I’ve told this tale on Straight Dope before, but it really stands out as the the exemplary “Damn I got old” moment for me so I’ll tell it again.
Bunch of us were sitting around talking about harmless practical jokes we’d played on people, and at some point I chimed in and told about the time we stuffed Mr. Gibbons’ car with balloons filled with computer punchies and taped a birthday card to the window with a needle to pop balloons with (which of course he did and ended up with a car full of computer punchies, heh heh…)
Blank looks. Eventual the question: “What’s a computer punchy”?
I start off explaining as a peer talking to an inexplicably ignorant peer and within seconds felt kinda Methusalaesque: Oh, you know, the punchouts. From punch cards. The computer cards with the little holes, they aren’t born with those holes, you know, they get punched out by… uh, or rather did get punched out, back when punch card operators… Umm. Punch cards. Older computers… WAY older computers, used them, I haven’t seen them in years but you’ve probably seen them. Umm, in movies and stuff. Looks like a giant economy-sized card except with little narrow holes in them? No? Well, whatever. Ummm, confetti. Balloons filled with confetti, OK? Now excuse me, I think it’s time for my Geritol.