Words that you don't hear anymore.

[EMom]

Ooh....I love the polite ones for skank. I think I get it from all those British novels and movies.

trollop, tart, slattern, jezebel, hussy, wench, floozy

You can call most people a slattern and leave them looking this this:

Now I need another word for pimp. About a year ago, DH, DD and I were walking through the toy department and DH & I were discussing how the Bratz dolls look like trollops and tarts. He asked if there were any male Bratz dolls and if so, what are they called. Without thinking, I answered, "Pimps." Then DD asked, "What's a pimp?" Me and my big mouth! Somehow I got out of it.

 

[Mr. & Mrs. Smith]

coolbeans

I'm not sure where I picked it up but I use the phrase "funkymotel" in much the same way as one might use "coolbeans".

 

[Liberty Belle]

My son gets annoyed when I use the words alas, stair (vs stairs), bed clothes, ilk, looking glass, and davenport. Which, of course, I used mostly just to annoy him.

 

[Micca]

I call that a buffet too.

Teetotaler is a British term. When you signed your name and put a T next to it, you were showing that you pledged to abstain from alcohol. Teetotaler is just refering to the repetition of T's on a list of pledges

That's very helpful. What do I put next to my name to indicate I'll be responsible for drinking whatever it is they aren't having?

 

[Mr. & Mrs. Smith]

My son gets annoyed when I use the words alas, stair (vs stairs), bed clothes, ilk, looking glass, and davenport. Which, of course, I used mostly just to annoy him.

I can't stand when someone says "stair" instead of "stairs" as in "I'm going upstair." No you aren't! You're going up multiple stairs, therefore "upstairs". They always seem to be the same people who pronounce "across" as "acrosst".

 

[Liberty Belle]

I can't stand when someone says "stair" instead of "stairs" as in "I'm going upstair." No you aren't! You're going up multiple stairs, therefore "upstairs". They always seem to be the same people who pronounce "across" as "acrosst".

I don't think I've ever said "going upstair" or even "upstair," for that matter. I'd say something like "be careful on your stair" or "I put it on the stair."

 

[Mr. & Mrs. Smith]

I don't think I've ever said "going upstair" or even "upstair," for that matter. I'd say something like "be careful on your stair" or "I put it on the stair."

I can see "I put it on the stair," because you're talking about a particular, single stair. I don't get, "Be careful on your stair." That would imply that someone has ownership of a stair. I would say, "Be careul on the stairs."

 

[Liberty Belle]

I can see "I put it on the stair," because you're talking about a particular, single stair. I don't get, "Be careful on your stair." That would imply that someone has ownership of a stair. I would say, "Be careul on the stairs."

Well, we live in a story and a half home and the stairs do go only up to his room, so he does have ownership of them.

Main Entry: stair
Pronunciation: \ˈster\
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English steir, from Old English stǣger; akin to Old English & Old High German stīgan to rise, Greek steichein to walk
Date: before 12th century
1 : a series of steps or flights of steps for passing from one level to another —often used in plural but singular or plural in construction <a narrow private stairs— Lewis Mumford>
2 : a single step of a stairway

(often used in plural, but not solely used in plural) - my note

 

[Pam]

Supper? Like the last meal of the day? It's used very much in my family household in Arkansas. It confuses my poor husband because he uses the word dinner for the last meal of the day but at home dinner is lunch. We just ring a bell so he knows it's time to eat

That's what we say here, too! Dinner is a noon and supper is at night!

My children are scandalized and embarrassed that we say that!

 

[Camicar]

Honor


IMO, the word has fallen into disuse because its practice has fallen into disuse in our society of situational ethics and self-aggrandizement excusing all misbehavior. There is little guilt and precious little shame today.

 

[Mkaz]

Clinic. When we were in school we would go to the clinic if we were sick. Now kids go to the nurse's office if they are sick.

 

[GRUMPY PIRATE]

Scallywags, heathens, and landlubbers!

 

[Diznotyzed]

When I was a kid my family said drainboards for kitchen counters.
How about calling someone a fink? As in Rat Fink.
My 20 something D's hate when I say underpants. According to them only old ladies say that.

 

[Mr. & Mrs. Smith]

My 20 something D's hate when I say underpants. According to them only old ladies say that.

My mother used to call them "bloomers".

 

[OK!]

Davenport, which seemed to be on it's way out when I was a kid. Seems that most people say couch or sofa.

My grandparents used to say "divan." I don't think I've heard that word since they passed away.

 

[OK!]

My MIL and SIL say "drip" all the time...as in, "You are such a drip." That word just reeks of the 70's to me for some reason!

My mom used to use that word back then, too! I remember her grousing (that's another one) when I was about 6 about having to carpool to a college class with some woman because the woman was "such a drip."

 

[OK!]

I often see people use the word "sustain" like this: "She sustained horrific injuries in the car accident."

Of course, she did not 'sustain' her injuries (i.e., render support). However, we have Winston Churchill to blame, for her used sustained frequently in his addresses to the country ("The Nazee's have sustained heavy damage").

I'd always used "sustained" this way & was worried I might be incorrect, so I checked:

Main Entry: 1sus·tain
Pronunciation: \sə-ˈstān\
Function: transitive verb
Etymology: Middle English sustenen, from Anglo-French sustein-, stem of sustenir, from Latin sustinēre to hold up, sustain, from sub-, sus- up + tenēre to hold — more at sub-, thin
Date: 13th century
1: to give support or relief to
2: to supply with sustenance : nourish
3: keep up, prolong
4: to support the weight of : prop; also : to carry or withstand (a weight or pressure)
5: to buoy up <sustained by hope>
6 a: to bear up under b: suffer, undergo <sustained heavy losses>
7 a: to support as true, legal, or just b: to allow or admit as valid <the court sustained the motion>
8: to support by adequate proof : confirm <testimony that sustains our contention>
— sus·tained·ly \-ˈstā-nəd-lē, -ˈstānd-lē\ adverb
— sus·tain·er noun

 

[shkeogh]

Righteous !!! I am bringing it back though.

 

[S. C.]

Haven't read the whole thread.

I never hear anymore "I'm sorry i didn't hear what you said"?

Instead i hear " What was that"?

 

[Diznygrl]

Don't hear ornery too much anymore. My MIL uses it for the kids when they are being stubborn and bull-headed.

My mom has used this word nearly on a daily basis ever since I can remember! She's the only person I know who uses it. Nowadays when she says the word ornery, she's usually talking about the cat.


An outdated word that I really like is KEEN. I didn't even grow up during the era that it was popular, but I just think it's a neat word. I use it all the time.