Words. They Come and Go.
Have you ever read any books from the 19th/early 20th century like "Uncle Tom's Cabin" or "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn"? The word truck is used in both of them and it obviously doesn't have the same meaning it does today. I asked a teacher back in high school and she told me to figure it out on my own. (Ahhh, the joys of learning) I came to the conclusion that "truck" meant "stuff" . In every sentence you could exchange truck for stuff and it made sense. I did an internet search today on the past meaning of "truck" and found out "truck" was also a word for business.
Which brings me to an ongoing pastime that Cameo and I have. We have come up with many words that we heard our grandparents say that are no longer used.(Yep, we're dorks like that) Here are the ones I could think of this morning.
Icebox.........Fridge
Pocketbook.........Purse
Housecoat.........Robe
Filling Station.........Gas Station
Devann.........Couch
Slacks.........Pants
Trade.........Shop
Cream Rinse (very 70's).........Conditioner
Sweeper.........Vacuum
Can you think of any?
I wonder what words we use now will have our grand kids saying "huh?".
Which brings me to an ongoing pastime that Cameo and I have. We have come up with many words that we heard our grandparents say that are no longer used.(Yep, we're dorks like that) Here are the ones I could think of this morning.
Icebox.........Fridge
Pocketbook.........Purse
Housecoat.........Robe
Filling Station.........Gas Station
Devann.........Couch
Slacks.........Pants
Trade.........Shop
Cream Rinse (very 70's).........Conditioner
Sweeper.........Vacuum
Can you think of any?
I wonder what words we use now will have our grand kids saying "huh?".
Labels: Random
posted by Marcie at 8:12 AM
15 Comments:
Marcie,
Divan is the correct spelling. And house coat was really house dress. Not quite the same as a robe. The house coat/dress was a cotton thingy that was light weight and shapeless. You could actually receive guests in it, unlike a robe. When I was a kid we also called the fridge the "ice box"; now that is quaint and really out of date!!
Mom
Believe it or not, I was talking to a 5 year old who knew "Teevee" but did NOT know what a "television" was. ? What the eff?
This must be the wrong spelling but my grandmother used the word "lanai" to refer to the patio/deck area.
I was thinking about sounds that kids don't know these days that we do .. the sound of a phone ringing. Like, a normal phone - one of those old rotary ones with the metallic ringer?
Mrs. Fortune- My mom has a "lanai" on her house. They use that word in Florida.
How about "kicks" for shoes...gams for legs (female), Betty - hottie - female again, dish - female hottie... as in "great gams on that Betty (or "dish")"..
and the word "ought"...not as in "you ought to..." but as a numerical substitute for zero...my grandfather always said he was born in "ought one" meaning 1901...so now we are in "ought six"...
I loved the "cream rinse" one...hahaha!
Hey, I still use the word pocketbook sometimes :)
My granmother called her fridge the "Fridgedaire"...I guess after the company.
How about "house shoes" for "slippers." My husband still uses this one, he is such a dork, but I still love him!
i thought of another one, but i forgot it already. and just a friendly reminder that ice box isn't archaic - chris still uses that one, as you know. happy MAYDAY miss piggy!
That just means Chris is archaic.
I try to use the word "Blouse" as frequently as possible in lieu of Shirt.
And I feel the the substitution of the word "Gross" for "uncouth" was a mighty, mighty disservice
Kind of off the subject, but my kid is taking a vinyl record for show and tell. I always tell her she sounds "like a broken record," and she used it at school recently. Sadly, none of her friends knew what it meant, and so it made her feel momentarily superior. Which is good. When I was in grade school, such a thing would probably have embarrassed me.
them's fightin words missy! he's not archaic, he's....... yeah wait, maybe he is. okay, well.... i'm with dawn, but i still use the word uncouth regularly. i got that one from susie. :)
OH!!!!! rouge! i hate that word and my mom STILL uses it. "just put a little rouge on your cheeks." i don't know why, but i can't stand that word in that context.
Rouge is great; it's french for the color of the blush. (as we now know it)
I know you said something about the sweeper instead of the vacuum but have you ever heard someone say they're going to "hoover." Again, based on the brand.
Mom
Along with "blouse", I also think "trousers" sounds old-fashioned. Or "slacks", both words bug me for some reason.
There are some words that don't even accurately describe an action anymore that we still use, like "dialing" the phone. Have you ever asked someone to push the number buttons on the phone for you? No, you ask them to dial a number.Or how places that sell CDs are still referred to as "record" stores. Plus c'est change...plus c'est la meme chose.
Vexed - upset or irritated is my personal interpretation. They use it all the time in period films like Vanity Faire or Sense & Sensibility but you almost never hear it otherwise.
All the other good ones have been taken.
PS to Cameo: I hate rouge too. A lot. GMTA.
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