# Were bananas and oranges uncommon back in the fifties? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [December 20, 2021, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-bananas-and-oranges-uncommon-back-in-the-fifties/956368 "2021-12-20T15:58:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2021, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-bananas-and-oranges-uncommon-back-in-the-fifties/956368/41 "2021-12-21T20:37:53Z")
> [@TRC4941](#): > > In fact, I still have my grandma’s nut “bowl”. It’s a slab (about 4" thick and 1’ in diameter) of a tree trunk that is hollowed out except for the very center. The center has holes to hold the nut cracking tools/equipment - crackers and picks. We had that exact same thing. ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2021, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-bananas-and-oranges-uncommon-back-in-the-fifties/956368/42 "2021-12-21T21:01:07Z")
> [@JoePockets](#): > > Oranges were in mine and brothers stockings in the late1960’s Mine too. It seemed like a way to “bulk out” what was in the stocking (my aunt had knitted me a HUGE stocking, which I suspect my parents didn’t really appreciate) with something relatively healthy and inexpensive compared to all the candy that made up the rest of the filling. ---
**Author:** ![Die\_Capacitrix](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/die_capacitrix/32/9_2.png) [@Die\_Capacitrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Die_Capacitrix)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2021, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-bananas-and-oranges-uncommon-back-in-the-fifties/956368/43 "2021-12-21T21:41:28Z")
Saturday morning there will be oranges in the stockings and grapefruit on the table. I think that’s how my mom had it as she was growing up in the 40s and 50s. ---
**Author:** ![gnarator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gnarator/32/8266_2.png) [@gnarator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnarator)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2021, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-bananas-and-oranges-uncommon-back-in-the-fifties/956368/44 "2021-12-21T21:52:57Z")
> [@Die\_Capacitrix](#): > > Saturday morning there will be oranges in the stockings Around here coal I think. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2021, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-bananas-and-oranges-uncommon-back-in-the-fifties/956368/45 "2021-12-21T21:54:00Z")
> [@StarvingButStrong](#): > > I wonder how long it’s been since real sign painting was an ordinary career? When I was living circa 1970 in Reading, PA, there was a local brewery that owned or had a permanent lease on three billboards at the main entrances into the town. They were hand-painted and changed about every six months. It’s the only time I saw sign _painters_ at work. ---
**Author:** ![StarvingButStrong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/starvingbutstrong/32/335_2.png) [@StarvingButStrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StarvingButStrong)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2021, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-bananas-and-oranges-uncommon-back-in-the-fifties/956368/46 "2021-12-21T22:37:18Z")
> [@DesertDog](#): > > It’s the only time I saw sign _painters_ at work. I envy you – we lived about 1500 miles from that granddad, and only saw him maybe five times before he died when I was around 10. Never got to see him do a billboard, though a couple of times he drove us kids out to see some of his work. Did see him paint an office door once, just a name/profession/office hours. All free hand. He was well into his 60s and had the _steadiest_ hands you could imagine. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-bananas-and-oranges-uncommon-back-in-the-fifties/956368.md?page=2)