Trying to understand LITB slang? - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

eyeliner · 02-17-2015, 07:12 PM

In the show, Beaver often describes Wally as "flaky" when he gets close to a girl. I know what "flaky" or "a flake" generally means but in the show it seems to relate specifically to love and dating. I can't find anything about this online - anyone know if "flaky" as 1950s slang meant something different than it does now?

Bonniegirl · 02-18-2015, 12:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eyeliner

In the show, Beaver often describes Wally as "flaky" when he gets close to a girl. I know what "flaky" or "a flake" generally means but in the show it seems to relate specifically to love and dating. I can't find anything about this online - anyone know if "flaky" as 1950s slang meant something different than it does now?

I guess it meant like Wally was acting starry eyed, silly, head in the clouds type of feeling you get being young and liking somebody of the opposite sex. Your heart gets fluttery, your thoughts are a mile away. It's hard for me to explain in writing exactly what I mean. But you get the idea right?

Marvo301 · 02-18-2015, 06:38 PM

In interviews Jerry Mathers has referred to the slang on LITB as !950'/60's valley speak.

CanICallYouDad · 02-21-2015, 12:35 PM

All I know is flaky was kind of a beatnik term and I say junk all the time. Most people know what I mean when I say junk but some get offended. I tell those people to use their age specific competency

Bonniegirl · 02-21-2015, 01:30 PM

And " Giving you the business"! They said that all the time. Meaning someone was B.S. ing you! Wally would say "Beav, he's just giving you the business"!

Marvo301 · 02-21-2015, 02:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bonniegirl62

And " Giving you the business"! They said that all the time. Meaning someone was B.S. ing you! Wally would say "Beav, he's just giving you the business"!

My favorite was when they referred to a piece of cake as "a hunk of cake" !!

Scrabjan1 · 02-22-2015, 03:38 PM

Wally loved "hunk." Also a hunk of milk. Once June told Wally not to use words like flip or ape. Ape was a real LITB word. How about one of Beaver's records....You're Driving Me Ape You Big Gorilla.

Bonniegirl · 02-23-2015, 01:07 AM

Beaver called Linda Dennison a Smelly old ape!! LOL!!! He liked her and his classmates found out. At their age it wasn't cool to like a girl, so to prove he didn't he had to call her a bad name. By 50's standards and LITB standards. "Smelly old ape" was a really bad thing to call someone I guess??!!! LOL!!!!

UMfan77 · 02-23-2015, 01:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scrabjan1

Wally loved "hunk." Also a hunk of milk.

A hunk of milk...that one's so goofy sounding!! Yeah, I've also heard Wally say that. If I ever said that, my family members would look at me very strangely.

Bonniegirl · 02-23-2015, 05:15 PM

Beaver and Larry got into a fight in todays ep. and Beaver called Larry a big ape!!! LOL!!!!

These days if somebody called you an ape, would it really be that insulting? LOL

Tankeryanker · 02-23-2015, 06:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bonniegirl62

These days if somebody called you an ape, would it really be that insulting? LOL

It is kind of like the dispatcher in Adam 12 stating that the bad guys have chains and knives.

I always giggle at that. I bet modern law enforcement wished the bad guys only had chains and knives. Awe the good ole days when ape was insulting and the bad guys were not so well armed.

Torgo · 02-23-2015, 07:28 PM

We've mentioned ape, but what about rat? Beaver has called Wally a rat several times. Rat! Rat! Rat!

Scrabjan1 · 02-23-2015, 09:16 PM

Love "clobber" someone was always gonna clobber you in LITB.

Bonniegirl · 02-24-2015, 01:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scrabjan1

Love "clobber" someone was always gonna clobber you in LITB.

LOL!! Yeah!! And as Torgo mentioned calling somebody a rat! Another one was calling a person a creep. Or even calling yourself a creep. Like Wally would say, "If I don't wear the right suit to the dance , Mary Ellen Rogers will think I'm a creep"! LOL!!!!

Lovely Rita · 02-24-2015, 04:12 AM

I just love the words the Beaver would make up because he didn't know the real word to use. It made for some funny comments by the Beaver.

02-17-2015, 07:12 PM	#1
eyeliner Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Jan 06, 2015 Location: NYC Posts: 7	Trying to understand LITB slang? In the show, Beaver often describes Wally as "flaky" when he gets close to a girl. I know what "flaky" or "a flake" generally means but in the show it seems to relate specifically to love and dating. I can't find anything about this online - anyone know if "flaky" as 1950s slang meant something different than it does now?

02-18-2015, 06:38 PM	#3
Marvo301 I'm NOT a Blockhead! Forum Celebrity Join Date: May 17, 2002 Location: The Great White North Posts: 21,456	In interviews Jerry Mathers has referred to the slang on LITB as !950'/60's valley speak.
	__________________ Only a life lived for others is worth living. Albert Einstein A life isn't worth living unless it has impact on other lives. Jackie Robinson Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man. Benjamin Franklin

02-21-2015, 12:35 PM	#4
CanICallYouDad Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Sep 12, 2013 Location: Meeechigan Posts: 233	All I know is flaky was kind of a beatnik term and I say junk all the time. Most people know what I mean when I say junk but some get offended. I tell those people to use their age specific competency
	__________________ We got 4 channels. 2, 4, 7 and 9. Loved turning that dial as fast as I could.

02-23-2015, 07:28 PM	#12
Torgo Omaha & Fritz Forum Star Join Date: Mar 06, 2004 Location: Oregon Posts: 19,033	We've mentioned ape, but what about rat? Beaver has called Wally a rat several times. Rat! Rat! Rat!
	__________________ "I'm going to go do something productive. I'm gonna go watch television." - Ray Peterson, The 'burbs "I am the literary equivalent of a Big Mac and Fries." - Stephen King "There's nothing wrong with G-rated movies, as long as there's lots of sex and violence." - Elvira

02-24-2015, 04:12 AM	#15
Lovely Rita Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Feb 23, 2015 Location: Nova Scotia, Canada Posts: 36	I just love the words the Beaver would make up because he didn't know the real word to use. It made for some funny comments by the Beaver.
	__________________ *"And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make."~ Paul McCartney*

02-21-2015, 01:30 PM	#5
Bonniegirl AKA Hazel Horvath Forum Addict Join Date: Jul 10, 2014 Posts: 65,786	And " Giving you the business"! They said that all the time. Meaning someone was B.S. ing you! Wally would say "Beav, he's just giving you the business"!

02-22-2015, 03:38 PM	#7
Scrabjan1 Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Nov 27, 2013 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 3,521	Wally loved "hunk." Also a hunk of milk. Once June told Wally not to use words like flip or ape. Ape was a real LITB word. How about one of Beaver's records....You're Driving Me Ape You Big Gorilla.

02-23-2015, 01:07 AM	#8
Bonniegirl AKA Hazel Horvath Forum Addict Join Date: Jul 10, 2014 Posts: 65,786	Beaver called Linda Dennison a Smelly old ape!! LOL!!! He liked her and his classmates found out. At their age it wasn't cool to like a girl, so to prove he didn't he had to call her a bad name. By 50's standards and LITB standards. "Smelly old ape" was a really bad thing to call someone I guess??!!! LOL!!!!

02-23-2015, 05:15 PM	#10
Bonniegirl AKA Hazel Horvath Forum Addict Join Date: Jul 10, 2014 Posts: 65,786	Beaver and Larry got into a fight in todays ep. and Beaver called Larry a big ape!!! LOL!!!! These days if somebody called you an ape, would it really be that insulting? LOL

02-23-2015, 09:16 PM	#13
Scrabjan1 Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Nov 27, 2013 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 3,521	Love "clobber" someone was always gonna clobber you in LITB.