DJ Mills Loc: Idaho

FENDER SKIRTS AND SUPPER

I know some of you will not understand this message,
but I bet you know someone who might. I came across this phrase yesterday.
'FENDER SKIRTS'

A term I haven't heard in a long time, and 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.' (AKA)
'suicide knob,' 'neckers knobs.'

Since I'd been thinking of cars,
my mind naturally went that direction first.

Any kids will probably have to find some older 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.'
Many today do not even know what a clutch is
or that the dimmer switch used to be on the floor.
For that matter, the starter was down there too.

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 was 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.'

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 'Coffee maker.'
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 'Dyna Flow' and 'Electrolux' and 'Frigidaire'.
Introducing the 1963 Admiral TV, now with 'Spectra Vision!'

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 kids
with Castor Oil anymore.

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

JimKing Loc: Salisbury, Maryland USA

Out of the list "foot-feed", I think I may have heard, the rest were daily heard words. Supper, in my mind, I defined as the evening meal on a farm where "dinner" was the main meal served at noon because of the hard-working farmers and hired-hands. In the city, where I lived, dinner was still the main meal but was served in the evening and lunch was the noon repast. Thanks for the memories, which may make you Bob Hope.

RonH Loc: Shoreview MN

I suppose we could start posting images of all of the items mentioned and really educate all of the youngsters on the form who don't know what we are talking about. Personally I always liked explaining to a young lady riding in my '49 Merc (lowered YES) that the sound she was hearing while I was steering my car with the guffers knob (suicide knob) to "park" was the sound of the curb feelers scraping the curb.
Now does anyone remember how curb feelers were installed? How about which 50's cars had Continental kits as factory installed options?

mr spock Loc: Fairfield CT

You bring back many memories.
Here are examples of Fender Skirts and Continental Kits

DaveO Loc: Northeast CT

Below my avatar: Yesterday,When I Was Young...(Roy Clark)

As a product of the 60's, I often think about these pleasant things and unfortunately the not so pleasant issues, but the good ones win.

repleo Loc: Boston

I remember when a Japanese car was a toy you wound up by rubbing it on the floor. When you opened up the little bent tabs you would find it was made or recycled beer cans.

bellgamin Loc: Ewa Beach, Hawaii

My maiden Aunt Sophie said, "Dinner happens between 5pm to 7pm. Meals after 7 pm are called Supper." She also taught me stuff like "horses sweat, people perspire" &taught me to walk pigeon-toed because only hicks walk slew-foot. My cousin Ferd told me he was conceived in a Ford's rumble seat. My Uncle Buck (retired Navy) taught me to never pee to windward (great advice). My great-grandfather Joey was an old Indian fighter. My great-grandmother Dodie was an old Indian.

If the tab is over $50 per person, then you "Dine out". If it's cheaper than that, you "Eat out." Cousin Droz
said, "Never accept a drink from a urologist. " Never ask for katsup in a Texas Steak House or you'll end up in the hoosegow.

Commodore 64 forever!!!

Swamp-Cork Loc: Lanexa, Virginia

Excellent set and one more term to add along with the fender skirts--flippers and think that the Oldsmobile ones were the most coveted!

Lens Cap Loc: The Cold North Coast

I still use the word supper!

sodapop Loc: Bel Air, MD

Also remember "port a walls" and Y pipes and high beam buttons on the floor

John N Loc: HP14 3QF Stokenchurch, UK

REF. Emergency brake (handbrake in U.K.). Checked out a new car the other day and the salesman was pointing out he'd sold a load of these to driving instructors as our driving test now requires new drivers to have competent use of the electronics, sat nav and so on. So all the kids pass their test with electric handbrake and hill assist - then go out and buy a cheap motor with a REAL handbrake and no idea about the biting point of a clutch. Accidents a coming!
Thumb push windscreen washer pump - did you have those?

machia Loc: NJ

I still say supper . I remember at the Naval Academy afternoon-mess was dinner and evening-mess was supper .
As for hardwood floors , who ever called it that then ! It was a FLOOR, and you put in wall-to-wall as you mentioned !
Great list you compiled ...😃

GlenBose Loc: NE Florida, formerly Limerick, PA

How about 'Spinners'? They were a hub cap (remember them?) extension with 3 or 4 blades that flashed at lower speeds but were not noticeable at high speed. I really miss the dimmer on the floor!
Larry (older than dirt)

Rich2236 Loc: E. Hampstead, New Hampshire

At my house, dinner was not even in the dictionary. It was, "C'mon in, supper's ready..." EVERYTHING listed was in our regular everyday vocabulary. Yes, I am of that generation, I was a "post depression baby." Think about that phrase.... LOL.
I was born in 1936.
Rich...

fuminous Loc: Luling, LA... for now...

Didn't have a "thumb push" windshield (US!) washer but my '62 Plymouth had a foot pump washer- a pedal, between the foot brake and dimmer switch. I still think that's a great idea... and liked having the dimmer switch down there, too.