# Words we don't use anymore **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 9, 1999, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-we-dont-use-anymore/8003 "1999-09-09T15:53:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 1999, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-we-dont-use-anymore/8003/1 "1999-09-09T15:53:00Z")
Excuding the racial ones and ethnic ones what words don’t we use anymore. We don’t say depression we now say recession. We don’t say handicapped, it’s physically challenged. Nobody anymore says transistor (for radio) Any others? ---
**Author:** ![elbow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/cdc98d/32.png) [@elbow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbow)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 1999, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-we-dont-use-anymore/8003/2 "1999-09-09T16:07:00Z")
Hark! ---
**Author:** ![cher3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 1999, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-we-dont-use-anymore/8003/3 "1999-09-09T16:17:00Z")
My grandmother always said “davenport” (for couch) and “pocketbook” (for purse). I’ve never heard anyone use them since. ---
**Author:** ![BurnMeUp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@BurnMeUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BurnMeUp)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 1999, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-we-dont-use-anymore/8003/4 "1999-09-09T16:25:00Z")
I think devanport depends on your area of the country, i have a lot of relatives in northern MN who use it often. a lot of phrases fall by the wayside and get funny looks. Like “piece of tail” the first time I said that recently my wife looked at me like I was from another planet! * * * To deal with men by force is as impractical as to deal with nature by persuasion. ---
**Author:** ![BunnyGirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@BunnyGirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BunnyGirl)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 1999, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-we-dont-use-anymore/8003/5 "1999-09-09T16:30:00Z")
Cher, are we related? My grandmother says the same things! ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 1999, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-we-dont-use-anymore/8003/6 "1999-09-09T16:42:00Z")
Point taken. Mark, some economic expert got into trouble for using “recession” (instead of depression) because that was too nay-saying as well, and ended up stating, “Okay, I’ll call them bananas then,” and made a whole speech in which he predicted that the market would take a moderate banana, recovering from it in… 🙂 My aunt used to (a) refer to bicycles as wheels (b) use Frigidaire as the generic term for refrigerator, unless she used “icebox” instead. She is also the original author of “As fall comes, it gets late so early” (with reference to sunset). ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 1999, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-we-dont-use-anymore/8003/7 "1999-09-09T18:36:00Z")
Davenport made me think of another one. Parlor now we say living room ---
**Author:** ![Stevie\_Rave\_On](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c68b51/32.png) [@Stevie\_Rave\_On](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stevie_Rave_On)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 1999, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-we-dont-use-anymore/8003/8 "1999-09-09T18:37:00Z")
I still hear some older people refer to a remote control as a “clicker”. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 1999, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-we-dont-use-anymore/8003/9 "1999-09-09T19:05:00Z")
'Round here, women still carry a pocketbook. A recession is an economic slowdown, a depression is an economic near collapse. I haven’t used the term “buggy whip” in a while. Or “oleo” for margarine. * * * The overwhelming majority of people have more than the average (mean) number of legs. – E. Grebenik ---
**Author:** ![Persephone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecc23a/32.png) [@Persephone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Persephone)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 1999, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-we-dont-use-anymore/8003/10 "1999-09-09T19:07:00Z")
Hey, my grandma says “davenport” and “pocketbook” too! I’d love to own a pocketbook…the luggage I carry is far too big to even qualify as a purse. ---
**Author:** ![funneefarmer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9fc348/32.png) [@funneefarmer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/funneefarmer)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 1999, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-we-dont-use-anymore/8003/11 "1999-09-09T22:06:00Z")
Thus,thence,whence,wench,wherefore art thou? ---
**Author:** ![ChiefScott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58f4c7/32.png) [@ChiefScott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChiefScott)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 1999, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-we-dont-use-anymore/8003/12 "1999-09-09T22:12:00Z")
Having a **gay** old time. Gee. Sweetheart. Thine. ---
**Author:** ![ChrisCTP](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@ChrisCTP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChrisCTP)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 1999, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-we-dont-use-anymore/8003/13 "1999-09-09T22:15:00Z")
Icebox (that’s all I can think of at the moment.) * * * Veni, Vidi, Visa … I came, I saw, I bought. ---
**Author:** ![ChrisCTP](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@ChrisCTP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChrisCTP)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 1999, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-we-dont-use-anymore/8003/14 "1999-09-09T22:17:00Z")
Nevermind, someone already said that… tarnation! * * * Veni, Vidi, Visa … I came, I saw, I bought. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_RogersAWC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Mister\_RogersAWC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_RogersAWC)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 1999, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-we-dont-use-anymore/8003/15 "1999-09-10T01:42:00Z")
We don’t say **GENOCIDE** we say **“Ethnic Cleansing”**. I hate when people call it ethnic cleansing. * * * **"No job’s too small, we bomb them all."** -Ace Wrecking Company ---
**Author:** ![dawnbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@dawnbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dawnbird)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 1999, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-we-dont-use-anymore/8003/16 "1999-09-10T02:30:00Z")
I use the word oleo. It’s short for oleomargarine. Davenport too, I have one in the livingroom. I don’t have a parlor, but my dad’s house had both. They serve different purposes. A livingroom used to be a sitting-room (female only or mixed sex entertaining)and a parlor is a smoking-room or den (male only). Does anyone know what a housecoat is? I’ve heard that word before, but if I ask, the answer is just “A housecoat is a housecoat, what do you mean?” * * * possibly the world’s only naive cynic ---
**Author:** ![Temujin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Temujin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Temujin)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 1999, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-we-dont-use-anymore/8003/17 "1999-09-10T03:57:00Z")
How about words we use now but could be on the way out? We still “dial” the telephone, although some modern pre-adolescents probably have never seen an actual telephone dial. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 1999, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-we-dont-use-anymore/8003/18 "1999-09-10T05:46:00Z")
I think dial will always be around. But I still use Gee and Thus. I even use clicker. But then again I say answer phone which seems to confuse everyone. ---
**Author:** ![Kat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b19c9b/32.png) [@Kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kat)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 1999, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-we-dont-use-anymore/8003/19 "1999-09-10T06:22:00Z")
I think a housecoat may be a robe… I still say my phone rings, but it actually sort of buzzes. ---
**Author:** ![ChuckSki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@ChuckSki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChuckSki)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 1999, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-we-dont-use-anymore/8003/20 "1999-09-10T12:41:00Z")
How about veranda? We used to sit on the veranda and watch the loobies go by. Later, we might put on our glad rags and go down to the automat. Why do I seem to be imitating Grandpa Simpson? * * * “The intellectuals’ chief cause of anguish are one another’s works.” Jacques Barzun Cheers! CAL [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-we-dont-use-anymore/8003.md?page=2)