General
alligator
What does alligator mean?
Used as a hip term of address among hepsters, the root of 'see you later, alligator.'
"Later, alligator, catch you at the jam."
Origin
1930s swing-era Harlem jive slang, listed in Cab Calloway's 'Hepster's Dictionary' as a jitterbug or swing fan, often a white devotee absorbing Black jazz. It later seeded the 1950s catchphrase 'see you later, alligator.'
Frequently asked questions
What does alligator mean in jive slang?
It means a swing-music fan or jitterbug dancer, someone soaking up the jazz scene.
Where did 'alligator' come from?
From 1930s Harlem swing culture, recorded in Cab Calloway's 'Hepster's Dictionary.'
Is this related to 'see you later, alligator'?
Yes, the affectionate hepster address fed directly into that later catchphrase.
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