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Please pass the 'oley'... (archaic language)
- Thread starter Maister
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Jen
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The 411 is I need a 211
what used to be the number for local information? 411. The 411 is now slang. But to dial info, is 555 1212. and you have to listen to an informercial first, and then be told 9 x /10 your listing doesnt exist.
and now you may be able to dial 211, for emergency :-s social services.
what used to be the number for local information? 411. The 411 is now slang. But to dial info, is 555 1212. and you have to listen to an informercial first, and then be told 9 x /10 your listing doesnt exist.
and now you may be able to dial 211, for emergency :-s social services.
Domo-kun
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I wouldn't call that usage outdated: one of the secondary meanings of the word "write" is "to be the author of (something)."
Then again, I may just be defending my own usage of the word "write" for e-mails. ;-)
Zoning Goddess
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Chet
Cyburbian Emeritus
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Yes. And I still use that term. RJ swears he'd never heard it before! :-o
My mom still calls it "that time of the month". Come to think of it, I guess I do, too. :-$
My Dad would always ask the women if they were "Wearing your red dress today?"
People I work with Xerox instead of photocopy, and change TV channels with the "Clicker" (remember the original ones on cables?).
I say closet, too. I remember getting used to "cellar" instead of basement when we moved here from WV, even though our home there was on a slab.
To me a cellar is a dirty, musty place, and a basement is more4 liveable.
Someone told me that his father used to suggest he "ponder" a problem in order to solve it.
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Richmond Jake
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I've heard it referred to as "a visit from Aunt Rose"Yes. And I still use that term. RJ swears he'd never heard it before! :-o
My mom still calls it "that time of the month". Come to think of it, I guess I do, too. :-$
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BeansandCod
Cyburbian
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Parlor isn't that old - folks here use it. Mainly reserved for those who grew up in a larger Victorian/Queen Anne style house.
The 'cellar' vs. 'basement' usage is also a NJ thing. My parents grew up in northwestern NJ along the PA border and used the word cellar. Only the it was the phrase 'down cellar' when it was the answer to, "Where's Dad?" or "I'm going down cellar - be right back."
Sweeper for vacuum was also the norm. Which makes no sense when the item in question is a cannister and not an upright. Anyone use 'hoover'?
The 'cellar' vs. 'basement' usage is also a NJ thing. My parents grew up in northwestern NJ along the PA border and used the word cellar. Only the it was the phrase 'down cellar' when it was the answer to, "Where's Dad?" or "I'm going down cellar - be right back."
Sweeper for vacuum was also the norm. Which makes no sense when the item in question is a cannister and not an upright. Anyone use 'hoover'?
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My brother got a polite but pointed letter from their legal staff when he was still writing for the newspaper and used Xerox instead of "photocopy". I imagine they can't afford to do that anymore.
jmello
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In New England, a "parlor" is a more formal "living room," usually without a TV. A "family room" is a very informal living room, usually with a TV and games, etc.
kjelsadek said:
What else would you do with a phone number? "Punch it?" "Type it?" I still use "dial," and I am only 30.
I still refer to collection of music released on a CD nowadays as an "album." To me an album can be recorded on any medium.
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Sounds like other New Englanders are indicating much the same. "Parlor" looks to be a regional variant as opposed to an archaic term.
Tide
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My grandparents have a small cape cod and once you walk in the front door there is a closet and a small cabinet to either side. They call it the "vestibule" don't know if I even spelled that right. Like, "Put your coat in the vestibule" or "Candles are in the vestibule drawer".
In other on topic, off topic new. Oleo is a very popular crossword puzzle answer for the question "Margerine"
In other on topic, off topic new. Oleo is a very popular crossword puzzle answer for the question "Margerine"
jmello
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Yes, older houses (including our old condo) usually have two rooms that could both be used as the "living room." One is usually referred to as the "parlor" or "den."
Planderella
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Whose Yur Planner
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In northern Indiana in the rural areas, a cellar was a root cellar where you stored food you canned. Often times, they were of to the side of the house and kinda looked like a fall-out shelter stacked with canned tomatoes, pickles, etc. We also used them as a place to go during tornados.
A basement was underneath the house.
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Chet
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In older homes around here we still refer to the parlor. A friends victorian has the men's parlor and the women's parlor (which is smaller and closer to the kitchen!)
Jen
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and Uncle Phred.or Aunt Flo
Zoning Goddess
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It has bugged the crap out of me for 30 years that in Florida we have "screened porches". Well, you have to screen them, because of the bugs, namely the flying roaches and mosquitos 8 months of the year.
Developers marketing to Yankees call them "lanais". 8-! :s: Now if you say "screened room" or "screened porch" people look at you like you're odd. :-{
Developers marketing to Yankees call them "lanais".
8-! :s: Now if you say "screened room" or "screened porch" people look at you like you're odd. :-{
jresta
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My grandparents still call the PATH train "the tubes" even though it's been the PATH for longer than it's been "the tubes"
All of my grandparents still refer to neighborhoods as "sections" from back in the day when you had a black section, a polish section, an italian section, etc.
Even middle-aged people in Philadelphia still call sidewalks "pavements", or, more accurately, "payments" from back in the day when all of the streets were belgian block (often inaccurately called cobblestone) and the only things paved were the sidewalks.
I had never heard athletic shoes refered to as anything but "sneakers" until i met people from the midwest. I had never heard "pop" until i went to Rochester, NY.
I still never hear those terms in common use.
My in-laws from South Carolina call shopping carts "buggies" and they also say "chewsday" in a very british sort of way when talking about the day after monday.
People still say "i'm going down the shore" even if they're not going south (from NYC) to get there.
People of all ages all over NJ still refer to major intersections as "the circle" as in "Ellisburg Circle" or Eatontown Circle" even though those traffic circles are long gone.
I'm also a big fan of the words "queue" and "mobile" coming into vogue, for instance, "they were queued up for three blocks" only used to denote people lining up for a specific destination and "let me give you my mobile number" as another way of saying "you can also text, IM, or email me here" I always say "cheers" rather than "thanks" for service at most restaurants and the waitstaff normally says is right back without missing a beat.
I always knew what a vestibule was growing up because there are signs at the end of every train car saying "do not stand in vestibule while train is in motion"
I had never heard of it used to describe a house until i moved to Philly and even then didn't really understand the concept until moving into a rowhome. Center hall colonials have foyers. Rowhouses have vestibules. It's basically just a box built around your front door to keep the draft out when someone leaves or comes home. Except it only works if you close one set of doors before opening the other. You see them a lot in restaurants but most people are too dumb or too rude to get it and make sure to keep both doors open just long enough to get a good blast of cold air across your table.
Anyway, here's a picture of my vestibule.
They're also good for keeping really friendly strays from making themselves at home . . . yeah, original leaded glass with star feature and original italianate tile ca. 1887 :h: and yes, the cat had conjunctivitis (pink eye) and we know this b/c we took him to the vet.
Parlors haven't disappeared from modern parlance (yes, they're rooms for talking) it's just that most people don't have them anymore. They're still all over this city and people that have one love to let you know. The difference between a living room and a parlor is that a parlor is walled off from the other rooms of the house and has two entrances with double (usually pocket) doors. One from a main hallway and the other to the dining room. It was a hallmark of the bourgeoisie and it was to isolate your house guests from the noise of your servants cooking in the kitchen and mising between courses.
The replacement floorboard, the one in the middle that's a lighter color and has no grain to it is where the wall to my parlor used to be. Between where that board ends and the vestibule is where one set of parlor doors were.
All of my grandparents still refer to neighborhoods as "sections" from back in the day when you had a black section, a polish section, an italian section, etc.
Even middle-aged people in Philadelphia still call sidewalks "pavements", or, more accurately, "payments" from back in the day when all of the streets were belgian block (often inaccurately called cobblestone) and the only things paved were the sidewalks.
I had never heard athletic shoes refered to as anything but "sneakers" until i met people from the midwest. I had never heard "pop" until i went to Rochester, NY.
I still never hear those terms in common use.
My in-laws from South Carolina call shopping carts "buggies" and they also say "chewsday" in a very british sort of way when talking about the day after monday.
People still say "i'm going down the shore" even if they're not going south (from NYC) to get there.
People of all ages all over NJ still refer to major intersections as "the circle" as in "Ellisburg Circle" or Eatontown Circle" even though those traffic circles are long gone.
I'm also a big fan of the words "queue" and "mobile" coming into vogue, for instance, "they were queued up for three blocks" only used to denote people lining up for a specific destination and "let me give you my mobile number" as another way of saying "you can also text, IM, or email me here" I always say "cheers" rather than "thanks" for service at most restaurants and the waitstaff normally says is right back without missing a beat.
I always knew what a vestibule was growing up because there are signs at the end of every train car saying "do not stand in vestibule while train is in motion"
I had never heard of it used to describe a house until i moved to Philly and even then didn't really understand the concept until moving into a rowhome. Center hall colonials have foyers. Rowhouses have vestibules. It's basically just a box built around your front door to keep the draft out when someone leaves or comes home. Except it only works if you close one set of doors before opening the other. You see them a lot in restaurants but most people are too dumb or too rude to get it and make sure to keep both doors open just long enough to get a good blast of cold air across your table.
Anyway, here's a picture of my vestibule.
They're also good for keeping really friendly strays from making themselves at home . . . yeah, original leaded glass with star feature and original italianate tile ca. 1887 :h: and yes, the cat had conjunctivitis (pink eye) and we know this b/c we took him to the vet.
Parlors haven't disappeared from modern parlance (yes, they're rooms for talking) it's just that most people don't have them anymore. They're still all over this city and people that have one love to let you know. The difference between a living room and a parlor is that a parlor is walled off from the other rooms of the house and has two entrances with double (usually pocket) doors. One from a main hallway and the other to the dining room. It was a hallmark of the bourgeoisie and it was to isolate your house guests from the noise of your servants cooking in the kitchen and mising between courses.
The replacement floorboard, the one in the middle that's a lighter color and has no grain to it is where the wall to my parlor used to be. Between where that board ends and the vestibule is where one set of parlor doors were.
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That's still common usage among older Buffalonians, only they call predominantly black parts of the East Side the "colored section."
Buffalo never really did the quaint neighborhood name thing. In the 1960s through the 1980s, the majority of city neighborhoods were referred to by the nearest major street intersection; I grew up in "Kensington-Bailey". Now the city has a love for the word "district", and every new neighborhood or emerging "hot" neighborhood is given some appellation with "district" as a suffix. Yes, some Buffalonians actually object to names liike "SoHo" and "LoDo"; they're seen as too trendy.
wahday
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We used this term growing up outside of Philly as well. Later, I was told that
it was derogatory term for African Americans (I think the idea being that chocolate sprinkles on an ice cream cone looks like nappy hair). I don't use it anymore.
I had a similar disillusioning moment when I finally saw the word "gyp" spelled out and realized it was a slur against gypsies. Classy...
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I forgot about this thread -
immediate thought:
my Dad used to say "icebox" for refrigerator and he always said "I don't like you going to those saloons or gin mills" when I was in college, instead of "bars" that we would say - he also would say, "do you want a bottle of beer" where we would just say "a beer" which is an old fashioned reference too
reading below makes me think of
"on the rag"
"davenport" (quiz: who knows what that means?)
immediate thought:
my Dad used to say "icebox" for refrigerator and he always said "I don't like you going to those saloons or gin mills" when I was in college, instead of "bars" that we would say - he also would say, "do you want a bottle of beer" where we would just say "a beer" which is an old fashioned reference too
reading below makes me think of
"on the rag"
"davenport" (quiz: who knows what that means?)
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Almost forgot - Mrs. Maister recently referred to Dominoes as a 'pizza parlor' :-| Not exactly archaic language quite yet, but the term 'pizza parlor' is definitely a few decades past its prime - give it another 5 years and it'll be right next to 'horseless carriage'
Naturally, we ordered two pizza pies from the aforementioned establishment.;-)
Naturally, we ordered two pizza pies from the aforementioned establishment.;-)
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In Buffalo, at least, gin mill is still commonly used to refer to a very specific type of bar; an old-school neighborhood tavern, usually in a blue-collar neighborhood, which usually has its original furnishings. These places seldom have a theme extending beyond simple displays of neighborhood and ethnic memorabilia -- they haven't been converted into sports bars -- and they usually have a name like "Joe's Lakeside Grill" or "Stan's Parkway Inn".
Classic bar names in the form of "[owner's first name] [bar name] [tavern / grill / tap / inn / place / bar]" are quickly falling out of favor, but they're still quite common in Buffalo.
Classic bar names in the form of "[owner's first name] [bar name] [tavern / grill / tap / inn / place / bar]" are quickly falling out of favor, but they're still quite common in Buffalo.
mgk920
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"Party Line" ...it doesn't refer to politics or frats/sororities
Prior to the digital era? is that the other fella talking to someone on the telephone's handset that you just lifted and haven't dialled yet the ring?:-{
******
....writing X'Mas instead of Christmas..Why??
******
....hears some people saying " How nice is your walkman" when they're refering to the touch iPod.:-|
******
:-x :-x :-x
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Whose Yur Planner
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A davenport is a couch or sofa. Does anyone know what a ottoman or a hassock is?
jmello
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I would doubt that explanation. It is still used commonly throughout New England by people of all races.
See Snopes board.
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It's a foot-stool. When I worked in the moving business way back, some of the old-timers on the trucks called them "hassies". They'd say -- 'Hey, Weedman, go get me that hassie from inside' and at first I had no idea what they meant.:-x
Whose Yur Planner
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I think it's a piece of furniture that isn't seen much today. I remember my grandparents having them, but growing up we didn't.
Further, I almost never see them in houses today.
Veloise
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http://www.artvan.com/webapp/wcs/st...Id=10001&Ns=P_Price&catalogId=10001&N=0&Nty=1
I like the one with the built-in table.
I like the one with the built-in table.
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Nothing says 'decadence of the bourgeoisie' quite like an ottoman/hassock IMHO. Performs no necessary function, but I suppose as pieces of furniture go, they look okay.
My parents used that term (hassock). I thought it was a funny word although I never really considered that it was dated or not.
Of course my father has been known to say stockings (for socks) and headlamps (for car lights) from time to time, so perhaps it is a bit dated.
ofos
Vintage Cyburbian
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When I was growing up, davenport was used in our family to describe what's now called a sofa bed. As for ottoman, that's the source of the name of the Simpson's bus driver, stoner Otto Mann.
I've never heard that it was a derogatory term for African Americans. Next time I'm in New England I will ask around and see if they still use the term or if it has been dropped.
johnelsden1
Member
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I grew up in Boston and most people outside of New England don't know what "jimmies" are..............same with "tonic"............."gay" was used in almost every episode of Grocho Marx's game show "You Bet Yorr Life"..................
Anyway GO PATRIOTS!!!
dandy_warhol
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i have two ottomans. they're great for putting your feet up and they also serve as extra seating if you have a lot of people over. they can also be used as a makeshift coffee table if you put a tray on them.
they also make great lounging and hiding places for :m:s.
Richmond Jake
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Don't dis my ottoman and I won't mention a word about your red leather barcalounger with the built-in massage feature.
:-D
jmello
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It is not a derogatory term for anyone and it is still used by nearly everyone throughout New England. Trust me, I am a native New Englander. Sprinkles is actually a foreign term there.
Luca
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Obsolescence can creep up on you... I still say "record" or "album" to mean a collection of sogns released together (*as in "that's a great album!").... younger people say CD or download, I guess.
Until recently I was still referring to 4WD "SUV's" as "Jeeps" or "Off-roaders", etc.
Until recently I was still referring to 4WD "SUV's" as "Jeeps" or "Off-roaders", etc.
