Underused but delightful, descriptive words

Pantry. We had one before refrigerators were designed for use in the home. The pantry was a walk in shelved cupboard, built into the coldest part of the house, walls and shelves lined with ceramic tiles. All the foods that needed a cold place were stored in the pantry.

I love the word ‘equidistant’ and it’s useful. I do actually use it.
😁

Eiderdown
Bolster reminded me of this Beds were so much more complicated

I’ve been using my Gamp a lot in the wet weather.
It certainly keeps the Oxsters dry.

Discombobulated

I'm convinced this becomes more meaningful as I get older and it happens more often.

wow, some womderful responses thanks you, windborn describes seeds floating, like dandelion heads we used to say were fairy messages, also wind whipped words, on Watlington Hill hearing people way below talking, their words windborn

I nearly wrote bolster - my daughter has one, feather from Dunelm a few uears ago as she has a metal bedframe, it fills
in the gap between mattress and frame, covers are French linen.
My Gran had bolsters, like tree trunks, but then she had a horsehair mattress, couldn’t smoke in bed with one of those beneath.

I have a couple of petticoats…..

‘Receipt’ used instead of ‘’recipe’.

“Is it real caraway seed cake?”

“Oh yes, Cook has the receipt”.

(Miss Marple, At Bertram’s Hotel).

I think you are correct, MissA.

I like 'salubrious', too,

My grown up children still think it hilarious that when I am upset or annoyed about something I will utter loudly ‘ oh fossilised fish-hooks’. Does anyone else know this expression or where it came from, I am sureI did not make it up!

MissAdventure

Wasn't macasser a hair oil, a bit like brylcreme, years ago?
Not sure if I've made that up in my own head now, but it was to protect the backs of chairs from getting marked by it that antimacassers were used.

If I've made that up, I'm quite impressed with myself.

I think you may be correct, Miss A!!

I have just used cornucopia in a text message.

Wasn't macasser a hair oil, a bit like brylcreme, years ago?
Not sure if I've made that up in my own head now, but it was to protect the backs of chairs from getting marked by it that antimacassers were used.

If I've made that up, I'm quite impressed with myself.

Curmudgeonly

i also like, in the forenoon.

five-and-twenty.
i was brought hearing this re time, and still often use it myself.
but i find so many people i deal with now were born in africa, asia or eastern europe, they tend to give time as if reading a digital clock.
when i say, it's nearly ten to six, they will say no, it's now five forty nine.
some don't understand quarter to/past.
i discovered this when i had to take one somewhere and had said, be here by quarter to, for the appointment.
she rolled up unconcerned after the hour.
i was quite stressed, having to get us there.
it was only a few days later that i realised s he thought quarter to meant the same as quarter past . . . !

Antimaccassers are covers for the back of a chair and settee and for the arms of the chair and settee, to protect them from grease and dirt.
Can’t say I’ve heard of windborn but imagine it’s something carried in the wind (but probably completely wrong 😂).
I used the word counterpane just the other day, funnily enough.

CalendarGirl
A bolster to us was the long pillow we had under our 2 separate pillows on double beds.
My sister & I shared a bed as did my parents and we both had bolster pillows then our own pillows on top.
Weirdly, I just have the one pillow these days. But my children also had bolster pillows when they had double beds at home.

Another favourite of mine is serendipity.

Ooh spills
I used to make my grandad a new spill container for his birthday every year. It was an old tin, covered in 'sticky backed plastic' courtesy of Blue Peter. I bought the multi coloured spills from the tobacconist along with some pipe tobacco. I assume my mum actually bought these items.
Oilcloth is another missing word, along with parlour

eddiecat78

I'm frequently vexed

I am too and often use that word, because it sums up exactly how I feel!

SORES,
I know most of those except for 'windborn' and 'antimacassers'. I have heard of the latter, but I don't know the meaning of either.

Salubrious

Bolster (large pillow).

I'm frequently vexed