> > >> OLD WORDS >> >> "Fender Skirts" What a great blast from the past! I haven't thought about >> "fender skirts" in years. When I was young, I considered it such a funny >> term. Made me think of a car in a dress. >> >> Thinking about "fender skirts" made me think about other words that quietly >> disappeared 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. >> >> 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 that almost all the old folks are gone who would call the >> accelerator the "foot feed." >> >> Are you old enough to have waited 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 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. >> >> On a smaller scale, "wall to wall" was once a magical term in our house. In >> the l950's everyone covered his or her hardwood floors with, wow, >> wall-to-wall carpeting! Today everyone replaces their "wall-to-wall" carpeting with >> hardwood floors. >> >> 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, and absolutely for >> bidden in the movies or on TV. 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 about it, "confirmed bachelors" and "career girls" are long >> gone too. >> >> I always loved going to the "picture show" but I considered "movie" an >> affectation. >> >> Most of these words go back to the 1950's, but here's a pure --- 1960's >> word I came across the other day -- 'rat-fink'. Ooh, what a put down! >> >> Here's a word I miss --- "percolator." That was fun 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 l963 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 is --- "supper." Now everyone says "dinner." Save a >> great word....invite someone to supper. Discuss fender skirts and curb feelers! >> >> Someone forwarded this to me and I thought some of you of a "certain age" >> would remember most of these "lost" words. >> >

Hi all, Remember when "Oxydol" was the wonder detergent? Now we have Oxybrite, etc. Is the old coming round again! Kittie in MD ----- Original Message ----- From: <DieselDis@aol.com> To: <NJ-MEMORIES-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Tuesday, July 26, 2005 10:41 PM Subject: Old Words >> >> >> OLD WORDS >>> >>> "Fender Skirts" What a great blast from the past! I haven't thought >>> about >>> "fender skirts" in years. When I was young, I considered it such a funny >>> term. Made me think of a car in a dress. >>> >>> Thinking about "fender skirts" made me think about other words that >>> quietly >>> disappeared 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. >>> >>> 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 that almost all the old folks are gone who would call the >>> accelerator the "foot feed." >>> >>> Are you old enough to have waited 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 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. >>> >>> On a smaller scale, "wall to wall" was once a magical term in our house. >>> In >>> the l950's everyone covered his or her hardwood floors with, wow, >>> wall-to-wall carpeting! Today everyone replaces their "wall-to-wall" >>> carpeting with >>> hardwood floors. >>> >>> 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, and absolutely >>> for >>> bidden in the movies or on TV. 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 about it, "confirmed bachelors" and "career >>> girls" are long >>> gone too. >>> >>> I always loved going to the "picture show" but I considered "movie" an >>> affectation. >>> >>> Most of these words go back to the 1950's, but here's a pure --- 1960's >>> word I came across the other day -- 'rat-fink'. Ooh, what a put down! >>> >>> Here's a word I miss --- "percolator." That was fun 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 l963 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 is --- "supper." Now everyone says "dinner." Save a >>> great word....invite someone to supper. Discuss fender skirts and curb >>> feelers! >>> >>> Someone forwarded this to me and I thought some of you of a "certain >>> age" >>> would remember most of these "lost" words. >>> >> > > > >