The Iceman cometh, and he’s bringing the language of 1912 with him.
The Iceman Cometh was written in 1939, but it takes place in that (quasi-fictional) flophouse in 1912, and as an authentic period piece, the play’s dialogue pops with the colorful slang of the early twentieth century. Some of these phrases and terms have retired from the English language entirely, so to help you decipher them, the Goodman Theatre compiled a glossary of Icemanisms, which we've condensed below. We encourage you to peruse the original posts (divided into bar terms, insults, and extras) on their blog.
