Words from Yesteryear

Critter · 06-24-2004

Fender Skirts

What a great blast from the past! I haven't thought about fender skirts in years. When I was a kid, I considered it such a funny term. Made me think of a car in a dress. 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." Since I'd been thinking of cars, my mind naturally went that direction first. Any kids will probably have to find some elderly 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."

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 "worldwide" 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 their hardwood floors with, wow, wall-to-wall carpeting! Today, everyone replaces their wall-to-wall carpeting
with hardwood floors. Go figure.

When's 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.

It's hard to recall that this word was once said in a whisper-"divorce." And no one is called a "divorcee" anymore. Certainly not a "gay divorcee." Come to think of it, "confirmed bachelors" and "career girls" are
long gone, too.

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? Coffeemaker." 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 "ElectraLuxe."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 their kids with castor oil anymore.

Some words aren't gone, but are definitely on the endangered list. The one that grieves me most - "supper." Now everybody says "dinner". Save a great word. Invite someone to "supper. Discuss fender skirts.

Someone forwarded this to me, and I thought some of us of a "certain age" would remember most of these.

Tyramania · 06-24-2004

Quote:

Originally Posted by Critter

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.

My mother was a wonderful seamstress (she sewed everything from my sister's wedding dress to a canvas cover for my dad's jeep). As a youngster, we wouldn't go back-to-school shopping, we'd go back-to-school looking and then head to the fabric store. At the time, I wanted some store-bought stuff more than anything. NOW, I know better and wish I had a wonderful seamstress to make all my clothes!

- Tyra

local8 · 06-24-2004

Only 40, but if I may add a couple to the list:

Rotary-Dial
Television Knob

TEX · 06-24-2004

Thanks for bringing back some childhood memories, Critter.... That sounds alot like one of Andy Rooney's rants from 60 minutes.....

cuffedlinks · 06-24-2004

Thanks Critter, very poignant and moving words to remind us of a bygone time. IT surely stirred some echoes previously locked away....

Funny how much you can remember them so vividly, but had them stored away and mostly forgotten until things like Critter's post bring them back into light and the forefront of our remembrances...

Thanks man!

cja · 06-24-2004

And let's not forget those wonderful first aid supplies - iodine and mercurachrome (sp?). Of course 'rumble seats' pre-dated the '50s and hot pants came in the '60s.

**Bumper** · 06-24-2004

Boy, Crit, you really got the brain cells stirring.

How about "tailor made", like store bought cigarettes, rather than "rollies". Does anybody get "cooties" anymore, or "make out" in the back seat with a "fast" girl, who is "stacked", and while you were "swapping spit" you hoped her boyfriend didn't "go ape" and "pound" you before you could "split", because you were "cruisin' for a bruisin'"? And cars, "criminy", there must be a jillion things. 4 on the floor - 3 on the tree, "burn rubber" or "peel out" in your "cherry" "short", and after you "scarfed" down some calories you called "dibs" on the "church key" or "synagogue wrench" to "crack your suds", then off to do a "Chinese fire drill" at the next light.

WHOA!! Deja freakin' vu!!

**tommy** · 06-24-2004

your making me feel older than I act...And I dont like that....

**denisea** · 06-24-2004