What odd or old-fashioned words..

[C.Ann]

What odd or old-fashioned words do you remember hearing your parents or grandparents say? DGD and I were talking about words - and how they can be used last night (absolute vs. relative) - and somehow we wandered off into the "odd" words direction.. These are some of the ones that I remembered:

open air theater (drive-in movie)
picture show (movie)
victrola (record player)
oil cloth (linoleum)
parlor (living room)
stoop (front steps)
five and dime (department store) - still have one over in town
ice box (fridge)
cellar (basement) - although still popular in some areas


Anyone have more to add to the list?

 

[DisneyBamaFan]

Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious (what you say when you don't know what to say)...

 

[Lovely2CU]

Only in UK English!

The ones that came to mind straight away were
"the pictures" - going to the "cinema" to see a "film".

Actually I used the words myself growing up too.

 

[Starbrite]

I don't know if it's old or maybe just geographical but....

Rubbish

 

[Princesa]

My dad used "lessons" for homework.

Common conversation at our house when I was in high school.... Did you get your lessons? No, but I did do my homework!


Also, sometimes I come up with phrases that get me laughed at...especially when exasperated..... Fiddlesticks! or Jimminy Crickets! or Thunder and Mud! All seem to pop up now and again from childhood.

I'm sure I'll think of more

 

[wildernesslodgelover]

"dungarees" instead of "jeans."

 

[NHdisneylover]

umm, I still say cellar, stoop and film and I am only in my 30s

My grandmother (in the south) always used to talk about "losing her religion" (losing her patience--generally she would say "I nearly lost my religion piecing that quilt") I though it was hysterical when REM used that for a song.

ottomon (footstool)
sasperilla (root beer)
fortnight (15 days)
stupendous
gay in the "happy" sense of the word
whippersnappers (young people)
omnibus (bus)

 

[KristaTX]

My grandmother used the word "divan" when speaking of the couch.

 

[NHdisneylover]

back to add:

spectacles (glasses)
clam diggeres (capri pants)
I reckon (I think)
hankering (craving)
shennanigans (silly happenings, usually naughty but not really bad)

Oh C.Ann this is making me think of my grandfather. I can "hear" him saying all these things

 

[NMAmy]

My grandmother used to call her purse a "pocketbook" and the couch was a "davenport."

 

[SkcMom]

One that I always thought was silly that my grandma used to say was:

Oleo instead of Butter

 

[clarabelle]

My grandmother used to call her purse a "pocketbook" and the couch was a "davenport."

I say pocketbook! I say purse more -but I have always heard people say pocketbook

My grandmother would say "Fridgidare" for the refrigerator
"step-ins" for panties and growing up I often heard people say "sweet milk" for milk that wasn't buttermilk.

 

[KristaTX]

My grandmother used to call her purse a "pocketbook"

I know some DISers who still call their purse their pocketbook. Mostly the ones from Massachusetts it seems.

 

[Jeafl]

My grandma used to go to the "beauty parlor" to have her hair done by the "beauty operator".

She always used to say "smitten" too when someone had a crush on someone else.

 

[Teacher03]

"Pupils" for students.

An elderly gentleman asked me how many pupils I had in my class, and it took me a second to realize what he was taling about!

 

[MomofKatie]

stewardess or air hostess for flight attendant
icebox for refrigerator
hi-fi for stereo
oleo for margarine
motorcar for car
watercloset for bathroom
drawers for underwear


And C.Ann, I hate to say it, but linoleum is pretty much an antiquated word now. Floors are made of vinyl now...

I say some things my DD considers "old fashioned", and I'm only in my early 40's-
videos instead of DVDs
records instead of CDs (even CDs are getting old fashioned now)
hip or cool instead of... I don't even know what kids are saying instead now!!

 

[PaddingtonBear]

bellyaching (complaining)
parson (pastor)
the show (movies) i.e. "Let's all go to the show on Saturday"

 

[kimmie]

My DH still says billfold for wallet!
"Honey, go get my billfold and take what you want!"

 

[flipturngirl]

My grandmother used the word "divan" when speaking of the couch.

same with my grandparents but they also say davenport? i am always like?? huh??

 

[joyjoy]

My grandfather used to say sweet milk for milk that wasn't buttermilk, too.

He said "Shut out the lights" instead of "turn out the lights"
Put the glass up, instead of roll the window (in the car) up.
And my favorite.... He called Western Auto..... Western Automatic.