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kathy9norcal

Fondly missing those old words

kathy9norcal
14 years ago

I grew up in New York, then moved to California when I was 21. I sooned learned there were words or expressions that just didn't exist or couldn't be said out loud out here. Sometimes I get nostalgic and miss these words.


We never said jeans. It was always 'dungarees'.

What we now call purses were 'pockabooks' (not even pocketbooks.)

I said donkey as 'dunkey', DH teased me out of even saying the word anymore.

Radiator (for below window heaters) was pronounced 'rah-diator' (first 'a' as in cat).

Tennies were only called 'sneakers.'

I know there are others--just can't remember them. Did you ever use these words, or are you still saying them?

Do you have any old words you fondly remember but don't use anymore? Just thought this might be fun to post on a rainy day.

Kathy

Comments (24)

  • debnfla8b
    14 years ago

    I grew up saying dungarees.

    We always said Pocketbook too.

    A car trunk was called a "cooter-hull". LOL

    I'll try to think of a few more.

    Deb

  • anntn6b
    14 years ago

    My husband was born in NYC and lived there until the third grade (or so). His accent is totally unlike his oldest brothers'.
    Then, this week, after twenty some years of marriage, he said the name of La Guardia airport, and for an instant, he became a NewYawka.

  • zeffyrose
    14 years ago

    Oh this is so funny----My maternal grandmother was from NYC and she said so many funny things-You know ---"boidie"---terdy terd st.---Her name was Gertrude and my grandfather called her "Goidie"--I grew up in N.J.(Joisey) and that state had 3 different accents---

    Deb---we also wore "dungarees"---and carried "pockabooks"-

    Someone once asked me why I said "my-un" instead of "mine"

    I'm sure I will think of more----LOL

    Florence

  • Elise
    14 years ago

    I grew up in Spring Lake, NJ and moved to California over 30 years ago. I carried a pockabook and wore flip-flops, cut-offs and seersucker blouses in the summer.

    My grandmother called pizza "tomato pies" and she was half Italian.

    You went to the movies, never to the theatre or to see a film.

    Back East, if someone asked where I was from, all I'd need to say was "down the Shore" and they would know exactly where I meant.

    Californians still have no idea what these words mean:
    Scrapple
    Beach badges
    Mischief Night

  • giles2009
    14 years ago

    Merl len it is a state
    Got a hold of some scrapple for the first time in 30 years-didn't have any Karo though and would have died before using that red stuff so used maple syrup-fab u lus
    still get the urge to soap windows,throw corn and more on 10-30

  • kathy9norcal
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    Florence, my mother was a Gertrude, too! Gertie, never Goidie thank goodness.

    I am afraid to know what Beach Badges are. And I don't think I could like something called scrapple no matter how good it was. Even with maple syrup! So, what is it?

    Does anyone still wear dungarees or is it a word of the past?

    Kathy

  • giles2009
    14 years ago

    "Does anyone still wear dungarees or is it a word of the past? "
    I do but that's where I live.
    Scrapple-Pa.Dutch[German] don't waste anything of the pig breakfast sausage-delicious

  • lilgreenfrog
    14 years ago

    Not my words; but my Grandmother grew up in Iowa and Nebraska, and she has some words that I never hear anyone say:

    Davenport = sofa
    supper = lunch (I could NEVER keep straight which meal she was talking about between dinner and supper)

    eggs are aigs

    She and my grandfather call each other "mother" and "father", which I always thought was odd but I've seen it in movies...

    My grandfather is Czech, and my childhood was peppered with random Czech words...hadn't thought about them in a long time; thanks for this thread!

    Lara

  • sammy zone 7 Tulsa
    14 years ago

    ice box not refrigerator
    Keds, not sneakers
    "I reckon so"
    we had a main street

    There are so many others, but I don't remember them now.

  • rosesinny
    14 years ago

    My mother is the only person I ever heard use the word dungarees. She may have picked it up in NYC and when we moved to the midwest, she still used it.

    I've been back in NYC for over 20 years and I still hate the accent. One of the worst in the English language IMO.

    But they do say things differently and I'm wondering if it's just that I hear them locally or if that's how they're pronounced now. For example:

    DIE-rectly instead of di-rectly

    soda instead of pop

    ASH-phalt instead of ass-phalt

  • kathy9norcal
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    Ooh--my new inlaws (daughter just got married) say "pockabook". Makes me homesick for NY. They are from NJ. I like pockabook better than the CA-required "purse".

    Soda, not pop, in NY, yes. My childhood friend from West Virgina went to the candystore (remember them?) when visiting me, asked for pop, and got an ice pop (remember them?).

    I never heard die-rectly in NY nor ash-phalt. But this country is divided into folks who say, "gross-ery and "grosh-ery". Which are you?

    The NY accent brings me fond memories, mostly.

    K

  • artemis_pa
    14 years ago


    I'm realizing I use more outdated language than I knew! :-0
    I still say davenport sometimes and pocketbook! Here are some others.

    Relish tray: none of the younger coworkers had a clue what this was when I signed up to bring a relish tray to our work BBQ.
    Beeper...those are long gone since cell phones. Sometimes I'll ask if my DH's beeper went off, when it was his cell phone.
    Chifforobe: I wonder what people call them now.
    Transistor radioss: are they just called "radios" now?
    Gin mills: my mom always used this term for a bar.
    ottoman: I still use that term.
    buns....is this ever used for rolls?
    daft...my kids still laugh when I use that term.
    xerox...I use this word to generically mean copy something.

  • mendocino_rose
    14 years ago

    My husband from New Jersey calls himself a California native by marraige. He doesn't miss anything east coast except for pizza.

  • windeaux
    14 years ago

    A group of us were having lunch a few days ago and were discussing this very subject. Among many other things, here are some of the words for the same item that we dredged up from our youth:

    Sofa
    Couch
    Davenport
    Chesterfield

    I seem to recall that was at least one other one -- hmmm . . .

    Chesterfield?!? Imagine that . . .

  • seattlesuze
    14 years ago

    When I was growing up, we sat on a Chesterfield and my dad smoked 'em. If the grownups had all the seats, we kids got the ottomans where we drank our pops. Sometimes we went to Ballmer and ate crabs and Bertha's mussels. We chased lightning bugs and climbed the powderpuff tree in the neighbor's yard. After an eye exam indicated the need, I got a pair of spectacles from the Navy exchange. The case said, "Wear these goggles to protect your eyes." When we moved back to CA, I chased horn toads in the vacant lots and waited for the Helms man to bring donuts and red hots.

    What fun! Thanks for the thread.

    Sue

  • hartwood
    14 years ago

    These all bring back memories. Between my parents, who are Californians, and my in-laws, who are from West Virginia, my family has most of these covered.

    I remembered one yesterday while I was slipping on my flip-flops to run to the mailbox ... my mother has always called them 'go-aheads'.

    Connie

  • aimeekitty
    14 years ago

    I grew up in South Carolina, and have lived in California for over 10 years.
    we called shopping cards "buggies". I still call them that.

  • Prettypetals_GA_7-8
    14 years ago

    Hey aimeekitty, We call them "buggies" too. I am an Air Force brat and after being born in Africa, we moved to Florida, Michigan and then my dad retired in Georgia since it is where my mother is from. Anyways, I have a 3/4 southern accent with a little northern accents coming through now and then. My daughter though has a language all her own. Butterfinger is Butter"fanger", Oreo is "Erreo". Sometimes she says things so funny, shes 25 mind you, but I just have to laugh at her. I don't have a clue where it came from. Now my son, he talks in a mixture too. Some words come out all northern while others are completely southern. I LOVE IT! Now my husband has picked up some of my northern words but he's mainly southern but not real soutern. Ok, sorry to ramble! Love this thread!!! Judy

  • sylviatexas1
    14 years ago

    Well, I swan, this thread has taken me back!

    artemis, they call chifforobes "armoires" & charge a pretty penny for them!

  • ronda_in_carolina
    14 years ago

    Originally from Ohio but in South Carolina for over 20 yrs now. Here are words from both places that stop people in conversation as "you're not from around here, are ya?"

    From the North
    Davenport (couch)
    Ruff (roof)
    crick (creek)
    pop (Soda)
    glove compartment (storage in dash of car)
    chest of drawers (Dresser)
    mangos (Green bell pepers)
    toboggan (winter hat)

    From the South
    Hey (instead of "hi")
    Coke (for any kind of soda "what kind of Coke do you want?")
    red light (traffic light)
    Great room (living room)
    dash (glove compartment)
    cut the lights out (turn off)
    crack the window (put the car window down a bit)

    Fun stuff
    :o)

    Ronda

  • kathy9norcal
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    More. Two colors I grew up with--aqua and chartreuse--they don't exist these days, do they? Now it is turquoise and lime or yellow-green.
    Even my name is out-dated. No more Kathy children. Now they are Katys and Katelyns. Hmm.
    Kathy

  • labrea_gw
    14 years ago

    Grew up in NY and it was dungarees till bell bottoms started then they were bell bottomed jeans. Sneakers were only for gym class otherwise I was told that I needed to wear regular shoes & that sneakers would ruin our feet if worn every day.
    Another missing color is Aubergine the girls in the next Parish uniforms were desbribed as aubergine. Growing up in The Bronx if you were catholic you did'nt ask someone what street they were from it was what parish do you belong to. So many local accents just from this city are long gone.

  • shirl long
    3 years ago

    Britches for pants, supper for dinner, cathead biscuits, surp aka syrup, soda is Coca Cola no matter the brand.....can you tell I'm Southern

  • Sherry8aNorthAL
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    Dinner is the big/main meal of the day. Think Thanksgiving, Christmas Dinner, or Sunday Dinner, which is usually 12 to 1 PM. Lunch is a light meal ate in the middle of the day. Supper is a light meal at at night. Dinner is the big meal. Most times it is in the middle of the day, but can be at night.

    https://www.rd.com/article/difference-between-dinner-and-supper/

    Growing up, the meals were, breakfast, dinner, supper.