# Old but common terms that are now obsolete **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 15, 2003, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-but-common-terms-that-are-now-obsolete/182011 "2003-06-15T14:20:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2003, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-but-common-terms-that-are-now-obsolete/182011/1 "2003-06-15T14:20:33Z")
**Early Out’s** post in [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?postid=3566456#post3566456): > [@](#): > > I wonder how long it will be before the term “phone booth” produces only puzzled looks from children. Sort of like “record album” does now. …got me thinking. What other terms that were frequently used a few years ago are now so obsolete as to be unknown to young children? Older terms for that thing in the kitchen that keeps things cold come to mind, like icebox or Kelvinator[sup]TM[/sup]. How about phonograph, LP, hula hoop, jitterbug, hectograph? Any more? ---
**Author:** ![Mastema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/94ad74/32.png) [@Mastema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mastema)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2003, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-but-common-terms-that-are-now-obsolete/182011/2 "2003-06-15T14:23:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Musicat \* > \*\*How about phonograph, LP, hula hoop, jitterbug, hectograph? \*\* You may as well add Cassette Tape and VCR to that list, my kids have no idea what those are. ---
**Author:** ![KeithT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e47774/32.png) [@KeithT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KeithT)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2003, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-but-common-terms-that-are-now-obsolete/182011/3 "2003-06-15T17:10:20Z")
Already obsolete:[ul][li]Radar Range[/li][li]Slide rule[/li][li]Punch card[/ul] [/li]Fast-becoming / practically obsolete:[ul][li]Mimeograph[/li][li]Floppy disk[/li][li]Typewriter[/li][li]“Don’t touch that dial!”[/li][/ul] ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2003, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-but-common-terms-that-are-now-obsolete/182011/4 "2003-06-15T17:18:38Z")
Pay phone is getting there too, I think. They seem to be almost obsolete given the prevalence of cell phones. Likewise phones with cords, and heck, “cordless/handheld phone” loses its meaning because there’s no alternative. Let alone dial or push-button phone. ---
**Author:** ![jb\_007clone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/91b2a8/32.png) [@jb\_007clone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jb_007clone)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2003, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-but-common-terms-that-are-now-obsolete/182011/5 "2003-06-15T17:22:14Z")
What about Prussia, Siam and Autogyro? ---
**Author:** ![100watts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/1/b487fb/32.png) [@100watts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/100watts)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2003, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-but-common-terms-that-are-now-obsolete/182011/6 "2003-06-15T18:27:36Z")
leaded or unleaded? ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2003, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-but-common-terms-that-are-now-obsolete/182011/7 "2003-06-15T18:39:05Z")
Pretty soon, the kiddies will be asking Unca Cecil, “Why do we dial a phone?” ---
**Author:** ![Mooney252](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7c8e57/32.png) [@Mooney252](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mooney252)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2003, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-but-common-terms-that-are-now-obsolete/182011/8 "2003-06-15T19:08:30Z")
party line Kerr jar or Ball jar curtain stretcher washboard coal chute log or trig tables tire iron rabbit ears (or any other form of TV antenna) ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2003, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-but-common-terms-that-are-now-obsolete/182011/9 "2003-06-15T19:25:54Z")
What’s rare about party line? ---
**Author:** ![Gr8Kat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gr8kat/32/18668_2.png) [@Gr8Kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gr8Kat)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2003, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-but-common-terms-that-are-now-obsolete/182011/10 "2003-06-15T19:36:35Z")
What does it mean to “wind a watch”? (paraphrased from Bloom County) (it was a comic strip. In the 80s. Opus the penguin? Bill the cat? Milo? Binkley? Steve Dallas? ok, nevermind) ---
**Author:** ![Gr8Kat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gr8kat/32/18668_2.png) [@Gr8Kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gr8Kat)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2003, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-but-common-terms-that-are-now-obsolete/182011/11 "2003-06-15T19:41:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Marley23 \* > \*\*What’s rare about party line? \*\* Maybe it depends on where you live? I know I haven’t picked up a phone and interrupted soneone else’s conversation in many, many years. Which reminds me, kids might wonder someday why we say a phone “rings” when there are no bells. They beep, bloop, trill, chirp, or play the latest Britney Spears hit, but they don’t really “ring” anymore. ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2003, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-but-common-terms-that-are-now-obsolete/182011/12 "2003-06-15T19:45:13Z")
I’m afraid that outside of our little world here, “straight dope” is no longer current. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2003, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-but-common-terms-that-are-now-obsolete/182011/13 "2003-06-15T19:52:15Z")
I was thinking of “party line” in the political sense, where I still hear it. I’m not sure what the other kind means myself. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![UrbanChic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9dc877/32.png) [@UrbanChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UrbanChic)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2003, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-but-common-terms-that-are-now-obsolete/182011/14 "2003-06-15T19:58:14Z")
What is this ‘curtain stretcher’ of which you speak? ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2003, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-but-common-terms-that-are-now-obsolete/182011/15 "2003-06-15T20:01:41Z")
Betamax East Germany/East Berlin Reel-to-reel ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2003, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-but-common-terms-that-are-now-obsolete/182011/16 "2003-06-15T20:03:30Z")
Telephone Operator ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2003, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-but-common-terms-that-are-now-obsolete/182011/17 "2003-06-15T20:05:23Z")
The speaking clock on phones, also. ---
**Author:** ![Gr8Kat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gr8kat/32/18668_2.png) [@Gr8Kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gr8Kat)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2003, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-but-common-terms-that-are-now-obsolete/182011/18 "2003-06-15T20:35:30Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Marley23 \* > \*\*I was thinking of “party line” in the political sense, where I still hear it. I’m not sure what the other kind means myself. 😛 \*\* It means several homes shared a phone line. They had their own phone numbers, but still, if you picked up the phone and another household was on the line, you could hear their conversation. You had to wait until they hung up before you could place your call. Or ask them nicely to hang up if your call was an emergeny. Have you ever dialed your own phone number to see what would happen? Have you noticed how you have to hang up before your phone rings? That’s what it was like to call other houses on your line. I feel like I’m too damn young to have had first hand experience with this, but, alas, I grew up in the sticks and remember it all too well. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2003, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-but-common-terms-that-are-now-obsolete/182011/19 "2003-06-15T20:40:32Z")
> [@](#): > > Have you ever dialed your own phone number to see what would happen? Have you noticed how you have to hang up before your phone rings? That’s what it was like to call other houses on your line. Like every kid, I tried this many times. Always got a busy signal. I guess my alternate-universe self was on the line, too. In fact, with call waiting and the number of phones people tend to have these days, busy signals may be on the way out as well. ---
**Author:** ![KRC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/45deac/32.png) [@KRC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KRC)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2003, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-but-common-terms-that-are-now-obsolete/182011/20 "2003-06-15T21:01:33Z")
Speaking of comic strips, I recall seeing a Peanuts strip years ago wherein Charlie Brown and Linus find a washboard. Charlie Brown wonders how it works and Linus says he doesn’t know because he can’t find any way to plug it in. Kids today often don’t know how to use a rotary dial phone–I’ve had to instruct children who needed to make a phone call from my house on how to use mine. Neurosis seems to be a word that is going the way of the dinosaurs. Nowadays you have Obsessive Compulsive Disorder or Social Phobia or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or something else along those lines. Nobody is just plain neurotic anymore. (And before anyone flames me, I’m not suggesting that this is a bad thing–just that it’s a sign of how language changes over time.) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-but-common-terms-that-are-now-obsolete/182011.md?page=2)