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Words we don't use any more

(394 Posts)
Magenta8 Sun 10-May-26 16:52:51

I was thinking about words that my parents used that are not in common usage anymore.

The ones that spring to mind are; slacks (trousers), wind cheater (anorak), wireless (radio) and drawers (knickers).

I am sure there are many more and probably some interesting regional words that have fallen into disuse.

MissAdventure Mon 11-May-26 13:38:28

Plonker. smile

Kate1949 Mon 11-May-26 13:33:35

Nit - as in you daft nit

Chocolatelovinggran Mon 11-May-26 13:15:06

Witzend ( yesterday), I am a regular user of the word " balderdash". I am often heard muttering it to someone on the television or radio- always well deserved , of course.
And I have been known to refer to someone as a " Floozie" , not directed at their sexual behaviour, but meaning one busy gallivanting rather than fulfilling her domestic duties. This word may be directed at my daughters, who wear the title with pride.

watermeadow Mon 11-May-26 13:01:27

Up in’t north a ginnel were a snicket.
My mother used to call synthetic cream Zinc ointment, which was used for nappy rash. Babies also used to posset and had three month colic.
Horses got strangles, puppies caught hard pad, old men died of apoplexy. Migraine was a sick headache.
Teeth were gnashers, a nose was a conk. If brainy you were a big head or a smart-arse.
At school Domestic Science was cookery and Swedish Drill was exercises. The 11 plus was the Scholarship exam. Prefects were Monitors.
This could go on forever.

Magenta8 Mon 11-May-26 13:01:08

in Sussex

Magenta8 Mon 11-May-26 12:48:46

Talking of ginnels, alleys etc, the local word here is Sussex is twitten but I think younger people tend to use the word alley.

Cardamom Mon 11-May-26 12:48:34

Those pop up alphabetical name, address and phone number books that you kept on the telephone table in the hall. And does anyone still have a designated table in the hall for their phone?

eddiecat78 Mon 11-May-26 12:32:04

I still say I'm going to "tape" a TV programme despite not having a video recorder for years

Casdon Mon 11-May-26 12:25:44

Oreo

M0nica

Ginnel is a word still being used in the areas that have them, 'ginnel' and 'twitchen', and other words for those little short lanes that run through most villages and most towns, though then often called 'alleys'

'smashed to smithereens' is also in my vocalulary and I have heard others use it.

I suspecct there are words I consider extinct that others use regulalry

It was mentioned on another thread recently so I googled it and there are so many words for an alley, in Yorkshire it’s apparently called a snicket and in Lancashire a ginnel.

It’s a gwly in Wales. In the midlands it’s a jitty.

Oreo Mon 11-May-26 12:19:56

Tripe ( to eat)

srn63 Mon 11-May-26 12:17:12

Fleeking - as in " you don't want to be fleeking out with a nasty cold like that"

Oreo Mon 11-May-26 12:14:48

M0nica

Ginnel is a word still being used in the areas that have them, 'ginnel' and 'twitchen', and other words for those little short lanes that run through most villages and most towns, though then often called 'alleys'

'smashed to smithereens' is also in my vocalulary and I have heard others use it.

I suspecct there are words I consider extinct that others use regulalry

It was mentioned on another thread recently so I googled it and there are so many words for an alley, in Yorkshire it’s apparently called a snicket and in Lancashire a ginnel.

MissAdventure Mon 11-May-26 12:13:31

One eye and a whelk.
That may have been just my nan's own saying, though.
She was a master at them.

Oreo Mon 11-May-26 12:12:50

Moth62

My dad used to talk about eating pobs as a small boy! I’ve never heard anyone else use the term, I thought it was just a family thing.

Yes, pobs, either hot milk with bits of buttered bread in it or soup with dry bits of bread in it.

Oreo Mon 11-May-26 12:11:26

Cossy

Oreo

Batchelor and confirmed Batchelor ( sp?)
Antimacassar
Doily
In the buff
Up the duff

I still use “up the duff” haha but not in serious conversation and I hear “in the buff” used, meaning “naked”?

Yes naked 😄
Birthday suit-naked
Legs like pipe cleaners (thin)
Couldn’t stop a pig in a passage- bow legged
Ironmonger
Costermonger
Haberdashery

Oreo Mon 11-May-26 12:00:55

Casdon

Fizzog - haven’t heard that since I was a child.

One of my late Dad’s fave sayings 😁

MissAdventure Mon 11-May-26 11:58:07

Oh yes! Thats a great one from my childhood.

Casdon Mon 11-May-26 11:55:15

Fizzog - haven’t heard that since I was a child.

MissAdventure Mon 11-May-26 11:48:46

Some Scottish ones there, yogitree?

yogitree Mon 11-May-26 11:43:48

'Wet look' shoes - patent
Bahookey - bottom
Gallon of petrol
The Pit (instead of the ramps in garages nowadays)
Slatterly habits - behaving 'commonly' which is of itself outdated now
Divot - derogatory but slightly more polite than 'sod'
Lobby - largish hall or side room
Candelwick bedspread
Dilly-dally - dawdle
Sanitary Belt - how awful that was
"It's spitting outside"
The party line - a shared telephone line
Common as muck - a not very nice description of a person
Tearaway - usually a younger person up to no good
Gym knickers
Underskirts
Breeks - trousers
Easter Bonnets
Rainmate - foldable rain hat that tied under your chin
Galoshes!
Side car
Chump - silly person
Nippy Sweetie - a person quick to respond negatively
The Nick - local jail
Askit powders
Cremola Foam
"Cut at number 3 please" a visit to the butcher for cold meat with granny
Cream Cookies - cakes with synthetic cream and dusted sugar
Lucky Bags
Penny Caramels
Half-penny lollies
Distempering the walls haha
Baxi Fire

I'm enjoying this way too much!

NotSpaghetti Mon 11-May-26 11:37:43

Grannmarie
It's a type of sideboard with (in our case) a cupboard at the bottom, used to store plates. Then they generally seem to have drawers (this is where our cutlery was kept) and then we kept glasses in the top cupboard.

I was told that "Court" came from the French because they aren't tall like a dresser but cut short. Originally from the 16th and 17th century. The ones I've seen are all quite chunky and for reasons I don't know have bulbous side decorations.

Maybe a more knowledgeable person here could tell me?

I have seen some with an open shelf at the bottom instead of one big cupboard. I think you will recognise them. There were lots of reproduction ones.
I will look for photos...

boheminan Mon 11-May-26 11:26:50

'All fur coat and no knickers' was frequently spat out by mum towards women she looked down on

SORES Mon 11-May-26 11:17:26

Moth62

A lot of those took me right back, SORES smile

In a good way I hope - now I’m nostalgic and missing my Nan

NotSpaghetti Mon 11-May-26 11:15:42

I loved the travelling salesmen's vans too ferry23 but I rarely wanted anything out of them as the shop focused on "Bride's Mother" and evening wear so that was largely what the salesmen brought.

One thing I remember clearly as being super important (that I haven't heard for years) is foundation garments.

Get your foundation garments right before you go clothes shopping!

friendlygingercat Mon 11-May-26 11:10:37

Scallywag = badly behaved person
Bolshy = rebellious
Ragamuffin = untidy person
Dunce = stupid person
Hobbledehoy = graceless or clumsy person
Teddy boy = wearing Edwardian style clothes