What Old-Fashioned Words do you Rarely Hear Anymore?

[brenalexacamp]

the parlor-living room

frigidaire- the refridgerator

open or close the light-turn it on or off

girdle

the elevator- subway train

 

[perdidobay]

sasparilla - aka root beer

 

[sunnyday123]

My neice and I have been putting everything in my MIL receipe box into a word document. The first time she got to oleo, she had to call an ask what that was. She also hates the ones that call for a pinch, a smidge, or a dash of something. The notes marked 1/2 t or 1/2 T threw her at first. When I told her what it ment, she made the remark that someone sure didn't know how to abbrevate correctly. My thoughts are it sure is easier to write that then tsp or Tbls.

Growing up, my borthers were always told to put on clean BVD's, it was never called underwear.

Lol...that's great that you are writing down receipes! I wish I would have thought of doing that.

My Grandmother's receipe for dumplings? Two handfuls of flour and three fingers of shortening. I called her and asked her who's fingers, and she said, "Mine!"

 

[tvguy]

sasparilla - aka root beer

I may be making a Coke verus Pepsi argument, but Sasparilla is actually a different drink that Root Beer. Root Beer is flavored with with Sassafras too, Sasparilla is not.

 

[LuluLovesDisney]

This is so funny! I think in Jersey, people hold on to the old words! Here, I have been invited to pocketbook parties, I go for cocktails with my friends, we might stop for a pie at the pizzeria on the way home and if someone has too many, they might be sitting on the stoop-- and I went to a grammar school.

My parents regularly say dungarees and slacks, but those are only used by a "more experienced" generation I also know someone who regularly uses "knuckleheads" I love that one.

Here are a few more:

frosted (instead of highlighting in your hair)
decorum ( although, I do use this one since I teach high school lol)
corny
shall
to the hilt (my students had never heard this expression)
cooties
rad
"the bomb"

 

[tabby1881]

tonic as in Pepsi, Coke, orange, gingerale etc.

Growing up here in Mass, we called it tonic. Even around here, you don't here it called tonic all that often now.

Remember the store Filenes? I like how some people around here pronounced it Fillenes as opposed to a long i sound in Filenes. I took one of my former teachers out shopping last week. She must be in her 90's and she mentioned how she really missed "Fillenes" and Jordan Marsh. Especially the Jordan Marsh blueberry muffins!

Oh, I forgot. After shopping she invited me to sit out on the piazza with her. (Nice screened in porch area) My neighbor used to enjoy sitting on her divan out on the piazza in the summer.

 

[cybrkitn]

Not a word, but a phrase...

"You sound like a Broken Record."

 

[lovesmurfs]

This thread is "the bee's knees" and "groovy"!!!

 

[midas]

this is a fun thread. since halloween is right around the corner i thought of the pranks we used to play as youngsters(youngsters does anyone say that) and we used to throw corn at peoples homes and called it racking(my dh called it ticktacking) i dont think thats a good idea to do nowadays-people are way more crazy and it could be dangerous but those are the words i thought of.

Loafing - Hanging out
cruddy - dirty
shanty - storage shed
Specs - eye glasses
5:00 shadow
cannonball - haircut that is a #1 buzz cut

It's terrible how many of these I remember!!!

 

[DebD4T]

One time in a store, I told my kids not to "dilly dally".

Another woman in the store looked at me like I had 2 heads and told me it was an old fashioned word.

I use it all the time!!

 

[lovesmurfs]

One time in a store, I told my kids not to "dilly dally".

Yep -- that and its cousin "willy nilly"!

 

[RebeccaB]

my gram calls the fridge the ice box. Butter and margarine is oleo. Here, your front yard is your dooryard.

 

[RebeccaB]

I just remembered another one: my great aunt calls the fridge the fridgidaire. The vacuum is the hoover. as in, "someone needs to hoover this rug"

 

[MiniGirl]

Fun thread....

Let's see. I can think of a few that I don't remember seeing posted.

percolator
kitchen cupboards
wardrobe for closet
bonnet
kerchief

Of course, too, there are words that people used to say to describe a person that would NEVER be used in polite conversation anymore, and I won't even type them out here.

 

[Liberty Belle]

Fun thread....

Let's see. I can think of a few that I don't remember seeing posted.

percolator
kitchen cupboards
wardrobe for closet
bonnet
kerchief

Of course, too, there are words that people used to say to describe a person that would NEVER be used in polite conversation anymore, and I won't even type them out here.

I say kitchen cupboards. I guess you'd say kitchen cabinets? Sometimes I say cabinet.

Thought of another: chiffarobe. Oh, and my great aunt always called her large piece of furniture in her dining room her "buffet", but we call ours a "sideboard", not sure which is old or if they both are.

 

[Cee]

My dad always told us to "polish our ivories" before bed.

 

[Becky2005]

Thought of another: chiffarobe.

OK...this one stumped me! I knew what most of the other older words have been in this thread but have no idea what that is, care to interpret to modern times?

 

[kwitcherkicken99]

Don't rest on your laurels...

 

[DawnM]

Interesting.

In the shows they always order it and never specify so I assumed it was a specific type of drink.

Dawn

A high ball is really any type of simple cocktail. I think it mainly refers to whiskey rather than vodka or gin. Seagrams 7 & 7Up, Scotch and club soda, Canadian Club and ginger ale, etc.

Yep, the term was very popular in the 50s and 60s.

Nightcap is that one last drink before going to sleep.

Jim

 

[Liberty Belle]

OK...this one stumped me! I knew what most of the other older words have been in this thread but have no idea what that is, care to interpret to modern times?

A chiffarobe is like an armoire, but with drawers on one side. At least that's what my granny called a chiffarobe.