Words That Have Been Lost!
FENDER SKIRTS AND RAT FINKS
I know some of you will not understand this message, but I bet you know
someone who might.
I came across this phrase yesterday. 'FENDER SKIRTS.'
A term I haven't heard in a long time, and thinking about 'fender
skirts'
started me thinking about other words that quietly disappear from our
language with hardly a notice like 'curb feelers.'
And 'steering knobs.' (AKA) 'suicide knob,' 'neckers knobs.'
Since I'd been thinking of cars, my mind naturally went that direction
first.
Any kids will probably have to find some older person over 50 to explain
some of these terms to you.
Remember 'Continental kits?' They were rear bumper extenders and spare
tire
covers that were supposed to make any car as cool as a Lincoln
Continental.
When did we quit calling them 'emergency brakes?' At some point 'parking
brake' became the proper term. But I miss the hint of drama that went
with
'emergency brake.'
I'm sad, too, that almost all the old folks are gone who would call the
accelerator the 'foot feed.' Many today do not even know what a clutch
is or
that the dimmer switch used to be on the floor.
Didn't you ever wait at the street for your daddy to come home, so you
could
ride the 'running board' up to the house?
Here's a phrase I heard all the time in my youth but never anymore -
'store-bought.' Of course, just about everything is store-bought these
days.
But once it was bragging material to have a store-bought dress or a
store-bought bag of candy.
'Coast to coast' is a phrase that once held all sorts of excitement and
now
means almost nothing. Now we take the term 'world wide' for granted.
This
floors me.
On a smaller scale, 'wall-to-wall' was once a magical term in our homes.
In
the '50s, everyone covered his or her hardwood floors with, wow,
wall-to-wall carpeting! Today, everyone replaces their wall-to-wall
carpeting with hardwood floors. Go figure.
When was the last time you heard the quaint phrase 'in a family way ?'
It's
hard to imagine that the word 'pregnant' was once considered a little
too
graphic, a little too clinical for use in polite company, so we had all
that
talk about stork visits and 'being in a family way' or simply
'expecting.'
Apparently 'brassiere' is a word no longer in usage. I said it the other
day
and my daughter cracked up. I guess it's just 'bra' now.
'Unmentionables'
probably wouldn't be understood at all.
I always loved going to the 'picture show,' but I considered 'movie' an
affectation.
Most of these words go back to the '50s, but here's a pure '60s word I
came
across the other day 'rat fink.' Ooh, what a nasty put-down!
Here's a word I miss - 'percolator.' That was just a fun word to say.
And
what was it replaced with 'Coffee maker.' How dull... Mr. Coffee, I
blame
you for this.
I miss those made-up marketing words that were meant to sound so modern
and
now sound so retro. Words like 'DynaFlow' and 'Electrolux.' Introducing
the
1963 Admiral TV, now with 'SpectraVision!'
Food for thought. Was there a telethon that wiped out lumbago? Nobody
complains of that anymore. Maybe that's what Castor oil cured, because I
never hear mothers threatening kids with Castor oil anymore.
Some words aren't gone, but are definitely on the endangered list. The
one
that grieves me most is 'supper.' Now everybody says 'dinner.' Save a
great
word. Invite someone to supper. Discuss fender skirts.
Someone forwarded this to me. I thought some of us of a 'certain age'
would
remember most of these.
Just for fun, pass it along to others of 'a certain age.'
IF YOU AREN'T OF A CERTAIN AGE, YOU MUST KNOW SOMEONE WHO IS.
Re: Words That Have Been Lost!
Nowadays, I make fruit shakes in the "Osterizer"
Cheese it, here comes the fuzz!
Got a new solid state hi-fi? Wow.
8-track is so last century. So's cassette. So's the 45.
Do today's youth know what it is to "dial" a phone number? Do they even say that?
Wow, how language has changed.
Re: Words That Have Been Lost!
an oldy but goodie, "FROCK"
i remember my grandfather's Buick had a CURB detector - loved that sound!
Re: Words That Have Been Lost! Thanks
I love this. None quite come to mind yet, but I am sure there are many and will put some energy into remembering them. Although I do not remember them in use, I remember people saying "ice box", and referring to those clothes dryers as "ringers". In the car world there were "fins", double-clutching, and "moon caps".
Indian Motorcycles. fondue sets. Are there still chalkboards?
I will think of lots and post them as they come. Thanks so much for this, Bruce
I know some of you will not understand this message, but I bet you know
someone who might.
I came across this phrase yesterday. 'FENDER SKIRTS.'
A term I haven't heard in a long time, and thinking about 'fender
skirts'
started me thinking about other words that quietly disappear from our
language with hardly a notice like 'curb feelers.'
And 'steering knobs.' (AKA) 'suicide knob,' 'neckers knobs.'
Since I'd been thinking of cars, my mind naturally went that direction
first.
Any kids will probably have to find some older person over 50 to explain
some of these terms to you.
Remember 'Continental kits?' They were rear bumper extenders and spare
tire
covers that were supposed to make any car as cool as a Lincoln
Continental.
When did we quit calling them 'emergency brakes?' At some point 'parking
brake' became the proper term. But I miss the hint of drama that went
with
'emergency brake.'
I'm sad, too, that almost all the old folks are gone who would call the
accelerator the 'foot feed.' Many today do not even know what a clutch
is or
that the dimmer switch used to be on the floor.
Didn't you ever wait at the street for your daddy to come home, so you
could
ride the 'running board' up to the house?
Here's a phrase I heard all the time in my youth but never anymore -
'store-bought.' Of course, just about everything is store-bought these
days.
But once it was bragging material to have a store-bought dress or a
store-bought bag of candy.
'Coast to coast' is a phrase that once held all sorts of excitement and
now
means almost nothing. Now we take the term 'world wide' for granted.
This
floors me.
On a smaller scale, 'wall-to-wall' was once a magical term in our homes.
In
the '50s, everyone covered his or her hardwood floors with, wow,
wall-to-wall carpeting! Today, everyone replaces their wall-to-wall
carpeting with hardwood floors. Go figure.
When was the last time you heard the quaint phrase 'in a family way ?'
It's
hard to imagine that the word 'pregnant' was once considered a little
too
graphic, a little too clinical for use in polite company, so we had all
that
talk about stork visits and 'being in a family way' or simply
'expecting.'
Apparently 'brassiere' is a word no longer in usage. I said it the other
day
and my daughter cracked up. I guess it's just 'bra' now.
'Unmentionables'
probably wouldn't be understood at all.
I always loved going to the 'picture show,' but I considered 'movie' an
affectation.
Most of these words go back to the '50s, but here's a pure '60s word I
came
across the other day 'rat fink.' Ooh, what a nasty put-down!
Here's a word I miss - 'percolator.' That was just a fun word to say.
And
what was it replaced with 'Coffee maker.' How dull... Mr. Coffee, I
blame
you for this.
I miss those made-up marketing words that were meant to sound so modern
and
now sound so retro. Words like 'DynaFlow' and 'Electrolux.' Introducing
the
1963 Admiral TV, now with 'SpectraVision!'
Food for thought. Was there a telethon that wiped out lumbago? Nobody
complains of that anymore. Maybe that's what Castor oil cured, because I
never hear mothers threatening kids with Castor oil anymore.
Some words aren't gone, but are definitely on the endangered list. The
one
that grieves me most is 'supper.' Now everybody says 'dinner.' Save a
great
word. Invite someone to supper. Discuss fender skirts.
Someone forwarded this to me. I thought some of us of a 'certain age'
would
remember most of these.
Just for fun, pass it along to others of 'a certain age.'
IF YOU AREN'T OF A CERTAIN AGE, YOU MUST KNOW SOMEONE WHO IS.[/QUOTE]
