Metropolis Reality Forums

Sponsored by: The Fans!

Welcome, Guest. Please Login or Register.
Nov 24^th, 2024, 8:06pm

Upcoming Premiere Dates:
Survivor 23, Season premiere
Thursday, September 14 (8:00-9:30 PM, ET/PT) on CBS

Metropolis Reality Forums Ť Fender Skirts ť

   Metropolis Reality Forums
   Community
   The Grapevine (Moderators: Heather, Bumper, Isle_be_back)
   Fender Skirts

Previous topic | New Topic | Next topic »

Pages: all 1 2

Add Poll

Notify of replies

Send Topic

Author

Topic: Fender Skirts (Read 788 times)

luci
ForumsNet Member

Gender:

Posts: 12045

Fender Skirts
« on: Feb 6^th, 2005, 3:21pm »

Quote

Modify

I haven't thought about "fender skirts" in years. When I was a kid, I considered it such a funny term. Made me think of a car in a dress.

Thinking about "fender skirts" started me thinking about other words that quietly disappear from our language with hardly a notice.

Like "curb feelers" and "steering knobs." Since I'd been thinking of cars, my mind naturally went that direction first. Any kids will probably have to find some elderly person over 50 to explain some of these terms to you.

Remember "Continental kits?" They were rear bumper extenders and spare tire covers that were supposed to make any car as cool as a Lincoln Continental.

When did we quit calling them "emergency brakes?" At some point "parking brake" became the proper term. But I miss the hint of drama that went with "emergency brake."

I'm sad, too, that almost all the old folks are gone who would call the accelerator the "foot feed."

Didn't you ever wait at the street for your daddy to come home, so you could ride the "running board" up to the house?

Here's a phrase I heard all the time in my youth but never anymore - "store- bought." Of course, just about everything is store-bought these days. But once it was bragging material to have a store-bought dress or a store-bought bag of candy.

"Coast to coast" is a phrase that once held all sorts of excitement and now means almost nothing. Now we take the term "worldwide" for granted. This floors me.

On a smaller scale, "wall-to-wall" was once a magical term in our homes. In the '50s, everyone covered his or her hardwood floors with, wow, wall-to-wall carpeting! Today, everyone replaces their wall-to-wall carpeting with hardwood floors. Go figure.

When's the last time you heard the quaint phrase "in a family way?" It's hard to imagine that the word "pregnant" was once considered a little too graphic, a little too clinical for use in polite company. So we had all that talk about stork visits and "being in a family way" or simply "expecting."

Apparently "brassiere" is a word no longer in usage. I said it the other day and my daughter cracked up. I guess it's just "bra" now. "Unmentionables" probably wouldn't be understood at all.

It's hard to recall that this word was once said in a whisper "divorce." And no one is called a "divorcee" anymore. Certainly not a "gay divorcee." Come to think of it, "confirmed bachelors" and "career girls" are long gone, too.

I always loved going to the "picture show," but I considered "movie" an affectation.

Most of these words go back to the '50s, but here's a pure-'60s word I came across the other day - "rat fink." Ooh, what a nasty put-down!

Here's a word I miss - "percolator." That was just a fun word to say. And what was it replaced with? "Coffeemaker." How dull. Mr. Coffee, I blame you for this.

I miss those made-up marketing words that were meant to sound so modern and now sound so retro. Words like "DynaFlow" and "ElectraLuxe." Introducing the 1963 Admiral TV, now with "SpectraVision!"

Food for thought - Was there a telethon that wiped out lumbago? Nobody complains of that anymore. Maybe that's what castor oil cured, because I never hear mothers threatening their kids with castor oil anymore.

Some words aren't gone, but are definitely on the endangered list. The one that grieves me most - "supper." Now everybody says "dinner." Save a great word.
Invite someone to supper. Discuss fender skirts.

IP Logged

"A friend is someone who knows the song in your heart and
can sing it back to you when you have forgotten the words."

Jenna
ForumsNet Member

Gender:

Posts: 1283

Re: Fender Skirts
« Reply #1 on: Feb 6^th, 2005, 3:24pm »

Quote

Modify

What the heck is a fender skirt lol

IP Logged

Heather
ForumsNet Moderator
Moderator
ForumsNet Member

Gender:

Posts: 9926

Re: Fender Skirts
« Reply #2 on: Feb 6^th, 2005, 3:47pm »

Quote

Modify

I still say emergency brake.. Wink

And supper.

IP Logged

http://www.tengaged.com/user/supergoten
^please click this link as often as you want, give me free money on tengaged Cheesy

Rachel
ForumsNet Member

"Be that which you expect others to be."

Gender:

Posts: 2154

Re: Fender Skirts
« Reply #3 on: Feb 6^th, 2005, 7:32pm »

Quote

Modify

It's e-brake for me! And always has been and will be a percolator!

IP Logged

"To give anything less than your best is to sacrafice the gift." -Steve Prefontaine

bec
ForumsNet Member

I'm a pathetically happy person!

Gender:

Posts: 820

Re: Fender Skirts
« Reply #4 on: Feb 7^th, 2005, 8:12am »

Quote

Modify

I still say let's go to the "pictures" instead of the "movies" and I use my coffee percolator every day....we have a coffee plunger and an espresso machine however i percolate my coffee instead!

My grandma up until her death 3 years ago still called the fridge the "icebox" and the washing machine was known as "the wringer". I don't know about the USA but here in the 50s a radio was called a "wireless" the TV was known as "the box" and of course pantyhose were "nylons"

It's funny though isn't it how even though both here and America we speak english we have different words to describe the same thing for example The trunk of a car....here it's called
the boot"

and what you call the hood of your car we call "the bonnet"

Language is a funny thing yet we all still somehow know what we're all talking about!

IP Logged

bunnielou
ForumsNet Member

I'm older now but still running against the wind.

Gender:

Posts: 2555

Re: Fender Skirts
« Reply #5 on: Feb 7^th, 2005, 8:51am »

Quote

Modify

I've got one to add, speaking of cars. Remember the cozy wing?

And how about going down to the local drug store and sitting at the counter, sipping on a chocolate phosphate! Ahh...good times!

IP Logged

That God, which ever lives and loves,
One God, one law, one element,
And one far-off divine event,
To which the whole creation moves.

Tennyson

luci
ForumsNet Member

Gender:

Posts: 12045

Re: Fender Skirts
« Reply #6 on: Feb 7^th, 2005, 10:23am »

Quote

Modify

Is the cozy wing the same as what my folks called a rumble seat?

In the 50's we said picture show, now we say film or movie.

..........and the term "rat fink" being a 60's thing, NAW, total 50's saying!

Icebox has stayed around since it was first invented I guess. I remember the ice man coming to the house with a big ice chunk on his back and plaing it in my Mom's icebox.
Then we she bought an electric refrigerator, she sent it back for the motor was too loud. Wink

At that time it was the only motor running in the house, so it probably was loud to her Cheesy

I've never said percolater, for I never made coffee until Mr Coffee[the can't miss coffee maker Wink

] came out. So all of them are Mr. Coffee's though we have an Oster or Black & Decker Roll Eyes

Go figure!

.................and now we're ready to yank out the carpet and put down wood floors!
We wanted carpet for we grew up on wood floors!

Store bought was a luxury for most Mothers made all the clothes, even pants sometimes for the males of the house. My Mom didn't. but I did go to the grocery with my Dad and pick out the big flour sack I liked for her to make a dress for me. She then went to the 5&10 cent store and bought a matching pr of sox [.25] & a yd of ribbon [.05], for my hair. Good ole days, maybe but I sure like the now days Cool

The word Supper will be around for along long time Wink

IP Logged

"A friend is someone who knows the song in your heart and
can sing it back to you when you have forgotten the words."

bunnielou
ForumsNet Member

I'm older now but still running against the wind.

Gender:

Posts: 2555

Re: Fender Skirts
« Reply #7 on: Feb 7^th, 2005, 10:56am »

Quote

Modify

I think some people called the cozy wing the vent...you remember...that little window you could push to open and flick the ashes of your cigarette out??

Remember darning socks? And I'm with you, Luci, regarding making your own clothes. I made all my own clothes when I was young on an old pedal White sewing machine. Having something "store-bought" was usually reserved as a Christmas present.

IP Logged

That God, which ever lives and loves,
One God, one law, one element,
And one far-off divine event,
To which the whole creation moves.

Tennyson

Pocket
ForumsNet Member

Posts: 1437

Re: Fender Skirts
« Reply #8 on: Feb 7^th, 2005, 2:57pm »

Quote

Modify

I remember almost all these things, but had never heard wing vents called cozy wings. I can't remember the last car we had that had wing vents. Most cars have ac now, and we rarely open our windows.....except for drive up window service and dropping mail in boxes.

Speaking of ice boxes.....very rarely, I'll slip and call the frig that. On hot summer days, the iceman was a very welcome sight. We kids would run out to greet him, and he'd chip off pieces we could lick. Mom wouldn't let us chip ice off the block (hence the expression) in the icebox, because it melted too soon as it was.

IP Logged

rcs_mum
ForumsNet Member

Proud Mom!

Gender:

Posts: 1744

Re: Fender Skirts
« Reply #9 on: Feb 7^th, 2005, 3:11pm »

Quote

Modify

And what about the pedal ( actually like a soft pleated soda can, sticking out of the floor next to the clutch )on the floor that was pumped when you were starting the car. I saw it on my aunt's 40's something Chevy.

IP Logged

Heather
ForumsNet Moderator
Moderator
ForumsNet Member

Gender:

Posts: 9926

Re: Fender Skirts
« Reply #10 on: Feb 7^th, 2005, 3:38pm »

Quote

Modify

I must say, I'm completely lost.

IP Logged

http://www.tengaged.com/user/supergoten
^please click this link as often as you want, give me free money on tengaged Cheesy

Pocket
ForumsNet Member

Posts: 1437

Re: Fender Skirts
« Reply #11 on: Feb 8^th, 2005, 10:09am »

Quote

Modify

Visit a classic car rally, Heather, then you'll know what fender skirts, and continental kits are.

IP Logged

luci
ForumsNet Member

Gender:

Posts: 12045

Re: Fender Skirts
« Reply #12 on: Feb 8^th, 2005, 10:19am »

Quote

Modify

Of all of those items mentioned above, I love Continental Kits, still do!
They'll be back, and we do see them sometimes on a speciality car.

Remember the wide white wall tires? A person driving a car with whitewall tires was one "kool dude"! Dude is a word from the 50's just like Rat Fink is!
...........and a convertible, well, he was OUT OF SIGHT! Wink

IP Logged

"A friend is someone who knows the song in your heart and
can sing it back to you when you have forgotten the words."

Heather
ForumsNet Moderator
Moderator
ForumsNet Member

Gender:

Posts: 9926

Re: Fender Skirts
« Reply #13 on: Feb 8^th, 2005, 4:09pm »

Quote

Modify

Quote:

Visit a classic car rally, Heather, then you'll know what fender skirts, and continental kits are.

Hmm... well i have been to a few car shows but that's it. Wink

IP Logged

http://www.tengaged.com/user/supergoten
^please click this link as often as you want, give me free money on tengaged Cheesy

Insane 4 Survivor
Moderator
ForumsNet Member

My New Home

Gender:

Posts: 4438

Re: Fender Skirts
« Reply #14 on: Feb 8^th, 2005, 8:25pm »

Quote

Modify

on Feb 7^th, 2005, 3:11pm, rcs_mum wrote:

The "choke" mum?

IP Logged

"I feel sorry for people who don't drink. When they wake up in the morning, that's as good as they're going to feel all day."
Frank Sinatra

Pages: all 1 2

Add Poll

Notify of replies

Send Topic


Previous topic \| New Topic \| Next topic »