No, they meant a (plastic or glass) gallon jug of “homogenized” milk. The anachronistic language was using the word “homo” for homogenized milk without knowing about the modern “homosexual” meaning, even though the “homosexual” meaning was, even in the '70’s, being commonly used by relatives now in their 70’s for “homosexual”. This was when I was a kid, some time ca. late '70’s. All the old farts in my family who used it that way died by the '80’s or '90’s. There aren’t any still alive that use the term “homo” that way. The distinction the old farts were using was “homo” milk, as opposed to “raw” (unhomogenized, and even unpasteurized) milk that they could buy when they were younger. You need to remember that they were born before those processes were commonly used, or in many cases, even invented, and they had all seen where milk ultimately comes from. Most of them had actually milked a cow.
That’s my only frame of reference as well - a character in a book taking a “headache powder”
The only time I’ve heard of “powders” (and this was strictly from pre-1950 books, never in real life) was in reference to Seidlitz powders–a laxative.
And in regards to whether or not aspirin is generic, in the US it is–but the best known brand is Bayer Aspirin, so I can understand the confusion.
Spoken like someone who can swallow pills 
No, they’re not. They sell them in most drugstores up here, too.
I have heard them referred to as “powders” but only by older folks. I’m in the south, and always vaguely thought that it was a southern thing.
Funnily enough, I am sitting at my desk at work with a headache, and I just poured a BC Powder into my Diet Coke bottle. I also have trouble swallowing pills, and really don’t mind the taste of the powder in my Coke. (heh)
Interesting time to post this thread, as NASCAR’s Goody’s 500 is tomorrow.
never heard of it before
Do you have a newsletter to which I might subscribe?
I always thought that ‘taking a powder’ meant ‘unexpectedly falling forward’, the image being that of a skier falling face-first into deep powder snow.
A tube of Aprecreme is $7.00, but you can make it yourself with a $1 bottle of asprin and a $1 tub of Vasaline. Headache powder is handier, if you don’t have a mortal & pestle.
As aspirin? No. As a combined analgesic such as Bex? Yes.
Yes, I have heard the term before, but then, I do work in a pharmacy in the South East.
Slight clarification though, “Powders” is actually the informal term for this dosage form. The technical term is a “Chart”. However, just like the word “pill” is now used to refer to tablets and capsules, even though no one makes actual “pills” anymore, Powders is the term every lay person uses.
Aside from analgesics, I concur with definition 1 here: to leave quickly.
I knew it would be one of two choices: headache powders or “washing powders,” (laundry detergent). Both terms are used regularly in my family.
I’d heard of them, mostly from watching WTBS on cable when I was a teenager (ads for Goody’s).
They always struck me as being (a) from the South, and (b) old-fashioned. Based on the posts I see here, sounds like my impression was accurate.