What is 23skidoo?

“23 skidoo” is an American slang expression that broadly means to leave quickly, make a swift exit, or be on one’s way without delay. It carries a slightly playful or mischievous tone, often implying that someone should depart before trouble arises or simply move along briskly.

The phrase became especially popular in the early twentieth century, when it was used in everyday conversation, vaudeville routines, newspaper cartoons, and advertising, embodying a sense of speed, modernity, and cheeky humor that fit the spirit of the era. The exact origin of “23 skidoo” is uncertain, and its history appears to be a blending of separate slang elements that were combined into a memorable phrase. The number “23” had already gained a reputation in

the late nineteenth century as a kind of lucky or significant number in American slang, sometimes associated with good fortune or a signal to move along. Meanwhile, “skidoo” itself seems to derive from earlier slang verbs like “skedaddle,” which dates back to the American Civil War and means to run away or flee hastily. By the early 1900s, “skidoo” had taken on a similar meaning of departing quickly, and the pairing with “23” likely enhanced its rhythmic, catchy quality. One of the most frequently cited origin stories connects the phrase to

New York City, particularly the area around the Flatiron Building in the early 1900s. According to this account, the unique triangular shape of the building created strong gusts of wind along 23rd Street, which would lift women’s skirts and attract crowds of onlookers. Police officers, tasked with keeping order, would allegedly tell loiterers to “23 skidoo,” meaning they should clear out and move along. While colorful and widely repeated, historians regard this story as more anecdotal than definitively

proven, though it does illustrate how the phrase became associated with urban life and quick dispersal. Another theory suggests that “23” may have originated as a telegraph or code number used to signal a particular action, possibly indicating urgency or dismissal, which then entered spoken slang. There are also claims that the number held significance in popular culture of the time,

appearing in jokes, stage routines, or even as a kind of shorthand for something noteworthy or decisive. In this sense, “23 skidoo” may have emerged as a humorous, emphatic way of telling someone to make themselves scarce, combining a familiar number with a lively verb.

By the 1910s and 1920s, “23 skidoo” had become a widespread catchphrase across the United States, appearing in comic strips, songs, and advertisements, often used to evoke a sense of modern slang sophistication.

Its popularity eventually faded as language evolved, but it remains a recognizable relic of early twentieth-century American vernacular, frequently referenced in discussions of vintage slang and the playful, inventive nature of colloquial speech during that period.