skirts" in years. When I was a kid, I considered it such a funny
term. Made me think of a car in a dress.
Thinking about "fender skirts" started me thinking about
other words that quietly disappear from our language with hardly a
notice.
Like "curb feelers" and "steering knobs." Since I'd been thinking
of cars, my mind naturally went that direction first. Any kids
will probably have to find some elderly person over 50 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.
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."
Didn't you ever wait at the street for your daddy to come home, so
you could ride the "running board" up to the house?
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 his or her 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" or simply "expecting."
Apparently "brassiere" is a word no longer in usage. I said it the
other day and my daughter cracked up. 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.
I always loved going to the "picture show," but I considered
"movie" an affectation.
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 just a fun word to
say. And what was it replaced with? "Coffeemaker." 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 like "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.
Some words aren't gone, but are definitely on the endangered list.
The one that grieves me most - "supper." Now everybody says
"dinner." Save a great word. Invite someone to supper. Discuss
fender skirts.
ENJOY...
To the woodshed with him! bwahahaha 
or possibly brunch