I came across this phrase in a book
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." 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? "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 "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 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." Now everybody says
"dinner." Save a great word. Invite someone to supper. Discuss fender
skirts.