Justbutch
Really Experienced
- Joined
- Feb 12, 2004
- Posts
- 231
More 'Geezers'
I got this in a email from a friend my age... thought it would fit in:
Okay, here's one for you
>
>
>
>Tom Dodge is the sage of Midlothian. I have enjoyed his public-radio
>commentaries for years. The other day I picked up a copy of his essay
>collection, "Tom Dodge Talks About Texas."
>
>
>
>Well, one of those little pieces sent me off on a reverie almost
>immediately. It was about Big Jim Tidwell of Whitney - "The Fender Skirt
>King of Texas."And I thought, "Fender skirts!" What a great blast from the
>past! I hadn'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.
>
>
>
>You 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 cackled. 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
>Inever 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."
>
>
>
>Save a great word. Invite someone to supper. Discuss fender skirts
I got this in a email from a friend my age... thought it would fit in:
Okay, here's one for you
>
>
>
>Tom Dodge is the sage of Midlothian. I have enjoyed his public-radio
>commentaries for years. The other day I picked up a copy of his essay
>collection, "Tom Dodge Talks About Texas."
>
>
>
>Well, one of those little pieces sent me off on a reverie almost
>immediately. It was about Big Jim Tidwell of Whitney - "The Fender Skirt
>King of Texas."And I thought, "Fender skirts!" What a great blast from the
>past! I hadn'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.
>
>
>
>You 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 cackled. 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
>Inever 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."
>
>
>
>Save a great word. Invite someone to supper. Discuss fender skirts
