slatten49 Loc: Lake Whitney, Texas

Taken from an article written by Richard Lederer...a linguist.

About a month ago in this space, I illuminated old expressions that have become obsolete because of the inexorable march of technology. These phrases included 'don't touch that dial,' 'carbon copy,' 'you sound like a broken record,' and 'hung out to dry.' A bevy of readers have asked me to shine light on more faded words and expressions, and I am happy to oblige:

Back in the olden days we had a lot of moxie. We'd put on our best bib and tucker and straighten up and fly right. Hubba-hubba! We'd cut a rug in some juke joint and then go necking and petting and smooching and spooning and billing and cooing and pitching woo in hot rods and jalopies in some passion pit or lovers' lane. Heavens to Betsy! Gee willikers! Jumpin' Jehosaphat! Hole moley! We were in like Flynn and living the life of Riley, and even a regular guy couldn't accuse us of being a knucklehead, a nincompoop or a pill. Not for all the tea in China!

Back in the olden days, life used to be swell,but when's the last time anything was swell? Swell has gone the way of beehives, pageboys and the D.A.; of spats, knickers, fedoras, poodle skirts, saddle shoes and pedal pushers. Oh, my aching back. Kilroy was here, but he isn't anymore.

Like Washington Irving's Rip Van Winkle and Kurt Vonnegut's Billy Pilgrim, we have become unstuck in time. We wake up from what surely has been just a short nap, and before we can say, "I'll be a monkey's uncle!" or "This is a fine kettle of fish!", we discover that the words we grew up with, the words that seemed omnipresent as oxygen, have vanished with scarcely a notice from our tongues and our pens and our keyboards.

Poof, poof, poof go the words of our youth, the words we've left behind. We blink, and they're gone, evanesced from the landscape and wordscape of our perception, like Mickey Mouse wristwatches, hula hoops, skate keys, candy cigarettes, little wax bottle of colored sugar water and an organ grinder's monkey.

Where have all those phrases gone? Long time passing. Long time ago: Pshaw! The milkman did it. Think about the starving children in China. Bigger than a breadbox. Banned in Boston. The very idea! It's our nickel. Don't forget to pull the chain. Knee high to a grasshopper. Turn-of-the-century. Iron Curtain. Domino theory. Fail safe. Civil defense. Fiddlesticks! You look like the wreck of the Hesperus. Cooties. Going like sixty. I'll see you in the funny papers. Don't take any wooden nickels. Heavens to Murgatryod! And, awa-a-ay we go! Oh, my stars and garters. It turns out there are more of these lost words and expressions than Carter had liver pills.

This can be disturbing stuff, this winking out of the words of our youth, these words that lodge in our heart's deep core. But, just as one never steps into the same river twice, one cannot step into the same language twice. Even as one enters, words are swept downstream into the past, forever making a different river.

We of a certain age have been blessed to live in changeful times. For a child, each new word is like a shiny toy, a toy that has no age. We at the other end of the chronological arc have the advantage of remembering there are words that once did not exist and there are words that once strutted their hour upon the earthly stage and now are heard no more, except in our collective memory. It's one of the greatest advantages of aging.

We can have archaic and eat it, too! :thumbup: :mrgreen:

markinny

#1 gee that,s swell.
#2 how much did they soak you for that?
#3 don,t take any wooden nickles.
#4 (didn,t work out.) no soap, no dice.
#5 t.v. guide
#6 tape recorder, cassette, typwriter.
the list could go on and on. far out.

lpnmajor Loc: Arkansas

Yep, I was once up tight and outa sight, then the roof blew off and everyone could see me, now I'm just up tight. I left the US as a child of ten and returned as a young man of 19, returning from an English speaking country to a country that had changed languages on me. After a year of learning the new American language, I discovered that it had changed again, while I was still learning the old new language, so I gave up.

Now, I just speak wh**ever language I'm most familiar with, and for those who don't understand me - I have a goofy smile for. They assume I'm either senile or an imbecile and either is fine with me, because they don't bother trying to correct me, talk slowly or loudly.

I find it quite amusing to be able to insult some A-hole, without them even being aware of what I'm doing. So I'm going to continue to eat archaic - and enjoy every bite. 8-)

BearK Loc: TN

The cat must have your tongue.

lpnmajor Loc: Arkansas

I wrote a paper on that, but the dog ate it. I can't afford more paper, because I'm pinching penny's. BTW, Penny is not at all happy with me right now - nor is my wife. :mrgreen: :shock:

Hemiman Loc: Communist California

That's good because a penny saved is a penny earned.

slatten49 Loc: Lake Whitney, Texas

What of Penny's are you pinching :?: :mrgreen:

BearK Loc: TN

Good one, Slats. Could that be 'over the top?'

slatten49 Loc: Lake Whitney, Texas

Mayhaps. :wink:

lpnmajor Loc: Arkansas

Well, one in the hand is worth two in the bush and I'm a twofer kinda guy - and I only used one hand.

slatten49 Loc: Lake Whitney, Texas

:shock: Nice summation. :thumbup: :mrgreen:

slatten49 Loc: Lake Whitney, Texas

:shock: Nice summation...you have a lot of moxie. :thumbup: :mrgreen:

lpnmajor Loc: Arkansas

How did you know that? Never mind, suffice it to say, that I have pest control coming soon, who have guaranteed me that they'll get rid of all my moxie and spiders too.

I was very clear that they were to leave my mojo alone though, I still need that. :roll:

badbobby Loc: texas

if I didn't know better Slat
I'd think you are living in the past
good post :thumbup: :thumbup:

slatten49 Loc: Lake Whitney, Texas

Of all on the forum, BB, I figured you to be most appreciative of 'archaic.' :thumbup: :mrgreen: I'm glad you enjoyed it :!: