What Ever Happened To 'Swell'?

Swell Was swell a long time before Cool was cool.

The other day, while rummaging through some of my Mother's papers, I found a letter that she had written to her parents (my grandparents). This letter was postmarked February 24, 1948, just three days after she and my Dad were married. I would like to go into detail about the contents of this letter, and maybe later I will, but for now I want to discuss one sentence or more specifically one word.


This letter contained the following sentence: "In case you're wondering how your youngest daughter likes married life, I'll tell ya, Don is swell, I love him a lot."


My Mother was eighteen years old when she wrote these words. She used the word 'swell' to describe her feelings toward Dad. I don't recall Mom ever saying the word 'swell' but apparently she used the word up to a point and in this one example used it to express feelings toward someone she obviously loved and cherished. I began to think back to the last times I heard the word 'swell' and began to wonder....what happened to 'swell', what exactly does 'swell' mean and why doesn't anybody use the word in this context anymore?


Most of my memory of hearing the word 'swell' dates back to the old movies. I can still see and hear Shirley Temple saying it. It seems like all the characters in the "Thin Man" movies used the word. It seems that the word 'swell' was popular in a lot of movies dealing with life in the Thirties and Forties. Then it seems like the word just disappeared. I don't recall exactly when. I don't know if it was a gradual thing or if it took years. I do know you just don't hear people say, "She is really a swell lady" or "That would be just swell".


Looking 'swell' up in most dictionaries provided definitions similar to-- " To grow bulkier; to dilate; to increase in size; to rise or be driven into billows, as waves; etc." There was nothing readily found that would show a definition that would explain the above mentioned usage of the word. Then finally, in an old, old dictionary I found, "[Slang] - stylish; very fashionable; first rate; excellent; a general epithet of approval".


I realize slang words come and slang words go but they don't have to completely vanish. I hope that somewhere there are those who dare to cross the "cool" line and occasionally throw a 'swell' into the conversation. I have already tried to use the word in my day to day communications. Some of the older folks just smile. The younger folks just give the "Say What?" look.


I hope to stir a little interest and support and bring 'swell' back to what it was in its glory days. I will continue to use the word because it is stylish, very fashionable and first rate. Mom thought Dad was swell and that's good enough for me.


Have a swell day!