Hey Bobby That wasn't California slang...It wasn't even Southern California slang... It was LOS ANGELES slang , from 50,000 watt KRKD, heard over the greater Los Angeles area! Hal
@Hal Pollner Was this FM? I can't imagine 50K watts on AM at 1150 KC in downtown LA. I read they had two 1/4 wave towers with a horizontal wire between them for transmitting and power was 2500 W day and 500 W night for AM. Not sure what years this was as it seems they had other call signs and later a transmitter in an industrial area that was 50KW. I love old AM radio history and equipment. Interesting what saying were invented by DJ's. Things like "ridin and glidin" "movin and groovin" I bet DJ's invented the word groovy in reference to the 45's they used to spin. View attachment 31811
"What in the Sam Hill?" I worked with someone who used that expression, but she would say, "What in the Sam Hell?"
You won't find "kemp" or "short" as a slang word for an automobile anywhere...this was an unwritten East L.A. thing. Hal
@Hal Pollner Google defines 'Kemp' as: What is a Kemp? It's a slang word used by teenagers in the late 50's, and early 60's to indicate a car or a truck. ... So a kustom kemp can be any make, model or year vehicle, from 1903 to current year.
In the 40s it was hubba hubba this and hubba hubba that. It was even worked into songs and high school cheerleaders' cheers. Got so sick of that one.