What does 23 skadoo mean?

Answer 1

The Flatiron building in NYC was the first modern skyscraper. The wind would hit the building, fall to the ground and cause women's skirts to blow upwards.

Unsavory men would stand near the building so they could get a good look at the women's legs. The police would tell the men to "skidoo" -- meaning get away.

One more important piece of information is needed -- the Flatiron Building is on 23rd street.

Answer 2

"23 skidoo (sometimes 23 skiddoo) is an American slang phrase popularized in the early twentieth century, first appearing before World War I and becoming popular in the Roaring Twenties. It generally refers to leaving quickly. One nuance of the phrase suggests being rushed out by someone else. Another is taking advantage of a propitious opportunity to leave, that is, "getting [out] while the getting's good."

Wentworth and Flexner describe it as "perhaps the first truly national fad expression and one of the most popular fad expressions to appear in the U.S." They say "Pennants and arm-bands at shore resorts, parks, and county fairs bore either [23] or the word 'Skiddoo.'" [1]

There are several stories suggesting the origin of the phrase, none that have been universally accepted. Cartoonist "TAD" (Thomas A. Dorgan) is credited by The New York Times in his obituary as "First to say 'Twenty-three, Skidoo.'"[2] One source says that baseball player Mike Donlin and comedian Tom Lewis created the expression as part of their vaudeville act.[3]

Webster's New World Dictionary derives skiddoo (with two d's) as probably from skedaddle, meaning "to leave", with an imperative sense."

Answer 3

Twenty-three skiddoo (twenty-three skidoo, twenty-three) is a 1920s phrase meaning to 'get out' or to 'clear out'.

Wikipedia, of course, has a great story about it...

"IIn 1899, popular slang author George Ade explained the new slang "twenty-three." The story appeared in the October 22, 1899 Washington Post and was reprinted in many other newspapers:

“By the way, I have come upon a new piece of slang within the past two months and it has puzzled me. I just heard it from a big newsboy who had a ‘stand’ on a corner. A small boy with several papers under his arm had edged up until he was trespassing on the territory of the other. When the big boy saw the small one he went at him in a threatening manner and said: ‘Here! Here! Twenty-three! Twenty-three!’ The small boy scowled and talked under his breath, but he moved away. A few days after that I saw a street beggar approach a well-dressed man, who might have been a bookmaker or horseman, and try for the unusual ‘touch’. The man looked at the beggar in cold disgust and said: ‘Aw, twenty-three!’ I could see that the beggar didn’t understand it any better than I did. I happened to meet a man who tries to ‘keep up’ on slang and I asked the meaning of ‘Twenty-three!’ He said it was a signal to clear out, run, get away. In his opinion it came from the English race tracks, twenty-three being the limit on the number of horses allowed to start in one race. I don’t know that twenty-three is the limit. But his theory was that ‘twenty-three’ means that there was no longer any reason for waiting at the post. It was a signal to run, a synonym for the Bowery boy’s ‘On your way!’. Another student of slang said the expression originated in New Orleans at the time an attempt was made to rescue a Mexican embezzler who had been arrested there and was to be taken back to his own country. Several of his friends planned to close in upon the police officer prisoner as they were passing in front of a business block which had a wide corridor running through to another block. They were to separate the officer from the prisoner and then, when one of them shouted ‘Twenty-three,’ the crowd was to scatter in all directions, and the prisoner was to run back through the corridor, on the chance that the officer would be too confused to follow the right man. The plan was tried and it failed, but ‘twenty-three’ came into local use as meaning ‘Get away, quick!’ and in time it spread to other cities. I don’t vouch for either of these explanations. But I do know that ‘twenty-three’ is now a part of the slangy boy’s vocabulary.”

Answer 4

1. 23 Skadoo

During the 1920's in the United States the social group that came to be known as "flappers" often used this phrase as a means of telling someone to "get lost," or to "scoot."

Flapper Guy: "Hey doll your dreamboat just sailed in..."
Flapper Girl: "23 Skadoo you soda jerk!"

Answer 5

in the 2o's it meant scram, get lost etc.
how are you?
oh, 23 skadoo.