Zoot Suit

Zoot Suit Glossary

zoot suit (noun)

a man's suit of an exaggerated style, characterized by a long, loose jacket with padded shoulders and high-waisted tapering trousers, popular in the 1940s.

Chicano (proper noun)

(in North America) a person of Mexican origin or descent, especially a man or boy.

pork pie hat (noun)

a hat with a flat crown and a brim turned up all around.

Pachuco (proper noun)

A Mexican-American and Latino subculture characterized by wearing a zoot suit—an exaggerated, ornate style of dress.

profane (adjective)

irreverent, disrespectful.

bato (noun)

Spanish word used to address a man.

barrio (noun)

generic term for a district of a town in Spain and Spanish-speaking countries.

malcontent (noun)

a person who is dissatisfied and rebellious.

greaser (noun)

informal term for a rough young man, especially one who greases his hair back and is a member of a motorcycle gang.

flatfoot (noun)

informal term for a police officer.

fingertip coat (noun)

A jacket in which the sleeves extend to the fingertips.

cerveza (noun)

a Spanish word meaning beer.

mollycoddle (verb)

treat (someone) in an indulgent or overprotective way.

stoolie (noun)

a police informer.

gringo (noun)

informal term (in Spanish-speaking countries and contexts, chiefly in the Americas) referring to a person, especially an American, who is not Hispanic or Latino.

fascism (noun)

authoritarian ultranationalist political form characterized by dictatorial power, forcible suppression of opposition, and strong regimentation of society and of the economy which came to prominence in early 20th-century Europe.

proletariat (noun)

workers or working-class people, regarded collectively (often used with reference to Marxism).

remand (verb)

place (a defendant) on bail or in custody, especially when a trial is adjourned.

mimeograph (noun)

a duplicating machine which produces copies from a stencil, now superseded by the photocopier.

Rita Hayworth (proper noun)

An American actress most popular during the 1940s, best known for her role in Gilda. Her father was of Spanish descent.