A friend sent this to me. Most of these words are from before my time :p: Here's one not listed though: Davenport!

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

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."

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'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.

Do I remember seeing a post somewhere in which you declared that you needed a job?........:lol: :lol:

Absolutely :D

Those are all good saying, that yes, are bye gones.
My problem, I remember them.
Ops, is 53 old or young?
Any way good job on your friends part.

Any kids will probably have to find some elderly person over 50 to explain some of these terms to you.

SAY WHAT ?:confused:

Did he say over 50 was ELDERLY?

NO WAAAY !!! I'm getting too close to that number myself... :red:


How about Hi-Fi for a stereo? :D

The closer you get to 50, the younger it feels.

Hillsdale, I think you're dabbing in your true calling. You just don't have a publisher yet. Write, man, write! You can do a better job than what's being offered these days!

we always say supper.... a canuck thing maybe, eh

Several years ago, a friend invited wife and I to dinner. He said to just come around dinner time. We were there at around noon for dinner time and realized he meant 6 PM which was supper time for us. So we all had a good laugh out of it and had dinner.....I mean lunch. :lol:

Surprisingly enough I have used some of those words in normal conversation with my friends. We're also all in our mid-late 20's. There is a local Kareoke Bar called "Fender Skirts" by the way! My parent's also use dinner for lunch and supper for the evening meal. Maybe we can bring them back for the next generation???? :twothumbs

Several years ago, a friend invited wife and I to dinner. He said to just come around dinner time. We were there at around noon for dinner time and realized he meant 6 PM which was supper time for us. So we all had a good laugh out of it and had dinner.....I mean lunch. :lol:

A little history on the word dinner:
According to the American Heritage Dictionary, the word "dinner" referred to breakfast in Middle English. It derives from late Latin disiunare (to break fast) which has also provided both the French déjeuner (breakfast or lunch, depending on region) and dîner (supper or lunch, depending on region). The Spanish word desayuno, or "breakfast," also comes from this Latin root.

In well-off families in England during the mid-17th century, dinner was served at any time between 11 a.m. and noon and was a rich, heavy, alcoholic repast that lasted for anything up to 3 or 4 hours. After the repast proper, the men would stay at the table to smoke, chat, and drink, while the women would retire to a boudoir to talk, sew, and brew tea.

Then, during the 18th century, dinner was served at a gradually later and later hour until by the early 1800s, the normal time of this meal in upper-class households was between 7 and 8.30 p.m., an extra repast called luncheon having been created to fill the midday gap.

maybe its because of where im from but dinner is lunch and supper is the evening meal. a shopping cart is still a buggy, and people still say storebought, mostly because we still do alot of homemade items. heh, im 29 and i dont have a coffe maker, i have an actual percolator.

during the summer we sit out back and make homemade icecream on the back porch. 'course thats another one for your list, when did porches become decks? i think alot of it has to do with your area.

my fiance had never had a fired green tomato until she moved in with me. same with not being able to make country gravy, either white or scorch, rock candy, icecream; any of the things that i take for granted that everyone knows. i made her some homemade fried apples pies the other day and i thought she was gonna eat till she exploded, lol

Was playing word association and this word came up:

Do women still use this word, negligee? You always hear lingerie, teddie, etc.

Canadian's will recognize this word... Chesterfield. We had a copper-coloured one when I was growing up... very comfortable.

Was playing word association and this word came up:

Do women still use this word, negligee? You always hear lingerie, teddie, etc.

I say 'delicates' for the girl-stuff. :red:
But yes, lingerie is the term used anymore for the 'delicates' :lol:
Teddie is a certain item of lingerie/delicates...

@

I say 'delicates' for the girl-stuff. :red:
But yes, lingerie is the term used anymore for the 'delicates' :lol:
Teddie is a certain item of lingerie/delicates...

@

Well, you know I don't know too much about the girl-stuff :D But I knew I hadn't heard the term negligee used in ages :lol:

Well, you know I don't know too much about the girl-stuff :D But I knew I hadn't heard the term negligee used in ages :lol:

Dayton! ;)

how about "our economy" thats a dispersing word

paul had to look up the word negligee on google to figure out what it was.. he was the word after...goes to show how it has dissipated :)

Well, you know I don't know too much about the girl-stuff :D But I knew I hadn't heard the term negligee used in ages :lol:

I've heard it, but I not in a serious conversation. That's the benefits of having random topics with your friends lol

i say supper just because i i like going against the norm. i call lunch dinner also but i have alout of that country folk infulence.

How about when it stops raining hard its called a GULLY WASHER.
Or when a man got all cleaned up he looks DAPER.
When you POLISHED your shoes you called them SPIT SHINED. (got 2 in that line)
By the way I am on my 24 anniversary of being 30 so I remember most of them !!

Tube tester
Works in a drawer

washboard road

I was working in a high school classroom a couple of years back when one of the boys who's name was Josh was kidding around and I asked him "are you josh'n me?" He gave me the funniest look, I had him go look it up in the dictionary, he couldn't believe josh was in there.

Thought of another word I don't hear much anymore while playing answer a question game: Trousers. Anyone use this term anymore or slacks for that matter?

Seeing as I only wear jeans..... No. :skull:

How about "fratchy"....Great, Great, Grandma used to use this one, mostly southern in origin...it means irritated, annoyed, or just generally rankled about something.

How about Exuviate which means "to SHed"

How about swell? When was the last time you heard anyone say swell?

How about swell? When was the last time you heard anyone say swell?

or keen......

Or as we jokingly say around our house: "Going to make some soup from scratch". "Where to you buy that scratch stuff?"

I can remember going over to my grandparents when I was like 5 or 6 years old and my grandma would always call this one room in there house what I would call a finished enclosed porch area the Davenport. Trousers is what they called your pants when I went to boot camp.:D

Chesterfield... fellow Canadians will know this word.

Do you remember......
(in no particular order...)

Curb feelers?

Baby Moons?

Kneckin' Knobs?

Cheater slicks?

Raccoon tails?

Muntz 8-track?

Lake pipes?

Carson tops?

Chopped and channeled?

Hidden windshield wipers?

Dynaflow?

2-way tailgates?

Push-button transmissions?

Swivel seats?

4-door hardtops?

Datsuns?

Floor-mounted hi-beam switches?

Fins?

Do you remember......
(in no particular order...)

Curb feelers?

Baby Moons?

Kneckin' Knobs?

Cheater slicks?

Raccoon tails?

Muntz 8-track?

Lake pipes?

Carson tops?

Chopped and channeled?

Hidden windshield wipers?

Dynaflow?

2-way tailgates?

Push-button transmissions?

Swivel seats?

4-door hardtops?

Datsuns?

Floor-mounted hi-beam switches?

Fins?


Yes, of course...... :skull:

Floor-mounted hi-beam switches?

It's always fun to show friends that on my truck... Mine was the last year GM put those in trucks, as my grandpa has an '84 and it's on the column. They're always amazed at it, even as simple as it is, lol.

had a 68 chy 300 that had a 2nd 'dimmer' swt above the normal one..it controled the dial on the radio..was fun to mess with peoples heads...id snap my finger and the radio would change to the next preset channel!

Way before that, was the Starter pedal, just to the right of the gas pedal.
Turn key on & press pedal, it manually engaged the starter..
But this was on old Fords trucks...

You start a '37 Suburban the same way, set the choke, ignition switch on, left foot on the throttle pedal, and right foot on the starter button. And if you forget to pull it out of gear you scare the pee out of yourself when it jumps about ten feet instantly! Lets not forget about "crash" gearboxes and mechanical brakes that GRAB and send you off on a course known only to the truck. These young 'uns are missing so much fun.

And for the real thrill seekers how about the CONE CLUTCH, guaranteed to grab and stall the engine, or to launch you like a cannon shot.

56 chevy 3/4t stepside.....heel on gas toe on starter....steering wheel had more slop then a soup kitchen

How about the "Starterator", featured on 1933-37 GM cars it combined the accelerator and starter switch. Once the engine was running a vacuum switch kept the starter from engaging at full throttle, usually.

I remember those foot starter pedals, I was playing in my Dad's old Buick when I was a kid, pretending to drive, I pushed down on the starter pedal, that car lurched forward, it scared the "dickens" out of me...luckily the key switch wasn't on so it didn't start.

How about Vacuum operated wipers, worked best at idle when vacuum was highest. Mat the gas & wipers stopped, shift & gear & wipers wiped till you hit gas again. :lol:

Went to electric motor in 1955 Chevy.

How about the air operated wipers on the VW bug, forget to air up the spare tire, no wipers buddy. They went to electric wipers for 1967, big improvement.

Surprized no one on a car forum said-

Rumble Seat

Wondebar Radio

And then there is,

Wide Whitewalls

Raised White Letters

Deep Dish (I guess that just means Pizza these days with front wheel drive cars)

Remember them all A&P, have an old Wonderbar Radio on the shelf in the garage. Only rode in a rumble seat once, after that I knew why they called 'em the "mother in law" seat. I think that raised white letters would look good on the HHR, but I haven't found any that would fit without going very over sized. I thought that wide whites and deep dish wheels really never went away, maybe just out of fashion with the kids but not the rodders.

Shaved (remove all chrome from body)
Floor button (changed radio stations, like headlight dimmer)
You got er Pontiac (expression)
Hollywood mufflers (glass packs)
Bubble skirts (fender skirts)
Baby moons (mini hubcap)
Spot lights (mounted near front doors)
Sex lights (mounted inside under dash)
Drive in Restaurants (A&W)
Malted milk shakes
Cherry Coke
Going to the Strip (Dragway)
Cruising the drag
Drive-in Movie
BooB tube (TV set)
TV trays, TV dinners
Peel some rubber

All still in my vocabulary GOLFHHR, and I love cherry coke! When we hit the local Steak & Shake that's the first thing I order, and they do it right with the cherry syrup nice and thick, starting to drool now. Maybe I missed it but how about the "Necker's Knob" for the steering wheel, still illegal here in Carolina, but a must have on a rod.

Mmmm... I love the Cherry Coke with the grenadine! A local cafe used to make it like that, and I would always get that when growing up! Now on the few occasions I ever get to a Steak n Shake or Waffle House, that's what I HAVE to drink...

Mmm...Waffle House...

Chesterfield... fellow Canadians will know this word.

:idea: That sounds vaguely familiar even though I'm from NY originally! Isn't it a coat of some sort??:propeller:

"I'm sad, too, that almost all the old folks are gone who would call the accelerator the "foot feed.".....I'm 77 and I've never heard that one! Guess they are pretty much :thumbsdow