sharo227
11-05-2004, 07:58 AM
Fender Skirts What a great blast from the past! I haven't thought about
fender skirts in years. When I was a kid, I considered it such a funny
term. Made me think of a car in a dress. 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 him.
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."
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 "worldwide" 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 their 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.
It's hard to recall that this word was once said in a whisper -"divorce."
And no one is called a "divorcee" anymore. Certainly not a "gay
divorcee." Come to think of it, "confirmed bachelors" and "career
girls",are long gone, too.
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 "ElectraLuxe."
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.
What's in a name?
The medal winning Olympic skier, Picabu (pronounced Peek-A-Boo), is
not just an athlete, she is a nurse.
She currently works in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of large South
African metropolitan hospital. She is not permitted to answer the
telephone while she is at work, however. It simply caused too much
confusion when she would answer the phone and say:
"Picabu, ICU"
A good clean story is hard to find these days --- pass it on.
Nursing Home Options
There will be no nursing home in my future.........
When I get old and feeble, I am going to get on a Princess Cruise Ship. The average cost for a nursing home is $200 per day
I have checked on reservations at Princess and I can get a long term discount and senior discount price of $135 per day.
That leaves $65 a day for:
1. Gratuities which will only be $10 per day.
2. I will have as many as 10 meals a day if I can waddle to the restaurant, or I can have room service ( which means I can have breakfast in bed every day of the week).
3. Princess has as many as three swimming pools, a workout room, free washers and dryers, and shows every night,
4 They have free toothpaste and razors, and free soap and shampoo.
5. They will even treat you like a customer, not a patient. An extra $5 worth of tips will have the entire staff scrambling to help you.
6. I will get to meet new people every 7 or 14 days.
7. TV broken? Light bulb need changing? Need to have the mattress replaced? No Problem! They will fix everything and apologize for your
inconvenience.
8. Clean sheets and towels every day, and you don't even have to ask for them.
9 If you fall in the nursing home and break a hip you are on Medicare. If you fall and break a hip on a Princess Ship they will upgrade you to a suite for the rest of your life.
Now hold on for the best! Do you want to see South America, the Panama Canal, Tahiti, Australia, New Zealand, Asia, or name where you want to go? Princess will have a ship ready to go. So don't look for me in a nursing home, just call shore to ship.
P.S. If you die you may just have them dump you over the side, at no charge
fender skirts in years. When I was a kid, I considered it such a funny
term. Made me think of a car in a dress. 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 him.
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."
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 "worldwide" 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 their 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.
It's hard to recall that this word was once said in a whisper -"divorce."
And no one is called a "divorcee" anymore. Certainly not a "gay
divorcee." Come to think of it, "confirmed bachelors" and "career
girls",are long gone, too.
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 "ElectraLuxe."
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.
What's in a name?
The medal winning Olympic skier, Picabu (pronounced Peek-A-Boo), is
not just an athlete, she is a nurse.
She currently works in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of large South
African metropolitan hospital. She is not permitted to answer the
telephone while she is at work, however. It simply caused too much
confusion when she would answer the phone and say:
"Picabu, ICU"
A good clean story is hard to find these days --- pass it on.
Nursing Home Options
There will be no nursing home in my future.........
When I get old and feeble, I am going to get on a Princess Cruise Ship. The average cost for a nursing home is $200 per day
I have checked on reservations at Princess and I can get a long term discount and senior discount price of $135 per day.
That leaves $65 a day for:
1. Gratuities which will only be $10 per day.
2. I will have as many as 10 meals a day if I can waddle to the restaurant, or I can have room service ( which means I can have breakfast in bed every day of the week).
3. Princess has as many as three swimming pools, a workout room, free washers and dryers, and shows every night,
4 They have free toothpaste and razors, and free soap and shampoo.
5. They will even treat you like a customer, not a patient. An extra $5 worth of tips will have the entire staff scrambling to help you.
6. I will get to meet new people every 7 or 14 days.
7. TV broken? Light bulb need changing? Need to have the mattress replaced? No Problem! They will fix everything and apologize for your
inconvenience.
8. Clean sheets and towels every day, and you don't even have to ask for them.
9 If you fall in the nursing home and break a hip you are on Medicare. If you fall and break a hip on a Princess Ship they will upgrade you to a suite for the rest of your life.
Now hold on for the best! Do you want to see South America, the Panama Canal, Tahiti, Australia, New Zealand, Asia, or name where you want to go? Princess will have a ship ready to go. So don't look for me in a nursing home, just call shore to ship.
P.S. If you die you may just have them dump you over the side, at no charge