You want your 1920s murder mystery to sound right, don’t you? The clothes are easy, but the talk is harder. The right line at the right time can make a scene really memorable. The wrong word pulls people out of the story.

Use the lists below as a toolkit. Drop the lines as-is, or tweak them to fit your character. You can do a lot with a sharp one-liner and a well-timed look.

Ask yourself: what does your character want when they speak? To charm, stall, threaten, or expose a lie? Pick lines that serve that goal.

Our 1920s Speakeasy Murder Mystery in completely unscripted, so you can play the game anyway you like, and throw in as many 1920s compliments as you can muster. And when the 3 deaths are done, and the killer is revealed – you’ll have some great one-liners to throw out.

Ground Rules for 1920s Dialogue

• Pick a side of the Atlantic. American jazz club or British country house. Stick to that voice.
• Short sentences win. People talked fast in busy rooms.
• Use period slang as seasoning, not every line.
• Avoid modern tech talk. No texting jokes. No pop culture past the late 20s.
• Keep swears mild on the surface. People hid their claws in sugar.

Say this, not that:

• Say “swell” or “the bee’s knees” – not “awesome”
• Say “on the level” – not “for real”
• Say “giggle water” – not “booze” if you want a lighter tone
• Say “scram” – not “beat it” if you want American speakeasy color
• Say “old sport” or “old thing” in posh circles – not “bro”

Quick time and place cues:

• American speakeasy: “flatfoot” for a cop, “giggle water” for liquor, “on the lam” for escape
• British manor: “rotter” for a scoundrel, “cad” for a man with bad manners, “dash it” for mild anger

Keep it humane. The period had ugly language. You do not need it to feel real.

Compliments That Sound Right in the 1920s

Dress and looks:

• You’re the bee’s knees tonight.
• That dress is the cat’s pajamas.
• Those pearls are the berries.
• You look like a million bucks.
• Spiffy suit. Sharp as a tack.

Charm and talent:

• You’re a real sheba. Every head turned.
• He’s a sheik, and he knows it.
• You’ve got moxie, kid.
• That tune was aces.
• You’ve got the goods on stage.

Status and taste:

• This place is ritzy.
• That motor is a real hayburner, and I mean that in a good way.
• Your cellar is top-notch.
• That was a smart play. Clean and quick.
• Class act, old sport.

Grit and honesty:

• You kept your nerve. Solid work.
• Straight talk. I like that.
• You don’t rattle easy.
• On the up and up. I trust you.

Flirt, light and quick:

• Buy you a splash of giggle water?
• That smile ought to need a license.
• I had other plans. Now I don’t.

Insults that Land Without Crossing Lines

Use clean hits. Punch the idea or behavior, not someone’s identity.

Brains and sense:

• Don’t be a boob.
• He’s a sap.
• What a mug.
• You saphead, you missed it again.
• Silly ass. Try your eyes next time. (British)

Honesty and nerve:

• Four-flusher. All hat, no hand.
• You’re a phony from tip to toe.
• Cheap talk. No backbone.
• That alibi is baloney.
• Cad. Bounder. Rude to the core. (British)

Money and class:

• Piker. Won’t spend a dime.
• Tight as a tick.
• Drugstore cowboy. All show, no ride.
• Lounge lizard. Lives off other folks.

Boredom and vibe:

• Flat tire. Kills any room.
• Wet blanket. Party’s over when you speak.
• What a pill.

Drinking and crime:

• Pie-eyed already? It’s not even nine.
• Zozzled and useless.
• Yegg work. A second-rate burglar could do better.
• On the lam and still loud. Clever.

Cops and crooks slang for spicing things up:

• Flatfoot. Gumshoe. Copper. Bull.
• Big cheese. Big shot. Big house.
• Heater. Gat. Rod. Roscoe.

Pick lines that fit the scene. Would your flapper use “rotter”? Not likely. Would your butler drop “flatfoot”? Only in a private whisper to a maid he trusts.

Role-specific Lines You Can Drop Into Play

Flapper or jazz singer:

• Relax, big cheese. I run this floor.
• Buy me a giggle water and I might remember your name.
• I like your tie. Shame about your story.

Bootlegger or gangster:

• Keep it on the level or I walk.
• You pack a heater or are you just fond of the bulge?
• Pay today. Talk tomorrow.

Detective or reporter:

• Save the poetry. Give me times and places.
• Your story limps. Where were you at ten?
• Cute answer. Now the real one.

Society host or hostess:

• Do try to be civil, old sport. The staff has ears.
• Your taste is… brave. The hat fights the head.
• We keep our promises in this house.

Butler, maid, or valet:

• The silver is counted, sir. Unlike the guests.
• Very good. Shall I fetch truth with the tea?
• I see all, madam. I say nothing. For now.

Doctor or nurse:

• The bruising tells its own tale.
• He wasn’t shot here. Look at the spatter.
• You’re pale and jumpy. Why?

Police inspector:

• Cut the flapdoodle.
• Sit tight or I cuff you.
• Funny how no one saw a thing when the lights went out.

Bookie or gambler:

• Odds are bad and you’re worse.
• You’re chasing losses with lies.
• Cash talks. Yours whispers.

Pick one line. Try it out loud. Does it feel like your character? If not, trim it. Make it punch.

Quick Phrasing Pack: Crime, Booze, and Money

Crime and heat:

• On the lam – hiding from the law
• Case the joint – study a place before a job
• Stool pigeon – informant
• Fall guy – the one who takes the blame
• Chicago typewriter – Thompson gun
• Drop a dime – tip the cops
• Beat it – leave fast

Booze and parties:

• Giggle water – alcohol
• Blind tiger – secret bar
• Bathtub gin – bad gin
• Speakeasy – hidden club
• Ossified, pie-eyed, zozzled – very drunk
• Hair of the dog – morning drink

Money and deals:

• Dough, scratch, clams – money
• Sawbuck – ten dollars
• C-note – one hundred
• Clip the ticket – take a cut
• Put it on the cuff – on credit
• Bum’s rush – thrown out

Praise and put-downs in a flash:

• The cat’s pajamas, the bee’s knees, the berries – great
• Flat tire, pill, wet blanket – boring
• Big cheese – boss or important person
• Four-flusher – fake

British add-ons for manor games:

• Rotter, cad, bounder – bad character
• Blighter – annoying person
• Old thing, old bean, old sport – friendly address
• Dash it, blast – mild expletives
• Topping – very good

Euphemisms for death:

• He got bumped off.
• She took a one-way ride.
• He’s pushing up daisies.
• She’s gone to meet her maker.

1920s Insults and Compliments for your Murder Mystery

With the following lines on-hand, you’re ready to make your 1920s murder mystery game come alive. Don’t try to fit them all into your vocabulary. Pick a few that fit your character and are fun to say, write them down and throw them in for a laugh on the night. You won’t be the only one who knows a few one-liners. And check out our 1920s Speakeasy Murder Mystery Dinner Game that your friends are sure to love.