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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.

indispensableme Tue 12-May-26 18:12:58

Cardamom

"Put wood in'th 'ole" was regularly used in our house for shutting the door behind you.

Were you born in St Helens was said if you were obstructing the TV, the reference being to the home of Pilkingtons Glass.

Rocketstop2 Tue 12-May-26 18:50:26

MissAdventure

And a bolster.

And a 'Gerry' or 'Gazunda' or 'Poe' for ahem..'Under the bed toilet pot' !!

MissAdventure Tue 12-May-26 18:53:35

Yep! smile
How about undercarriage for (Les Dawson face) "down below".

NotSpaghetti Wed 13-May-26 00:42:33

MissAdventure

And a bolster.

My youngest daughter has a bolster. I've recently bought her two new cases for it from Dunelm.
They had several colours.

MissAdventure Wed 13-May-26 00:54:09

Oh, that's good to hear.
I used to have a bolster, i can't rememeber what happened to it.
I think it was that i couldn't get a cover at that time, and had to put ywo pillowcases on instead.

JamesandJon33 Wed 13-May-26 01:33:36

Just remembered ‘swanky ‘.

Moth62 Wed 13-May-26 08:32:44

A right Bobby dazzler

ccseas Wed 13-May-26 09:01:36

Moth62

It was always pronounced gennel in my Yorkshire pit village, but yes, the little alleyway between blocks of houses.

I'm from East Yorkshire and we called them snickets.

Witzend Wed 13-May-26 09:34:19

Wench
Mind you I never heard it myself, but apparently a grandfather used to say it.

Witzend Wed 13-May-26 09:39:43

JackyB, do you mean it grates on you when you hear ‘train station’ instead? Because that does grate on me! Usually we’d just say ‘station’ anyway, unless it was a bus station.

JamesandJon33 Wed 13-May-26 10:42:05

Exactly Witzend

MissAdventure Wed 13-May-26 11:41:44

Groovy, far out, dig it. smile

MissAdventure Wed 13-May-26 11:43:36

Bread- money.
Fuzz - police.

MissAdventure Wed 13-May-26 11:45:24

Gas - 'life's a gas' (Marc Bolan)
Cat - A man. (I think)

Scribbles Wed 13-May-26 22:15:11

Suitor and swain

Allira Wed 13-May-26 23:12:22

Scribbles

Suitor and swain

Courting.

JackyB Thu 14-May-26 08:37:24

Witzend

*JackyB*, do you mean it grates on you when you hear ‘train station’ instead? Because that does grate on me! Usually we’d just say ‘station’ anyway, unless it was a bus station.

@#£%&

Yes, sorry, on re-reading I realised I wasn't clear.

Cardamom Thu 14-May-26 08:52:44

Square. As in "my parents are soooo square!" Wonder what they are now?

Boadicea Thu 14-May-26 08:58:00

GreyKnitter

Vestibule - entrance hall and quilt for duvet.

I seem to remember they were originally referred to as "continental quilts".

Boadicea Thu 14-May-26 09:01:22

Oreo

Dolly Daydream

That's what my dad used to call me, as well as "butterfly brain".
(Turned out it was because I have ADHD)

Boadicea Thu 14-May-26 09:05:05

Thoro

My parents used to say to change from our school uniforms into mufti

I think that came from the Armed Forces, changing out of their uniforms.

Witzend Thu 14-May-26 09:22:52

sarahcyn

watermeadow

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.

Babies still posset, though annoyingly the American "spit up" is used rather more.
I've never heard of "three month colic" but all my clients seem to have heard of "colic" even though it's a vague collection of symptoms rather than an actual disease.

My dd2 had classic three months’ colic!

MissAdventure Thu 14-May-26 11:07:31

Groovy, far out.

GrannySomerset Thu 14-May-26 12:12:10

Thank you all for a wonderful, evocative thread. I can’t add anything to it but have learned a lot and have some new words to try out.

Magenta8 Thu 14-May-26 12:33:23

I have been reading all the posts and I would like to say thank you to all of you for making this thread so interesting and enjoyable so far.