OzarkPreacher
S.W.Mo. God's Country
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Joined: 02/23/2004
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Intrinsically woven in that which we call "nostalgia" are the ever evolving words that are a part of our lives. We sometimes lose forever of some those beloved words, words that evoke memories of your youth.
A term I haven't heard used in a long time is "fender skirts," like those on the 1949 Chevy my dad used to drive. It started me to thinking about other words that quietly disappear from our language with hardly a notice like "curb feelers," which were also sometimes called "Granny whiskers."
Since I'd been thinking of cars, my mind naturally went that direction first. While on the subject of car parts and accessories, how could I not mention "steering knobs," (AKA - suicide knob)?
Some of you 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." (I'm older than my sister, but I don't remember that one.) 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, making the term redundant. 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? "Coffee maker. " 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 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
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Dshultz50
Oregon
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Joined: 06/23/2006
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Wow -- you brought up phrases I'd forgotten about! Rat fink...LOL and I told my 34 year old DD that I'd found a percolater at a garage sale for our 5er and she asked "where does that part fit in".. LOL
Dee & Bob
1990 Fleetwood Fifth Wheel
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kids are grown and on their own
12 grandkids
life is good!!!!
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hershey
Albuquerque,(fulltime) NM, USA
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Don't forget: Flipper hub caps. Rolled and pleated. Cruiser skirts.
hershey - albuquerque, nm
Someday Finally Got Here
My wife does all the driving - I just get to hold the steering wheel.
Expedition - Suzuki Grand Viagra
NASCAR 20 - - 99
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Lyman
Colorado Springs, CO
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Mercurichrome (now Merbromin)
Tincture of Iodine
Hooky Bobbing
Orientation (vs. Kindegarten)
Superheterodyne
Lumbago - Lower Back Pain (wonder if it includes Sciatica?)
Castor Oil - Mainly a laxative, but seeds contain ricin (nerve agent) which harms harvesters, and Ex-Lax took over the market. Still used in soaps and other marketables, though.
2000 Pace Arrow Vision, 36B, 2 slides, Ford V10 - Live in it full time
1976 Ford F250 Ranger XLT
2003 Indian Chief
Patriot Guard Rider
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chvyjwm
Senath, Mo USA
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How about "ready rolled" cigarettes. No need for smokers to carry around a sack or can of tobacco along with rolling papers.
Car trunk lids called turtle hulls.
I remember in my youth buying the cheaper black walled tires instead of white wall and installing my own "white porta-walls" which could be used over and over. Heck, that was a savings of 2 bucks a tire. Of course I also broke down the old tires and mounted the new ones to save another dollar per tire.
My Mother made our underwear out of flour sacks so that when you passed gas it smelled like biscuits. 
Carry on
John & Lee 03 2500HD LS Ext SB 4x2 6.0 4.10 03 Salem 25 w/slide 5th Wheel Husky 16,000 slider (2)Honda EU2000s Prodigy
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Mymaize
Phoenix, Az, USA
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How about "thunder mug". Different name - - same thing - - "chamber pot". A pot set under the bed to use in the middle of the night instead of walking outside to the outhouse.
OK. So I am older than a lot of you.
Go out to the cooler and get some buttermilk. The cooler was cool water running thru trough thing and that was where you set the things you wanted to keep cool. Before refrigs.
Ice box. Refrigs used ice to keep things cool. Chasing the ice man down the street to get a piece of ice - -what joy!!!!
Oh my gosh. Lots of memories.
Bette
Proud member of Open Roads Singles MSN Groups Open Road Singles
Live - Love - Laugh - and shovel out the rest
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Martyn
Bennett, Colorado, USA
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OzarkPreacher wrote:Some of you will probably have to find some elderly person, over 50, to explain some of these terms to you.
Over 50 is elderly?? I think not!
2004.5 Dodge Ram 2500 QC CTD 4x4 SLT; 2007 Coachmen Chaparral 267RLS;
Reese 15K Slider;Prodigy;JT Stabilizers;2 Honda EU2000i's;
2006 Glastron MX175;
rv-forums
2005 Dodge Magnum for the DW
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onehorsehitcher
Donna Tx
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What a good thread. I called them "turtle shells" but then that may have been what I heard. How about going way back and riding in the "rumble seat" of a Model A. I had a 1930 Chevy that had roll down shades on the rear windows. It had the spare mounted on the back but certainly wasn't a "Continental Kit". Fender wells were where some of the nicer cars stored spare tire and some of the real biggies, Buicks, Caddies and a few others had two, one in each of the front fenders. When was the last time you installed a "cut out" to divert the exhaust away from the muffler and make lots of noise? Does any movie theater have a balcony anymore? They were called other things also, some nice, some not so nice. Our little theater in the town where I now live had a "cry room along side the projection room so you could take a noisy baby and not disturb the rest of the people. It was used for other things also (If it wasn't busy. Movie theaters had ushers who carried flashlights to assist you into your seat (and break up any hanky panky that might be happening). Many of you are too young to remember much of those but it was a wonderful time to be a kid and a teenager. How many of your towns had curfews? Off the streets by 9 PM on week nights and 10 on weekends if you were under 16. Our little town had only one policeman who had no auto but carried a gun. Once when he was going to discharge it in an attempt to get a crowds attention, it wouldn't do so. The hammer was rusted tight.
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Skid Row Joe
On the road in America
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Joined: 04/26/2006
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Yup, I remember my very first car a new Caddy had fender skirts on it. Had no idea what a lemon I had just bought.......but it rode like an ocean liner!
I have a sweet tender nature, however I enjoy sharing my thoughts and opinions.
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robatthelake
Vancouver Island
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I remember calling that Steering Wheel appendage the " Kneckers Knob " which of course allowed the use of the other Arm to be used to cradle the Girlfriends Head!
And on that same subject , What has become of Lovers Lane? Every Town Had One! The Passion Pit ( Drive in Theatre) and of course where is Eyeball Alley?
Rob & Jean 90 Southwind John Deere/Oshkosh/Freightliner Class A Ford 460/ Toad 92 Tracker 2 wd 5sp Convert Still running Great!
" Everything in it"Still" Works"
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