chicot60
05-14-2011, 08:49 PM
I came across this phrase yesterday "FENDER
SKIRTS".
http://macpack.largiader.com/temp/images/fs25.jpg
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"
http://macpack.largiader.com/temp/images/fs1.jpg
And "steering knobs." (AKA) suicide knob
Since I'd been thinking of cars, my mind
naturally went that direction first.
http://macpack.largiader.com/temp/images/fs2.gif
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.
http://macpack.largiader.com/temp/images/fs3.jpg
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."
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 storebought
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, wallto-
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.
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
"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.
SKIRTS".
http://macpack.largiader.com/temp/images/fs25.jpg
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"
http://macpack.largiader.com/temp/images/fs1.jpg
And "steering knobs." (AKA) suicide knob
Since I'd been thinking of cars, my mind
naturally went that direction first.
http://macpack.largiader.com/temp/images/fs2.gif
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.
http://macpack.largiader.com/temp/images/fs3.jpg
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."
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 storebought
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, wallto-
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.
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
"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.