# Without saying your age, what's something from your childhood that a younger person wouldn't understand? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 25, 2021, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/without-saying-your-age-whats-something-from-your-childhood-that-a-younger-person-wouldnt-understand/953138 "2021-10-25T01:08:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 20
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2021, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/without-saying-your-age-whats-something-from-your-childhood-that-a-younger-person-wouldnt-understand/953138/383 "2021-10-30T19:16:08Z")
> [@Slithy\_Tove](#): > > At age 4 I did enjoy my polio vaccine sugar cube, and in fact asked the doctor for another. I also have a smallpox scab on my arm I hope you mean scar, not scab! ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2021, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/without-saying-your-age-whats-something-from-your-childhood-that-a-younger-person-wouldnt-understand/953138/384 "2021-10-30T20:38:02Z")
The freezer compartment in our fridge would get smaller and smaller until barely one ice cube tray would fit. It was an accumulation of ice which required the fridge to be unplugged until it could be chipped out. ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2021, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/without-saying-your-age-whats-something-from-your-childhood-that-a-younger-person-wouldnt-understand/953138/385 "2021-10-30T23:23:42Z")
> **[Paavo Nurmi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paavo_Nurmi)** > > Pages for logged out editors learn more > > > > Paavo Johannes Nurmi (Finnish pronunciation: \[ˈpɑːʋo ˈnurmi\] (listen); 13 June 1897 – 2 October 1973) was a Finnish middle-distance and long-distance runner. He was called the "Flying Finn" or the "Phantom Finn", as he dominated distance running in the 1920s. Nurmi set 22 official world records at distances between 1500 metres and 20 kilometres, and won nine gold and three silver medals in his 12 events in the Summer Olympic Games. At his peak,... She was supposedly a cousin of the Flying Finn. But not documented. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2021, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/without-saying-your-age-whats-something-from-your-childhood-that-a-younger-person-wouldnt-understand/953138/386 "2021-10-30T23:57:59Z")
Cars with the gas cap under the rear license plate. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2021, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/without-saying-your-age-whats-something-from-your-childhood-that-a-younger-person-wouldnt-understand/953138/387 "2021-10-31T03:35:41Z")
Newspapers would contract with children to deliver their papers alone in urban neighborhoods, and have to collect money from recalcitrant subscribers. In the rain and snow. I never did it because I occasionally went along with a friend, and I knew I’d never be able to memorize which houses got the paper. ---
**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:** [October 31, 2021, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/without-saying-your-age-whats-something-from-your-childhood-that-a-younger-person-wouldnt-understand/953138/388 "2021-10-31T06:06:10Z")
> [@Railer13](#): > > So Side 1 would have Side 6 on its flip side, Side 2 would have Side 5 on its flip side, and Side 3 would have Side 4 on its flip side. We had an LP set of Handel’s _Messiah_ numbered like that. ---
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2021, 7:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/without-saying-your-age-whats-something-from-your-childhood-that-a-younger-person-wouldnt-understand/953138/389 "2021-10-31T07:23:42Z")
kttv 4 which could be seen throughout most of Indiana had Sammy terry (say it real fast) but he went for a more of a horror vibe so he was the late show on weekends, > **[Sammy Terry’s legacy lives on in Indiana](https://cbs4indy.com/news/70-years-of-wttv/sammy-terrys-legacy-lives-on-in-indiana/)** > > INDIANAPOLIS– It’s the laugh that lives on in the collective memory of a generation of Hoosiers. If you’re of a certain age, he needs no explanation. But, if you’re unfamiliar, just know that… ---
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2021, 7:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/without-saying-your-age-whats-something-from-your-childhood-that-a-younger-person-wouldnt-understand/953138/390 "2021-10-31T07:30:41Z")
In fact that’s why Cassandra Petersen had to dye her hair black because Vampira had red hair and they didn’t want to get sued again ---
**Author:** ![QMatic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/aeb1de/32.png) [@QMatic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QMatic)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2021, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/without-saying-your-age-whats-something-from-your-childhood-that-a-younger-person-wouldnt-understand/953138/391 "2021-10-31T07:41:52Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > My memory of darkrooms is it having to be totally dark (or at most, a dim red light for black-and-white film) in order to unload the cartridge and wind it into a developing tank. I think your memory might be hazy. Almost all B&W film was sensitive to the full visible spectrum, termed “panchromatic” film, as otherwise you get weird looking photos. Some technical films were not red sensitive for easier handling, but not consumer grade films. There was a very narrow band in the green part of the spectrum where films had a reduced sensitivity and this allowed a very dim green “safe” light to be used, but it was so dim your eyes had to adjust to the darkness to even tell if it was switched on. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2021, 10:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/without-saying-your-age-whats-something-from-your-childhood-that-a-younger-person-wouldnt-understand/953138/392 "2021-10-31T10:54:01Z")
> [@QMatic](#): > > I think your memory might be hazy … I believe you’re right. The tank did have to loaded in total darkness. I definitely had a dim red light in the darkroom but I think it was used when making prints. ---
**Author:** ![Keeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2021, 11:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/without-saying-your-age-whats-something-from-your-childhood-that-a-younger-person-wouldnt-understand/953138/393 "2021-10-31T11:05:23Z")
> [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](#): > > Newspapers would contract with children to deliver their papers alone in urban neighborhoods, and have to collect money from recalcitrant subscribers. I did that for several years in the mid-60s. I’d call it a suburban area, going from house to house leaving the afternoon paper (early morning on Sat-Sun) on their front stoop, or behind the screen door if it was raining. The experience taught me a lot about the workforce world. Each week I’d go from house to house collecting the subscription money. I don’t remember anyone being negative about it - no one tried to stall me or otherwise avoid paying. In fact a good proportion of them gave me tips. They would often phrase it in terms like, “Here, this is for the paper – and this for you.” I was happy to have the extra money, and I never complained out loud, but I was very confused. Didn’t these people realize that a portion of what they paid “for the paper” went towards my salary? Did these people think I worked for free? And this early experience made me very strongly against tipping (in restaurants etc) for many years (as you can see on the SDMB threads about tipping). It was only when I learned that waiters et al are paid below minimum wage that my feelings started to change. #2: As I said, no one actively tried to avoid paying me. But there was an awful lot of time involved: going to each house, ringing the doorbell, waiting for someone to answer, telling them who I was and how much they owed me, waiting for them to get the money, and marking it in my records. I had no problem with the time and effort I expended on delivering the paper, as that was my job. But I greatly resented the time spent collecting the money. I would often see advertisements in the newspaper to the effect of: “Parents! Teach your kid about finances! Give him a job! He can deliver newspapers!” Those ads backfired on me. I did appreciate having money in my pocket, and I did appreciate that the market for 12-year-olds was pretty small, but I resolved that when I’d grow up, my job would be one where I do my work and get a paycheck for it, and I’d specifically avoid the types of jobs where I’d have to beg for money. ---
**Author:** ![MrAtoz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MrAtoz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrAtoz)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2021, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/without-saying-your-age-whats-something-from-your-childhood-that-a-younger-person-wouldnt-understand/953138/394 "2021-10-31T13:35:32Z")
> [@nightshadea](#): > > kttv 4 which could be seen throughout most of Indiana had Sammy terry (say it real fast) but he went for a more of a horror vibe so he was the late show on weekends, As your link says, it’s **W** TTV. I remember Sammy Terry with great fondness. Bob Carter, who played him for decades, passed away a few years ago. His son Mark is playing the character now. He doesn’t have a TV show anymore, but he makes personal appearances and does a streaming show from his website. I am vaguely acquainted (in a “friend of a friend” way) with his assistant. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2021, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/without-saying-your-age-whats-something-from-your-childhood-that-a-younger-person-wouldnt-understand/953138/395 "2021-10-31T14:18:01Z")
Have we mentioned typesetting with paper tape? The keyboard punched the paper tape, which was then read by a typesetting device. Initially, there was no way to edit a tape, except manually, with splices and a “chicken plucker” punch. And there was no monitor. Everything had to be figured in your head. Amazingly, I typeset a math textbook this way. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2021, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/without-saying-your-age-whats-something-from-your-childhood-that-a-younger-person-wouldnt-understand/953138/396 "2021-10-31T14:50:04Z")
That would work really well if you had two turntables, and one was kept queued up. But would stations ever run it non-stop anyway? ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2021, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/without-saying-your-age-whats-something-from-your-childhood-that-a-younger-person-wouldnt-understand/953138/397 "2021-10-31T15:07:16Z")
I’ve not seen anyone mention the insurance salesmen, route man, coming by every week to collect the 50 cents for the life insurance. You paid every week. This was in the late 40s, early 50s in New York City. I remember the company as Metropolitan Life Insurance. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2021, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/without-saying-your-age-whats-something-from-your-childhood-that-a-younger-person-wouldnt-understand/953138/398 "2021-10-31T15:47:18Z")
Does anybody remember punch cards that you would use to enter data into a computer? Businesses in order to keep their books would enter data into a machine that would punch holes in the card to be read by a computer. There was no direct entry into the computer, they all ran on punch cards or tape input. At Christmas time, kids would make Christmas trees out of used punch cards. [![](https://aadl.org/sites/default/files/photos/N021_0795_005.jpg) ](https://aadl.org/sites/default/files/photos/N021_0795_005.jpg) Excuse the poor picture quality. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2021, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/without-saying-your-age-whats-something-from-your-childhood-that-a-younger-person-wouldnt-understand/953138/399 "2021-10-31T16:58:16Z")
> [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](#): > > That would work really well if you had two turntables, and one was kept queued up. But would stations ever run it non-stop anyway? That version of ordering sides of LP’s wasn’t meant for using two turntables; it was meant for using a changer. Put on a stack of 3, play sides 1 through 3, flip the whole stack over and play 4 through 6 without having to rearrange them. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2021, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/without-saying-your-age-whats-something-from-your-childhood-that-a-younger-person-wouldnt-understand/953138/400 "2021-10-31T17:10:23Z")
Right. It’s obvious for those of us who are familiar with them, but for those who need an explanation: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/GuoFW2yAD7g/maxresdefault.jpg "Automatic Record Changers: We used to like them") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GuoFW2yAD7g) ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2021, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/without-saying-your-age-whats-something-from-your-childhood-that-a-younger-person-wouldnt-understand/953138/401 "2021-10-31T22:39:36Z")
Another one: Calling cards. Not the kind you’d give to the butler when visiting, but the kind used to make calls from a pay phone or hotel that would be charged to your home phone number/account. I had two in the 90’s when on business travel. One would charge calls to the company, the other to my home phone. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2021, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/without-saying-your-age-whats-something-from-your-childhood-that-a-younger-person-wouldnt-understand/953138/402 "2021-10-31T22:59:23Z")
> [@GaryM](#): > > I’ve not seen anyone mention the insurance salesmen, route man, coming by every week to collect the 50 cents for the life insurance. Well into the '60s, we got milk delivered to our door. An insulated metal (!) container sat on our (small) front porch and the moo-juice came in **A GLASS BOTTLE**! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/without-saying-your-age-whats-something-from-your-childhood-that-a-younger-person-wouldnt-understand/953138.md?page=19) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/without-saying-your-age-whats-something-from-your-childhood-that-a-younger-person-wouldnt-understand/953138.md?page=21)