It can be scary getting behind the wheel in a foreign country. Different languages and driving practices are just a few of the differences. (Here’s why North Americans and Brits drive on different sides of the road.) It’s also frightening just how dangerous it is to drive in certain countries.

According to the most recent status report on road safety from the World Health Organization (WHO), 1.33 million road traffic deaths occur every year—and it’s the first leading cause of death among children and young adults. The countries that are the most dangerous to drive are those with the highest rates of road traffic deaths for every 100,000 people. The country with the highest rate of road traffic deaths is Libya, then Saint Lucia, Burundi, Zimbabwe, and the Dominican Republic, according to the WHO report. There are some “dangerous” countries, however, that are safer than you think.

The safest or lowest rates were in San Marino and the Maldives, per the report. Low-income countries make up 1 per cent of the world’s vehicles, but 13 per cent of all deaths. Every 24 seconds, someone dies on the road. In Libya, speeding is the number one cause of accidents, the Jordan Times reports. It doesn’t help that the number of cars in the country quadrupled, many of the vehicles lack basic safety necessities like seatbelts, and the roads are in major need of repair, per the Times. Now that you know the most dangerous countries to drive in, check out the world’s 10 most dangerous roads.

In 2015, over 32,000 people died in the United States in car accidents, the highest death toll since 2007. Non-fatal car accidents total out even higher, and although people may be thankful to escape with their lives, there are still many ways in you can reduce your risk of injury in a crash.

There are the standard, seemingly no-brainers of automotive safety, like wearing a seatbelt, not speeding, and never drinking and driving. These are factors which are within your control. But another seemingly harmless car-riding habit may be putting your body at serious risk, just ask Audra Tatum.

Tatum and her husband are from Walker County, Georgia, and have three kids. Naturally, that requires quite a bit of running around dropping off kids at various activities and whenever she was in the front passenger’s side of her family’s car, she would so something that her husband always warned her about, according to CBS News.

“All my life I had my legs crossed and my foot on the dash… My husband always told me, ‘You’re going to get in a wreck someday, and you’re going to break your legs.'”

Tatum always told her husband that she would be able to react in time before the airbag would deploy. On Aug. 2, 2015, she learned her lesson the hard way. While going on a short four-mile drive to her parents’ house, a car pulled out in front of their car, and then T-boned it. (Here’s what you need to do within 10 minutes of having a car accident.)

While the other passengers escaped with just scrapes and bruises, Tatum’s femur, ankle, arm, and nose were broken on impact.

She was unable to walk for a month and is still going recovering from the injuries years later. Now, she wants everyone to take her misfortune as a warning: Do not put your foot on the dashboard. (Check out the biggest car seat mistakes parents make each winter.)

“I keep telling everybody, you don’t want this life,” she said. “You don’t want the pain and agony every day.”

Next, find out why you should always open your car door with your right hand.

How we can stop climate change

Reader’s Digest Canada: In the spring, the federal government released “Canada’s Changing Climate Report,” a pretty depressing analysis of what’s in store for us. Is there anything we can do to stop climate change—is doomsday really as close as it sounds? 

Jessie Ma: Not necessarily. In that report, scientists predict what will happen to our climate at different levels of carbon emissions. In the high-use scenarios, it’s definitely concerning: temperature increases of six degrees by the end of the century, precipitation up by almost 25 per cent, more extreme weather events, like floods, fires, droughts and heat waves.

Okay, you’re scaring me. What about the scenarios with lower emissions?

In that case, it’s a lot more optimistic. People tend to think of the climate crisis as a problem we have to pay for and fix, but it’s also an opportunity—a chance to bring people together to participate and share in the economic growth that a cleaner and greener economy would provide.

Sounds like we’re at the beginning of a Choose Your Own Adventure novel. 

Exactly. We’re at the point where the facts are clear. Ninety-seven per cent of climate scientists agree that human activity—again, particularly in the form of carbon emissions—is causing our climate to change. And we know we have a finite amount of time to make adjustments. So now the question is: what are we going to do?

The average Canadian has a carbon footprint of about 20 tonnes per person per year. How much can we cut by turning off lights more and giving up disposable coffee cups?

I have a lot of respect for people trying to minimize their carbon footprint—by taking public transit, insulating their homes or minimizing waste. These actions have a measurable impact—switching from a car to public transit for one year, for example, can reduce emissions substantially. Leading by example is important for our communities and future generations. Still, the reality is that individual action alone is not going to get us where we need to be.

What about something more drastic? Say, if every individual in the world were to go vegan, give up air travel and plant trees?

Hypothetically, a coordinated global effort would have significant consequences. The world’s food system is responsible for about one-quarter of the greenhouse gas emissions, and a lot of that is based on eating meat—and beef in particular. A low-emission society of the future might involve a more plant-focused diet and less air travel.

But talking about individual consumption also takes the focus away from a far bigger problem, which is that a very small number of oil and gas companies are responsible for a huge amount of global emissions—about 71 per cent. These need to be addressed through policy and regulation, so if our governments don’t act, measures taken by individuals are a bit like pointing a garden hose at a forest fire.

What kinds of actions would you like to see our governments take?

The most efficient strategy is to put a price on the behaviours you want to discourage. Companies emitting over a certain level can be taxed, and that money can be used to fund adaptation and mitigation strategies.

Also, from the private sector, we need new technologies that cost less and perform better so that all individuals have a green option they will choose, whether or not they are motivated to fight climate change. One of my current projects at the Centre for Urban Energy at Ryerson is to work with industry partners to develop new economic models for energy storage—so that we are able to access renewable sources, like wind and solar, even when the wind is not blowing or the sun is not shining.

Coming back to the power of individuals, how can we push our governments to act?

We can become more politically engaged, whether that’s writing to your representative, taking part in a protest or boycott action or contributing to an environmental non-profit or charity. Collective action is powerful, so joining forces with others is probably the best path.

Learn more about how climate change is hurting your health.

Jessie Ma is an engineer and has a master’s degree in public administration. She’s currently a research fellow at Ryerson University.

Enjoy ripe deals on produce

Contrary to popular opinion, you can buy fruits and veggies in bulk—and still come out with more green.

• Look in your grocery store’s and bulk store’s circulars for bulk produce deals.
• Weigh the bulk bag of produce on sale (typically potatoes, citrus fruits, or apples) to find the best deal. Woroch notes that sometimes the bags are filled with even more produce than advertised, so be sure to search around for the heaviest bag in the bunch to get the most bang for your buck.
• That said, you should only buy what you will use. Since produce has a limited shelf life, you don’t want to purchase more than you can eat in a week, because food tossed is money lost. Use these smart ways to keep fruits and veggies fresh longer and try creative ways to lengthen their lifespan, for example, apples can become applesauce or shred the potatoes and freeze them to use later in homemade hash browns.

Get organized

You won’t get iced out on savings when you follow these tips.

• Before you leave home, clean out your refrigerator and your freezer to make room for new purchases. Toss anything that you can’t identify or that has suffered irreparable freezer burn.
• Ditto your pantry cabinet, storage closet, and medicine cabinet. “Regardless of how much money you save, if you don’t have an organized space to store your items, chances are you won’t use them all. You’ll end up forgetting about them, then wasting money by buying duplicate items,” shares Mary O’Brien, an elementary school teacher and super saver. “Keep items like toothpaste, paper towels, tissues, dishwashing liquid, school supplies, etc. organized by item and always move the newest product to the back of the shelf to make sure nothing goes to waste.”
• Load up on these frozen foods you can buy in bulk. However, be sure to avoid these frozen foods at all costs!

Know the bottom

Start paying attention to prices and sales on the items you regularly buy so you’ll know when to load up.

• When looking for a seasonal item—think, swimsuits and patio furniture or boots and snow shovels, Woroch notes that you can snag a huge bargain on end of season sales—up to 75 per cent.
• O’Brien plans out certain bulk purchases, specifically school supplies, way ahead of time and knows the dates the items she’s after have been on sale in the past. She doubles up on savings by keeping an eye out for these sales, as well as trying to stack coupons for them. For example, her favourite 30 pack of mechanical pencils is normally $5.99 at a certain drugstore. She keeps an eye out for the $1.99 sale that happens annually and then uses a $1 coupon to score the same pencils for only 99 cents!
• Know how low your favourites go on sale for. For example, Anne Linval, a mom of two in Easton, Connecticut will only buy Annie’s Mac & Cheese when it’s marked down to 10 boxes for $10 or Goldfish Crackers when they’re three bags for $5. “I’ve been buying these products for years and know from experience that’s the lowest they ever sell for at my local grocery store.”

Stack and maximize coupons

The extra time it takes to clip and search for coupons is well worth it in the checkout aisle, and many bulk stores allow you to use them, too, Wororch notes.

• Use paper and digital coupons. In addition to clipping store and manufacturer coupons, O’Brien downloads digital coupons to her grocery store reward cards, a process that’s known as “stacking” coupons.
• Use coupons for items that are already on sale. “This way, you can really bring the price way down,” she says. “It’s a bonus if these items also have some sort of store or mail-in rebate.”

Embrace healthy hacks

Buying in bulk can also save you when it comes to your medicine cabinet.

• Always check the expiration date of the product. It’s not a savings to buy a jar of 500 over-the-counter (OTC) painkillers if you only use them once or twice a month.
• If you are thinking about starting a family soon, buying pregnancy tests in bulk can be a smart investment.
• Don’t overlook the store brand of OTC products like Costco’s Kirkland ones.

Save even more on your next grocery bill by using these brilliant money saving hacks.

In 1925 my parents Jack and Hazel Kimball moved into the house pictured above in Oromocto, New Brunswick, with two children, Leslie, eight, and Kathleen (me), four. Two years later, another girl, Geraldine, arrived.

Back when I was young, Oromocto was a quiet little village with a population of about 660 people. Approximately 85 buildings made up the village then, including four churches, two one-room schools, three general stores, a post office and a lumber mill, as well as a record office, two candy stores, a railroad station and two blacksmith shops.

Of those original buildings, only about 18 are still standing today, but five of those were built by my father Jack and his father, Martin Kimball.

The village went through many changes in the 1950s when CFB Gagetown, the largest land-manoeuvres training area in the Commonwealth, was established on its borders.

When the town expanded to provide for the influx of military personnel, Oromocto became known as “Canada’s Model Town.” The local economy did well as it serviced and supplied the military base.

Oromocto is also home to the New Brunswick Military History Museum where, as its website states, you can “discover the stories of triumph and sacrifice of New Brunswickers at war and in peacetime dating back to the early 1600s.” The museum was first established as the CFB Gagetown Military Museum in 1973. It proudly showcases the rich military history of New Brunswick and allows visitors the chance to step back in time and discover their past.

Fascinating facts about Oromocto, New Brunswick:

• The word Oromocto has its origin from the Aboriginal word welamooktook, meaning “deep river for navigation
  by canoe.”
• The town’s tartan has many colours that represent its history:
  • Blue and white: Represents the St. John & Oromocto Rivers, which were used by Indigenous Peoples and early settlers.
  • Red and gold: Symbolizes British and military influences.
  • Brown: Represents early logging and the shipbuilding Industry.
  • Black: Represents early military history and the first families to settle in the area.
• Sgt. J. Montminy composed and arranged a song for the newly formed Town of Oromocto, titled “This Model Town.” Source: The Town of Oromocto website.

For another fascinating slice of small-town New Brunswick, check out the story of Harvey Station, N.B.

The secret to restarting your phone

For many of us, our smartphones have become a touchstone of life. It affects how we do our jobs, interact with our friends and family, and even how we access important information, like our banking and healthcare. But are you taking proper care of it? Experts say that knowing simple care tips, such as how often to shut it down, can drastically affect how well your phone will continue to perform the older it gets. That means the simple knowledge of when to turn it on and off, can cost you hundreds of dollars in pre-maturely replacing your phone.

But just how often do we need to shut off our smartphones? Your smartphone has a more hard and fast rule you should live by: once a week, shut it off, let it rest at least one minute, and then you can fire it back up. (Here are the creepy things your smartphone knows about you.)

There are multiple reasons why you’re supposed to be restarting your phone at least once a week, and it’s for a good cause: retaining memory, preventing crashes, running more smoothly, and prolonging battery life.

Let’s talk first about all the apps you use on a daily basis. “In most cases, the app isn’t really closed but rather, it’s put into a state where it can be restarted faster,” says Bob Motamedi, a Los Angeles-based tech consultant. “Now think about how many apps are open, slowly eating memory and battery power on the phone, and think about all those times you’ve thought that your phone drained entirely too fast that day.” Restarting the phone clears open apps and memory leaks, and gets rid of anything draining your battery. (This is the reason cold weather makes your phone die.)

Crashing happens for various reasons, but not restarting your phone can definitely have an effect here as well, as every update, page loaded, and app installed or deleted will add and remove code in the operating system of the phone. “Sometimes these remnants are incompatible or improperly removed after installation or un-installation,” says Motamedi. “Restarting your phone will eliminate most of these issues and will get your phone working better.”

The good news is that even though failing to restart your phone periodically could zap memory and cause crashes, it won’t directly kill your battery. What could kill your battery is always rushing to recharge. “If you never let your battery drain fully, it will never ‘learn’ to recharge fully and will shorten the battery’s life,” says Motamedi. “It’s recommended that you let the battery drain down to zero per cent, and then refill it back up to 100 per cent.” The same is true for laptops, according to Josh Davis of Abt Electronics in Glenview, Illinois. “After a couple of years of leaving your laptop plugged in all the time, you can expect it not to hold much of a charge at all when you go portable.”

To help preserve memory and prevent crashes, consider restarting your smartphone at least once a week. We promise you won’t miss too much in the two minutes it might take to reboot.

Meanwhile, you’ll want to stop believing these phone battery myths!

It’s not just your mom’s arbitrary rule; across cultures and throughout history, elbows on the table have long been considered taboo. Indeed, the Book of Ecclesiasticus, part of the Old Testament in the Bible, warns of the pitfall of putting your elbows on the table, and in 1530, Dutch philosopher Erasmus reiterated the same rule in A Handbook on Good Manners for Children, for guttersnipes and grown-ups alike, barring the elderly and infirm. Even the etiquette experts at the Emily Post Institute don’t advise it—though they do advise these good manners everyone should commit to memory.

So, why have elbows on the table always been considered rude? The reason is much more intuitive than you’d think.

For earlier civilizations, this rule functioned to prevent possible violence at the table. “Table manners prevented us from leaving our space and starting a fight. It was important that people saw you as considerate or trying hard,” says Margaret Visser, author of The Rituals of Dinner: The Origins, Evolution, Eccentricities, and Meaning of Table Manners. Our place setting’s fork and knife already act as an imaginary boundary for our allotted space at the table, so neglecting or fracturing that border indicates that you have no regard for order and are therefore potentially unhinged—who knows what else you’re capable of! As Visser notes, “People got scared when you started having bad manners. They realized the taboo was not functioning and you didn’t know what this person was going to do next.”

Today, though, we’re less apt to lunge over the table during a business lunch gone awry than we may have been a few hundred years ago, but before you go tossing your elbows with abandon, there’s still a degree to which the rule applies. While keeping your elbows off the table can’t be traced back to a single culture or civilization, it more so belongs to the universal language of principle, according to Henry Hitchings, author of Sorry! The English and Their Manners. “It embodies two ideas, that at mealtime one shouldn’t do anything that inconveniences other diners, and that a meal is a formal occasion where one shouldn’t behave in an overfamiliar fashion,” Hitchings says. So, no elbows on the table boils down to our innate, human instinct to avoid transgression, especially over another’s comfort and space.

However, that’s not to say that in the here and now leaving your elbows on the table will bring dishonour upon your family. “Manners aren’t set in stone; they’re written in sand. They evolve with the times to meet our needs and sensibilities,” explains Maralee McKee, founder of Manners Mentor Inc.  In fact, some body language discourse now suggests that elbows on the table are a sign of appearing engaged and focused on the conversation at hand, and many etiquette experts these days don’t even follow or recommend this rule anymore. Above all, heed the Emily Post Institute’s golden rule: “Being considerate, respectful, and honest is more important than knowing which fork to use. Whether it’s a handshake or a fist bump, it’s the underlying sincerity and good intentions of the action that matter most.” So, having your arms on display while wielding a butter knife may once have seemed menacing, but during conversation between courses, anything goes—just be sure you’re not making any of these dining etiquette mistakes instead.

You already know that making a good first impression in a job interview is extremely important, but how, exactly, is the question. The answer lies in how to answer job interview questions. Here are three things you want to be prepared to do with your answers in that first interview, per Rafe Gomez, co-owner of VC Inc. Marketing and creator of the audiobook What’s In It For ME? A Powerful New Job Interview Strategy to Get You Hired in Today’s Challenging Economy:

1. Present yourself as someone who has researched and understands the unique needs, goals, and challenges of the hiring company.
2. Present yourself as someone whose skills and experience can be the solution the organization needs.
3. Present yourself as someone who can help the person who’s handling the recruiting to end the interview process, and save significant time and money by doing so.

To accomplish these three things, you need to know how to answer job interview questions that prove that you are not just smart, but that you can think on your feet. Here are some of the tougher questions candidates commonly get asked in interviews, and strategies for answering them.

What’s your biggest weakness?

“Don’t lie, dance around this, or avoid it—be totally honest,” Gomez advises. “However, also point out that this weakness has not gotten in the way of your ability to deliver measurable, valuable, and profitable results for your previous or current employers.” Follow up your answer by sharing anecdotes and data-based evidence of these results. “By taking this approach, you’ve steered the conversation where you want it to be: presenting yourself as someone whose skills and experience can be a solution to help that company (and the head of the department where you’d be working) to meet its needs, achieve its goals, and overcome its challenges.”

Why are you leaving your current job?

“The real reason may be that your soon-to-be ex-manager is emotionally manipulative or you are just tired of doing the work, but a blunt answer you’d share with friends generally isn’t considered appropriate for interviews,” says Tasia Duske, CEO of Museum Hack. Instead, answer in a way that shines the best light on all parties involved. “Saying, ‘I’m looking for a new challenge’ is far better than ‘I’m bored!'” she suggests. “Or in the manager example, you can say, ‘We have different approaches to work and I’m looking to join a team that values transparency and integrity.'”

Tell me about yourself

“This is best answered by a short story about your ‘brand,’ who and what you are, what you’re really great at doing, what you’re known for, what you’re passionate about,” says Rick Fishman, president of The Career Coach. “Do not sound like you’re reading your resume word for word; let your personality show. Companies want to hire people who they like and who they feel will best fit in with their team.” If this question always stumps you, check out this additional advice from execs from Fortune 500 companies on how to answer “tell me about yourself.”

Why should we hire you?

While this a standard question for hiring managers, it’s often extremely hard for applicants, says Jagoda Wieczorek, HR Manager at ResumeLab. “Most people don’t know how to spotlight their strong traits without sounding like a salesman, but what’s important to understand is that a job interview isn’t the place to be shy,” she says.”Bring up real-life wins from previous roles, and explain how your experience can translate into value for the prospective company.”

Tell me about your experience

“Be able to speak about your resume and career history, know your dates of employment and reasons for your job changes, highlight accolades and promotions when you speak,” says Heidi Terzo, talent acquisition specialist at Deborah Heart and Lung Center. “If you were let go from a position or have a gap on your resume, keep your explanation brief, honest and be able to articulate what you learned from that experience or that you have resolved any issues and are now ready to move forward,” she says. Here’s more expert advice on how to explain a resume gap.

What are you looking for in a job?

“More often than not candidates end up describing a job that does not match the job description,” says Sharon Rosen, HR specialist and chief people officer at HeraldPR. “While honesty is important, and I want to know upfront if someone isn’t really interested in the role, it’s important to prepare for each interview by really understanding what the company and role is all about. Do your research and due diligence.”

What are you looking to improve in your skillset?

“Most candidates can answer the general goals, aspirations, and past experience questions but I’ve had some candidates trip up on the more technical details and questions that don’t necessarily have a positive response (such as where could you improve most, etc.),” shares Ciara Hautau, lead digital marketing strategist of Fueled. “If you don’t know the answer to a super technical question, it’s totally OK to say, ‘I haven’t had experience in that yet.’ If it’s a critical thinking question, we’re just trying to evaluate the way you think so take us through your thought process even if you can’t get to the right answer.” Don’t forget that there are some questions you should be asking during your job interview, too.

What do you see yourself doing in five years?

“Aside from the employer wanting to see that you do have some personal short-term and long-term goals, they also want to see if it aligns with their vision,” shares Thalia Toha, brand and business strategist: “Many people fail here by ignoring who they are speaking to. If the person interviewing you is the CEO, what is the likelihood that they’d like you to take their position in five years? The best way to do this is actually to go back to your research, see whether there’s a void in the company that you feel is missing that you can solve.”

Tell me about a challenge at your current job

“The best answer is to be honest but professional in your responses,” says Krishna Powell, founder and CEO of HR 4 Your Small Biz. That means resisting the temptation to play the victim or place blame on your boss. “Simply say, ‘My challenges probably haven’t been much different than most. I have learned a lot about myself and how to work with others who are not like me. For this experience I am grateful.'” Find out more words you should always say in a job interview.

Off-the-wall questions

“I like to ask questions that are non-typical,” says Joseph P Martino LPC, owner of Joe Martino Counseling Network. A few of his favourite unexpected questions include: Why are manhole covers round? What are you passionate about in life that doesn’t involve this job? What board game would you be? “I ask questions that are going to show a person’s ability to think on their feet and process. I have found that people who are can’t discuss passions outside of work tend to be troublesome employees.”

How would you handle this situation?

“There isn’t a right or wrong answer to these questions—the interviewer wants to understand your way of thinking and how you would react in certain scenarios,” says Idalia Dillard, VP of Human Resources and Operations at Uproar PR. “The best way to answer these questions is to give the interviewer a clear picture of the situation as you see, the role you would play, the actions taken, and the outcome you expect.”

Having trouble landing that first interview? Find out the resume power words you should be using.

A crisp, lightly starched, freshly pressed shirt may not be the centrepiece of a particularly stunning ensemble. But a wrinkled, crumpled, ragged shirt can make an otherwise dapper outfit look like a paint-plastered pair of overalls. With most clothes, ironing makes a world of difference. 

But ironing also comes with, well, a labour requirement. There are no auto-irons, and that’s probably for the best. But there is an easy way to enjoy the same crisp results with a fraction of the effort and no iron at all. All you need is some wrinkled clothes, a dryer, and some ice cubes. (Find out how to tell if you’re using too much laundry detergent.)

Take a few articles of clothing—preferably of the lighter variety (dress-shirt or t-shirts)—and four or five ice cubes. Toss them in your dryer. (This can be done with a pair of pants and a shirt, but don’t go overboard with the heavier clothing and do not load the dryer to capacity.) Close it shut and crank it to the highest heat setting. Now, let the dryer run its course for about ten to 15 minutes. “This works as a great alternative to ironing a shirt, as the ice cube creates a steam within the dryer that helps remove the wrinkles from the clothing,” explains Susan Harris, the owner of Rooted Mama Health.

How does this work? Well, the blasting heat will melt the ice cubes and then evaporate the water, turning your dryer into a steamer—and your wrinkled shirt into something that resembles one fresh from the cleaners. (These are the surprising ways you’re shortening the life of your washer and dryer.)

While this is a handy tip, there are a few little details that allow it to work as well as possible, Harris points out. “This works best if you are only attempting to remove wrinkles from one or two pieces of clothing,” she warns. “If the dryer is too full, then it won’t work very well.” So it’s not so much a method to de-wrinkle your entire wardrobe at once, but more of a special treatment for a favourite garment you absolutely want to be wrinkle-free.

If the article of clothing is extremely wrinkled, Harris offers another slight variation on this tip. “You can also use a damp hand towel instead of ice cubes to allow there to be even more steam,” she suggests. Either way, you avoid the ironing chore!

Learn the secret ingredient in your fridge that can help whiten your laundry without bleach.

Words come in and out of vogue, and 90 years down the road, the words that you heard (or saw on social media) several times a day could very well have gone the way of these words that make you sound old. In fact, 90 to 100 years ago, the common slang terms were completely different from what we hear today—and often pretty funny! Check out some of the words that were the bee’s knees—or should we say “berries”?—back in the roaring ’20s.

Icy mitt: You receive the “icy mitt” when you express feelings for someone, and said feelings are not reciprocated. It’s kind of like the love-related cold shoulder, or perhaps the friend zone.

Bluenose: A wet blanket or someone who puts a damper on the mood or festivities.

Iron your shoelaces: If someone leaves the room to go “iron their shoelaces,” it means they’re headed to the restroom.

Manacle: In the 1920s, a “manacle” didn’t always mean a shackle or bond used to restrain someone. In the 1920s, it was also slang for a wedding ring.

Handcuff: Going along similar lines, a “handcuff” referred to an engagement ring. (Let’s see if these pieces of marriage advice from the 1950s enforce similar ideas!)

Berries: Something cool or desirable, similar to “the bee’s knees.”

Wurp: This meant something similar to “bluenose”—a buzzkill-type person.

Oliver Twist: Oddly enough, this is not slang for a small beggar boy from 19th century London, but slang for someone who is a particularly good dancer.

Sockdollager: Someone or something which is truly remarkable or impressive; a humdinger.

Know your onions: A 1920s slang term for being knowledgeable about a particular subject.

Mazuma: Cash, money, cheddar, greenbacks, what have you.

Don’t take any wooden nickels: If you want to tell a friend to not doing anything stupid, but if you want to do it in a cool, 1920s slang way, tell them not to take any wooden nickels.

Let’s blouse: In the 1920s they said “let’s blouse”; today we say “let’s blow this clambake!”

Noodle juice: In a hilarious instance of 1920s slang, “noodle juice” meant “tea.”

Bimbo: This was still a slang word back in the day, but it actually meant a tough-looking man! That’s definitely joining the ranks of these words that mean the opposite of what you think.

Bank’s closed: You would say this to a couple that was showing a little too much PDA. Similar to “get a room.”

Phonus balonus: An interjection meaning you thought something was complete nonsense—kind of like “baloney.”

Sinker: In another example of funny food slang, a “sinker” was another word for “doughnut.”

Rhatz: Similar to today, this word means “darn” or “bummer!” But as 1920s slang, it was apparently spelled “rhatz”!

Nerts: Also a monosyllabic exclamation, “nerts” did not mean the same as “rhatz”—it actually meant, “That’s amazing!”

Zozzled: Extremely drunk. You also could’ve called your drunk friend “ossified” or “spifflicated.”

Struggle buggy: Today we have “struggle bus”; in the 1920s, they had “struggle buggy.” Despite meaning the backseat of a car, “struggle buggy” actually wasn’t necessarily negative—it could also refer to the backseat in the context of its popularity for romantic activities.

Tell it to Sweeney: This was another way to tell someone you didn’t believe them, as in “tell it to someone who’ll take you seriously.”

Upstage: In the 1920s, this was an adjective, not a verb. It meant “stuck-up” or “snobby.”

Go chase yourself: “Get out of here!” or “beat it!”

Dewdropper: A lazy guy; a slacker.

Gasper: “Gaspers” were cigarettes, possibly due to their effect on your lungs.

Foot juice: Cheap, sub-par wine.

Mind your potatoes: Mind your own business, beeswax, and the like.

Jake: Just fine or just ducky; copacetic.

Still fascinated with the Roaring Twenties? Check out these Downton Abbey quotes to live your life by!