A glossary compiled with the Film Noir enthusiast in mind For most everyone under the age of 75, the vernacular, or slang, used in the novels, films, and plays of the 1930s and 40s can be confusing. It wasn't that our language had changed much; it was just that the playwrights and novelists began to write the way ordinary people spoke. Some of the slang comes from convicts, some from the immigrants (i.e. the Jews and Italians) who had begun to integrate into American society. In fact, the Yiddish language had a profound influence on America English in general. Anyone with an interest in the classic 30s and 40s crime novels and films will find this lexicon useful and, almost certainly, enjoyable. Read on to rediscover the language of Hammett, Chandler, and Cain. And to finally understand the lyrics to "Minnie the Moocher."