Great Depression, an era of economic hardship.
* "Hooverville": Shantytowns made of scrap materials where homeless people lived during the Depression, named after President Hoover.
* "Breadlines": Long lines of people waiting for free food handouts.
* "Dust Bowl": A region in the Great Plains that suffered from severe dust storms in the 1930s.
* "Technocracy": A movement that advocated for a society run by technical experts.
* "The New Deal": President Franklin D. Roosevelt's programs to help the economy recover from the Depression.
* "Social Security": A government program providing financial assistance to retired and disabled people.
Jargon related to the era:
* "Boondoggle": A wasteful project or expenditure, often used to describe government spending during the Depression.
* "WPA": Short for the Works Progress Administration, a New Deal program that created jobs for unemployed people.
* "CCC": Short for the Civilian Conservation Corps, another New Deal program that employed young men in conservation projects.
* "NRA": Short for the National Recovery Administration, a New Deal agency that aimed to regulate industry.
* "AAA": Short for the Agricultural Adjustment Administration, a New Deal agency that aimed to help farmers.
* "Share the Wealth": A slogan used by Huey Long, a populist politician who advocated for wealth redistribution.
Words reflecting the changing times:
* "Modern": This word gained popularity during the 1930s, often used to describe new technologies and ideas.
* "Streamlined": A term that described the sleek, aerodynamic designs of the era, inspired by the new technology of airplanes.
* "Jazz Age": A term used to describe the vibrant culture of the 1920s, which influenced the 1930s.
* "Swing": A popular genre of jazz music that emerged in the 1930s.
Language reflecting social change:
* "Flapper": A young woman who defied traditional norms of the 1920s and 1930s with her style and behavior.
* "The Roaring Twenties": A term used to describe the era before the Depression, characterized by its economic prosperity and social change.
* "The Lost Generation": A group of writers who emerged after World War I, disillusioned by the war and its aftermath.
These are just a few examples of the words and jargon used in the 1930s. The era was a time of significant social and economic change, and the language reflects this.