# Stuff the youngsters will scratch their heads over... **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 18, 2000, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-the-youngsters-will-scratch-their-heads-over/26005 "2000-07-18T19:12:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Necros](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/necros/32/11086_2.png) [@Necros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Necros)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2000, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-the-youngsters-will-scratch-their-heads-over/26005/81 "2000-07-19T18:10:56Z")
**SaintZero** said: > [@](#): > > Cadillac had a 502 V8 they put in some cars Dang, I hate when I have to do this so far down in the thread. Y’all move too fast. But, in the interest of fighting ignorance… Cadillac never had a 502. The largest engine they ever used was a GM 501, which was actually only 500 cubic inches. A nitpick, but I don’t want **SaintZero** to get laughed at by a Cadillac geez if he brings it up in casual conversation. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Welfy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e56c9b/32.png) [@Welfy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Welfy)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2000, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-the-youngsters-will-scratch-their-heads-over/26005/82 "2000-07-19T18:17:38Z")
When I read the subject line I thought that it said, “Stuff the hamsters will scratch their heads over…” It put a strange picture into my head. ---
**Author:** ![srwilkins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@srwilkins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/srwilkins)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2000, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-the-youngsters-will-scratch-their-heads-over/26005/83 "2000-07-19T18:56:28Z")
Wow. 20 years from now, a currently unborn teenager will be writing Cecil to ask whether 8 track tapes actually existed, or were just an urban legend. ---
**Author:** ![SouthernStyle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@SouthernStyle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SouthernStyle)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2000, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-the-youngsters-will-scratch-their-heads-over/26005/84 "2000-07-19T18:59:40Z")
The term “good buddy” wasn’t fighting words. ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2000, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-the-youngsters-will-scratch-their-heads-over/26005/85 "2000-07-20T01:58:04Z")
I received this in an e-mail today. Fits right in with this thread… \*Close your eyes…And go back… Before the Internet or the MAC, Before semi automatics and crack Before chronic and endo Before SEGA or Super Nintendo Way back… I’m talking bout hide and go seek at dusk. Sitting on the porch, Hot bread and butter. The Good Humor man, Red light, Green light. Chocolate milk, Lunch tickets, Penny candy in a brown paper bag. Playing Pinball in the corner store. Hopscotch, butterscotch, double-dutch Jacks, kickball, dodgeball, y’all! Mother May I? Red Rover and Roly Poly Hula Hoops and Sunflower Seeds, Jolly Ranchers, Banana Splits Wax Lips and Mustaches Running through the sprinkler The smell of the sun and licking’ salty lips… Wait… Watchin’ Saturday Morning cartoons, Fat Albert, Road Runner, He-Man, The Three Stooges, and Bugs, Or back further, listening to Superman on the radio, Catchin’ lightening bugs in a jar, Playin sling shot. When around the corner seemed far away, And going downtown seemed like going somewhere. Bedtime, Climbing trees, An ice cream cone on a warm summer night, Chocolate or vanilla or strawberry or maybe butter pecan, A lemon coke from the fountain at the corner drug store A million mosquito bites and sticky fingers, Cops and Robbers, Cowboys and Indians, Sittin on the curb, Jumpin down the steps, Jumpin on the bed. Pillow fights Runnin till you were out of breath Laughing so hard that your stomach hurt Being tired from playin’… Remember that? I ain’t finished just yet… Eating Kool-aid powder with sugar Remember when… When there were two types of sneakers for girls and boys (Keds & PF Flyers) and the only time you wore them at school was for “gym.” When it took five minutes for the TV to warm up, if you even had one. When nearly everyone’s mom was at home when the kids got there. When nobody owned a purebred dog. When a quarter was a decent allowance, and another quarter a miracle. When milk went up one cent and everyone talked about it for weeks? When you’d reach into a muddy gutter for a penny. When girls neither dated nor kissed until late high school, if then. When your Mom wore nylons that came in two pieces. When all of your male teachers wore neckties and female teachers had their hair done, everyday. When you got your windshield cleaned, oil checked, and gas pumped, without asking, for free, every time. And, you didn’t pay for air. And you got trading stamps to boot! When laundry detergent had free glasses, dishes or towels hidden inside the box. When any parent could discipline any kid, or feed him or use him to carry groceries, and nobody, not even the kid, thought a thing of it. When it was considered a great privilege to be taken out to dinner at a real restaurant with your parents. When they threatened to keep kids back a grade if they failed… and did! When being sent to the principal’s office was nothing compared to the fate that awaited a misbehaving student at home. Basically, we were in fear for our lives but it wasn’t because of drive by shootings, drugs, gangs, etc. Our parents and grandparents were a much bigger threat! and some of us are still afraid of em!!! Didn’t that feel good… just to go back and say, Yeah, I remember that! There’s nothing like the good old days! They were good then, and they’re good now when we think about them.\* ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2000, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-the-youngsters-will-scratch-their-heads-over/26005/86 "2000-07-20T02:24:43Z")
Cartoons that weren’t edited for violence or political incorrectness. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Triskadecamus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b19c9b/32.png) [@Triskadecamus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Triskadecamus)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2000, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-the-youngsters-will-scratch-their-heads-over/26005/87 "2000-07-20T03:38:27Z")
Let’s see if anyone is really old. TV: New Idea! A news show after the normal sign off time at 10 PM every weeknight! Fifteen minutes of late breaking news from our local news crew hear at WRC! “I’m Tom Terrific, greatest hero ever. Terrific is the name for me, ‘cause I’m so clever!” Anyone remember Tom’s dog? Winkie Dink? Plunk your magic twanger, Froggy. Captain Kangaroo, when the gray hair was makup? Oswald Rabbit? I Led Three Lives Kermit the Frog selling Wilkins Coffee? Other than TV: Air raid drills at school? Civil Defense Corps? Civilian Air Corps? Saving cereal box tops? Green Stamps? By the way, meat used to be good for you. Eggs and milk too. Bread was junk food. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2000, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-the-youngsters-will-scratch-their-heads-over/26005/88 "2000-07-20T04:00:57Z")
Tom Terrific’s pet was Manfred the Wonder Dog. Manfred mainly slept. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2000, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-the-youngsters-will-scratch-their-heads-over/26005/89 "2000-07-20T14:02:52Z")
“How about the phrase, “This has been a Filmways Presentation”?” —OK, Jesus, I bet you remember which show ended with, “Zis has been a Filmvays Presentation, dahling?” Trisk, my “Bottom Shelf” column in Movieline will be about “Winky Dink” in, I think, November. Oooh, remember when cars had tail fins? And actual running boards, that you could sit on? We had this huge tank of a ‘56 Chevy, it was white and tan like a big ol’ saddle shoe. ---
**Author:** ![jesuslynch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e99b99/32.png) [@jesuslynch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jesuslynch)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2000, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-the-youngsters-will-scratch-their-heads-over/26005/90 "2000-07-20T18:49:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Eve \* > \*\*“How about the phrase, “This has been a Filmways Presentation”?” > > —OK, Jesus, I bet you remember which show ended with, “Zis has been a Filmvays Presentation, dahling?” > > \*\* I hear it’s the place be. ---
**Author:** ![jesuslynch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e99b99/32.png) [@jesuslynch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jesuslynch)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2000, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-the-youngsters-will-scratch-their-heads-over/26005/91 "2000-07-20T19:06:34Z")
This is now running through my head(if you need the tune, click [here](http://www.maggiore.net/greenacres/default.asp?music=yes).) Greeeeeeeen Acres is the place to be. Farrrrrrrrrrrm living is the life for me. Land stretching out so far and wide. Forget Manhattan just give that countryside. New York is where I’d rather stay, I get allergic smelling hay. I love a penthouse view Darling I love you, but give me Park Avenue. The chores! The store! Fresh air! Times Square! You are my wife. Goodbye city life. Green Acres we are there!!! ---
**Author:** ![wacky\_ninja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/58956e/32.png) [@wacky\_ninja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wacky_ninja)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2000, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-the-youngsters-will-scratch-their-heads-over/26005/92 "2000-07-20T19:13:06Z")
Banana-Man Danger Mouse Dr. Who THe tomorrow People Hungry Hippos playing dominoes rummikube ---
**Author:** ![Sunshine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Sunshine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunshine)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2000, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-the-youngsters-will-scratch-their-heads-over/26005/93 "2000-07-20T19:15:03Z")
My carseat was a tiny chair sitting on top of the regular seat. Sudden stops would send my FLYING to the front seat! My dad would bring home used computer punch-cards for me to play with… I was pissed when we got a C64 instead of an AppleIIe… We won TWO Atari’s in the McDonalds Olympics game… When we FINALLY got cable, it had a remote–which was a rectangle box with a tri-level switch on the left and punch buttons accross, and it was connected to the t.v. by way of a VERY long brown cord… ahh, the good old days! ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2000, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-the-youngsters-will-scratch-their-heads-over/26005/94 "2000-07-20T19:20:14Z")
Boy, Jesus—earlier this week I got yelled at for putting “Mercedes-Benz” into peoples’ minds, and now this . . . OK, this should shove it out: "Juuuust sit right back and you’ll hear a tale, a tale of a fateful trip . . . " ---
**Author:** ![tatertot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c37758/32.png) [@tatertot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tatertot)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2000, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-the-youngsters-will-scratch-their-heads-over/26005/95 "2000-07-20T19:26:34Z")
Shut up, all you people who had three stations, we had **a** station, when our crappy rabbit ear antenna with the tin foil flags choose to pick it up. > [@](#): > > There was this other show that had the song “I need a hero” as the theme song when it came on. Does anyone know about those 2 shows? Was that Cover Story or Cover Shot? The main female character was a photographer, and I seem to recall that the main actor accidently killed himself with a blank from a gun. > [@](#): > > Super Elastic Bubble Plastic (by Whammo!): a little tube of rubbery sludge that you put on the end of a straw and blew into balloons STILL EXISTS! My daughter has some that her friends brought back from the Philippines. Accept no substitutes: Philippine knock-off Super Elastic Bubble Plastic is made from real toxic waste, not soy derivatives! Yes! Apparently they still sell it a few places in the States; my sister sent me some for my birthday. It’s great a toy and a cheap high all rolled into one. A few people mentioned playing outside all day. That was the life, wasn’t it? Go out right after breakfast, scarf down lunch when your mother made you, and then back outside til the sun went down. If you were lucky, it was still pretty hot right before sundown and you could just rinse off in the pool instead of taking a bath (if your mom let you, usually only on lazy days) I feel sorry for my kid, he’s five and when I was his age it seemed I had a lot more freedom. Of course, we lived on a rural road, not much traffic, but still. Is it just me, or do kids seem a little more wimpy these days from being with their parents so much? ---
**Author:** ![jesuslynch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e99b99/32.png) [@jesuslynch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jesuslynch)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2000, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-the-youngsters-will-scratch-their-heads-over/26005/96 "2000-07-20T19:50:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Eve \* > **Boy, Jesus—earlier this week I got yelled at for putting “Mercedes-Benz” into peoples’ minds, and now this . . .** If it’s in my head, it’s going in everybody’s head! > [@](#): > > \*\* > OK, this should shove it out: "Juuuust sit right back and you’ll hear a tale, a tale of a fateful trip . . . " \*\* How about this one… Dobie, wants a little cutie! Dobie, wants a little cutie! Dobie wants a girl to call his own! Any size! Any style! Yada Yada Yada ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2000, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-the-youngsters-will-scratch-their-heads-over/26005/97 "2000-07-20T19:54:01Z")
OK, one last jab before I leave on vacation— Meet Cathy who’s been most everywhere From Zanzibar to Berkeley Square . . . [THAT should hold 'em!] ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2000, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-the-youngsters-will-scratch-their-heads-over/26005/98 "2000-07-21T00:54:42Z")
[ul] [li] **Mighty** Manfred, the Wonder Dog “and Tom’s ever-faithful companion.”[/li][li]Bell Science Series - Hemo the Magnificent, Our Mr. Sun, The Strange Case of the Cosmic Rays, etc. (first 4 directed by Frank Capra with UPI cartoons and ending with Beethoven’s 9th, all 8 available on VHS from Rhino)[/li][li]“French Foreign Legion” with Buster Crabbe[/li][li]George Pal’s Puppetoons[/li][li]NY Philharmonic’s TV Young People’s Concerts with Leonard Bernstein[/li][li]playing outside on hot summer evenings until it got dark and lightning bugs came out[/li][/ul] ---
**Author:** ![Flutterby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Flutterby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flutterby)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2000, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-the-youngsters-will-scratch-their-heads-over/26005/99 "2000-07-21T01:53:44Z")
The funny thing is I remember several of the things listed and I’m 17. _thinks maybe it has something to do with having lived in a small town for most of her life_ I remember playing pretend, the cards and stamps things used for the library, the dewey decibel(sp?) system and other such things. ---
**Author:** ![jesuslynch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e99b99/32.png) [@jesuslynch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jesuslynch)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2000, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-the-youngsters-will-scratch-their-heads-over/26005/100 "2000-07-21T14:06:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by TopazAntares \* > \*\*The funny thing is I remember several of the things listed and I’m 17. _thinks maybe it has something to do with having lived in a small town for most of her life_ > > I remember playing pretend, the cards and stamps things used for the library, _the dewey decibel(sp?) system_ and other such things. \*\* I can remember when books were filed according to how loud they were. BTW, Eve, I bow to you. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-the-youngsters-will-scratch-their-heads-over/26005.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-the-youngsters-will-scratch-their-heads-over/26005.md?page=6)