Remember these?
 

"Fender skirts!" What a great blast from the past!

I hadn't thought about fender skirts in years. When I was a kid, I considered it such a funny term. It made me think of a car in lady's clothing.

Thinking about fender skirts started me thinking about other words that quietly disappear from our language with hardly a notice.

Remember "curb feelers" and "steering knobs"? Since I'd been thinking of cars, my mind naturally went that direction first. You kids will probably have to find some elderly person 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, but never worked, in my estimation.

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", simply "expecting", or "P. G."

Apparently "brassiere" is a word no longer in usage. I said it the other day and my daughter cackled. 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 a word that was fun 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 such as "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, either.

I know of another word that has changed meaning just in the last few years. Thongs used to mean shoes that are now called flip-flops. Guess what "thong" means now!

Some words aren't gone, but are definitely on the endangered list.

The one that grieves me most, "supper." Save a great word. Invite someone to supper.

I am going to add one here. Happened the other day a meteor came through the atmosphere above the Pacific Northwest. The news reports said it was the size of a 'computer monitor'. Struck me funny as in our day it would have been the size of a "bread box". Now people don't know what a bread box is. I feel old.

You also don't have-nosed & decked or Frenched headlights or tail-lights,etc.
on cars!No more "bobbed fenders,or "peanut"tanks,etc.,on motorcycles
anymore.
No more "molded",lowered or "raked" or California or competition raked(lowered
in front)
Things used to be "cool",now they are "awesome"
I'm sure that there are plenty more,but those just popped up in my mind!
Irish :sex:

Thanks, Bardog (and Irish). We have lossed something, haven't we. By the way, what are you doing for supper? ;)

Gentlemen,

Also in transition, the plural of person. It used to be “people”, ever more, it is becoming “persons”.

The steering knobs became outlawed as they becase "suicide knobs" (the term I was introduced to them by) when they got caught in the sleeves of drivers and caused a car wreck (or so I am told).

I don't think most people use the brake in emergencies and really should use it to park. No using it actually can put undue strain on the park pin of an automatic transmission.

Rat Fink - now considered cool by some based on the work of Ed "Big Daddy" Roth

Well, as for the terms "lowered" and "raked" they are alive an well within the group of youngsters doing all the body works to their imports all over the US (and a lot of other parts of the world). Imagine the folks that lowered and raked their cars in the past seeing the modern lowered and raked cars... what would they think! Specially with the big wing on the back!

An 'intimate" story concerning "suicide knobs".
I have a tattoo,on the inside,of my left forearm.It is a Shamrock with IRISH,&
a multi-colored scroll,underneath it.It & one on my other(right,outside)were
done in Newport,RI.The week after I had them done,they were still,basically,
scabs.I turned,a corner,in my car,& one of the Shamrock leaves,brushed against,the knob,on my steering wheel.(hardly ever used it)The leaf,was standing,up from my arm.Rather than go back to Newport,from NH,I spit on it,
& patted it back down.The tattoo artist had gauranteed it,but I tried to avoid driving back.I had ridden,my motorcycle back from Newport,with new tattoos
on BOTH forearms.Now,after approx 35 yrs,only I can notice,a slight discoloration,on the leaf.About 2/3 yrs ago,I had a custom designed chain,put
around my left bicep(wifes request)They are MUCH more expensive now,but
I told her that I would get it, if she paid! Irish
P.S.The latest one,has interlocking chain links,outlined in black with the links,
filled in with Kelly Green.

Thanks a lot for the trip down memory lane (I’m not ready for “retro” ;) ) BarGod. :D

Irish and you may recall “chopped & channeled”, “rolled & pleated” with our cars too. I personally preferred Turnpike Cruiser skirts over Bubbles) :D

While I never got to do it, I know the “foot feed” old timers of my day also knew how to use the spark advance and hand choke, which I did use. :) Those same folks laughed at us when they saw us add the Continental Kits being added to get the spare outside after they had finally gotten it in the trunk. Just like they did to see us put “four on the floor” after they had worked to get it up on the column. ROFLMAO

The cycle of pride is a fact as your “store bought” has become out ranked by “hand made” today. LOL

One of my funniest ‘proper’ memories is of an underarm deodorant TV commercial that pictured a rotating statue of Myrons’ Discobolos, or The Discus Thrower, with a sensors spot the poped up on the statue when the armpit came into view. Such inappropriate exposure was not acceptable. LMAO.

Yep. :D Times are a changing…………… even when it’s backwards all over again.

Thanks BarDog :)

MT-

Obviously I’ve enjoyed this whole thread and learned about the strain on the park pin. While the “emergency brake” wasn’t used much after hydraulic brakes, and then power brakes came in, I DO believe it was sometimes used when the brakes were mechanical and only a leveraged cable pulled on the brake shoes. That’s when they found that grabbing the drive shaft helped when the cable broke. :eek: LMAO

Thanks so much for this thread, it has brought back some good memories. Of course there are words and phrases that I'm just too young to remember! roflmao

I remember my grandma describing her first "ice box" i.e. refridgerator, or my mom telling me I was gonna get a "whoopin" (I'm sure it was just a misunderstanding on her part to think that I had done anything wrong!), or how about going to the "five and dime" store?

Thanks again for the memories :)

PF---My favorites,were criuser skirts also.I do remember"chopped & channeled" &"rolled & pleated"The biggest thing that I don't like about motor-
cycles anymore,is that nothing is homemade(Therefore,not really a custom)
Q:What was a column shift called?
A:Three on the tree! Irish
P.S.Do you remember Ansen conversion floor shifts?I had one in my custom
'55 Ford.My buddy gave it to me & it was free,so I used it,instead of a Hurst
conversion.I "still" have a Hurst "T" handle,in my garage.

Speaking of rolled and pleated...

I sometimes do side work for all the "Street Rod" crazed folks round here, and most of the interior of these old cars/trucks are rolled and pleated. The door panels and "bench seats", especially. It's an interesting art...though too involved for my taste. If I do some work for someone, I swear them to secrecy so as NOT to aquire any new "customers". Or is that "clients"?

I guess I'm old enough to contribute a couple things.... altho I know Lixy and TT aren't old enuf!!!

I too had a Hurst T shift in my '69 Chevelle... oh how I miss that "hot" car. I looked so "cool" in it. Some people (not MY friends) even said it was "groovy". I still catch myself saying "cool' alot.... with my daughter, everything was 'freakin awesome" and with my son, everything is "sweet". His buddies think his "everything aftermarket" Saturn is a sweet ride.... *a side note.... a few weeks back, my son took his buddies and drove my bro's '69 Camaro SS to a car show. This was their first time in a "muscle car" and they said it "rocks". Returning back home, they asked my bro if he'd take them for a "spin" in his '69 (yeah, our favorite number :) ) Camaro Yenko. Upon return, eyes as big as silver dollars, they rubbed their body imprints out of the car seats and said..." the SS sucks..... this is a totally fuckin awesome car!!!

Ahhhhh..... some expressions will never change! :D

Coaster---In my teenage yrs,my best friends father & grandfather,owned a
Pontiac Dealership.After HS & the service,he was a salesman there.I had him order me a 68 Firebird,from the factory,that I ordered by part #,for every
part.It was exceptionally fast(even for a "muscle car")I even got the interior &
exterior colors,that I wanted!Did you ever think,how fast those cars would have been,if they used the technology(sp?)that they use on todays "small"
engines? Irish
P.S.Lixy---I admire your stick-to-it attitude.A few years ago,Leather was my
hobby.I used to make motorcycle seat covers,trucker(biker) wallets,etc.It is,
not only,expensive,but very time consuming.
Q:Why is European leather,more desirable then American leather?
A:They don't use "Barbed Wire" in Europe,therefore,no "scars" on the leather!

I also remember when Kustom introduced the "rolled & pleated" amps for rock bands...why do you never hear of them anymore? 'Cuz as cool as they looked, the sound sucked!
A drummer I know picks up old equipment at flea markets & the like, & he has an old rolled & Pleated speaker cab that I thought was gold metal flake (there's another old term I don't hear much anymore) until he lifted the amp head up to expose the top, which was white...seems it was used in a club for 20 yrs, & the smoke residue had impregnated the vinyl with a rich golden brown color...
don't know why I felt I had to waste everybody's time with that story... :rolleyes: