Sunday, January 14, 2018

Antique or colloquial terms



Historical Photo:
Jane Fonda in North Vietnam on an enemy artillery piece. This visit cost many POWs their lives. Here she visited a POW camp, the senior POW  passed her a list of men held so the families in the US could know for sure they were alive. She turned the list over the POW Commandant rather than bring it home

Happier stuff: Strange how languages morph
Yes, in my life word usage has changed. In my mother’s youth the word queer meant simply ‘odd’.  In a prayer she would quote, ‘Lord I know we art queer but…..’ In my early childhood it was an off-color word, he is queer meant homosexual.  Now in my life time that same word has become ‘gay’ and in my youth we had a ‘gay old time’ the same as the Flintstone’s.
I say too often, “Jump” in the car and we will go----.
A few days ago our friend Lisa said, “Nick ‘cranked’ her car in cold weather to warm it up for her.” I am old enough to know exactly what she meant.
Over in South Texas the sweet lady who just got a good report from her doctor (great Paula, love you girl) said awhile back that she once lived ‘catty-cornered’ from someone. You see, I knew exactly what she meant. Now to be honest I do not know how that term came about.
Rick over at ‘life 101’ just said, “He ran by a music store ….”  I knew what he meant. But my grandson raised in Utah, once actually thought we were going to ‘run’ to the grocery store.  He was also confused when riding with a niece and she said, “I’m going to ‘cut-through’ at the next alley.”
One must be careful using terms I was raised with, “We flew over here!” Usually a hint that someone drove too fast.

I am so old I remember in North Carolina, 1955 you could NOT take the test for your driver’s license in a car with 'automatic' transmission. 'Automatics' were a passing fancy, it was thought.

I had a good laugh when watching a video of Ronald Reagan at his ranch on vacation. He was out in the rough terrain using a chain saw, cutting down small trees and dragging them out of the way. He looked natural doing that. He and the head of the Secret service unit with him had left his jeep and the rest of the unit about a mile back. Most of them on horseback.


The head of Secret service radioed for the rest of the unit to come on up and bring the president's jeep.  After about fifteen minutes, plenty of time for the others to get there, he called back. 
They could not start the jeep and besides NO ONE KNEW HOW TO DRIVE A STICK SHIFT.  They brought the President a horse.

(The second picture is my dad, just in case you thought Ronald was!  LOL)
Personal history. Today, January 14th is my dad's birthday. If he had lived he would be 115 years old. He died at 69. He has actually been gone 10 years longer than I knew him. That is hard for me to fathom, he was 35 when I was born. Nite Shipslog
PS: Friend Buddy sent me some good advice and a little     sarcasm……                        
Some days you're the bug; some days you're the windshield.

******     *******

                Lareal and Hardy in their 1930 Phaeton



9 comments:

Lisa said...

I told someone yesterday that “we skipped across town” to go shopping. I bet many dont hear that often either.
I failed my driver test twice in an automatic so daddy put me in a straight drive on my third try and came home with a license. Daddy taught all his kids how to drive a straight drive. I think its simply because thats all you could find cheap enough. Haha.

Happy Sunday
Lisa

Mevely317 said...

All these years later, my blood pressure still skyrockets when I see picture of Jane Fonda. (grrrrr.)

Loved this story about Ronald Reagan. Then again, I loved everything about the man. Class act, he was.
I suppose we still use some of those 'olden' terms - my favorite hearing 'catty-corner' again.

Happy Birthday to your dad in Heaven! Mine (born in 1912) passed away too early, also at 69 y/o.

Unknown said...

That bug and windshield thing was hilarious.

Chatty Crone said...

Okay our poor innocent English language. The new word I hear is 'lit' - I thought it mean drugged or buzzed - now it is used meaning a good time - that was lit. ??? Really?
I try not to hate - but Jane Fonda - hard to ever forget.
Ronald Reagan I think was one of the best presidents ever in my opinion. Sandie

Unknown said...

I learned to drive in an automatic Ford Econoline van, but my brother taught me how to drive a straight-drive VW Beetle. When I was in my twenties, I had a Raleigh News and Observer paper route which I delivered in that Beetle. You can imagine--I was all over the highway while I folded or bagged papers and shifted gears.
Just the other day, when it was mild, I started the mowers. Rather than drain the gas, I try to start them a few times over the winter months when we have mild days. I used the terms "cranked" and "fired up" in referring to what I did. If I recall correctly, Daddy's Farm-all tractor could be started by inserting a bent rod in the front and turning it. I guess that was cranking it sure enough.
The bug and windshield saying is cute. Sounds like something darling son would say. (As a matter of fact, quite a few of the sarcasm statements sound quite familiar to me, lol.)

I'm mostly known as 'MA' said...

I was familiar with all those terms. We forget that not every one knows what we're talking about. But I did read that a smile is one language that everyone understands! I once told a misbehaving grand child to settle down...he didn't understand at all what I meant...We have to watch what we say.

Dar said...

I also can relate to all the words you shared...except up north we say kitty-corner....Colleen lived in TX most her adult life and she says katty-corner. She doesn't know why either.....lol. Dad always said dagnabit or I'll be rather than a swear word. I respect the heck out of that. Jane Fonda can take a leap. What the heck was she even there for if she didn't have the guts to follow through on ' the right thing.' God's her judge.
love n' hugs from up north where it's finally above zero a few days. Gotta loveit!

Glenda said...

Haapy Birthday to your Dad in heavan. I love to read your comments about both of your parents, so much respect and adoration expressed. And the tale about President Reagan is great! I can still drive a stick shift, my neighbor has one and at first it was a bit jumpy but it all came back when I drove his car. Have to say it was a relief to get back into mine, glad the naysayers were wrong on that one.

TARYTERRE said...

i am familar with all those words and what they mean nowadays. and what they meant yesterday. got a big kick out of hearing a drivers test had to be done on a manual transmission.