High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! 23 skidoo (sometimes 23 skiddoo) is an American slang phrase popularized during the early 20th century, first attested before World War I and becoming popular during the 1920s. It generally refers to leaving quickly, being forced to leave quickly by someone else, or taking advantage of a propitious opportunity to leave, that is, "getting while the getting`s good." The exact origin of the phrase is uncertain.