OLD FASHIONED WORDS

ANNE GREENE here:

Do you sometimes use words or expressions that your children or your grandchildren don’t understand?

Such as, when the baby has a sagging diaper, you say, “Look who has droopy drawers.”

Drawers is a forgotten word. Years ago Queen Caroline decided that the thin skirts worn under hoop skirts were drafty. So she designed underpants. Because she drew them on, she named the underpants drawers.

During the Civil War Amelia Bloomer spoke at a women’s meeting. She dared to wear pants. Not only did she wear pants, she wore big, blousy pants. The ladies loved them. Someone named the pants after the gutsy woman who first wore them—bloomers. Back in that day bloomers came with tight elastic around the legs. If the elastic was loose, so were you. You were known as a loose woman.

And who calls a student a pupil? Do you ever call your minister or preacher a parson? Our children have no clue what a filling station is. Perhaps you don’t either. Have you or they ever heard of or used an ice house or an ice box or an ice pick?

Did you ever dry a dish on a cup towel? Or use rabbit ears? Those words are seldom used today.

 If you read a historical novel do you understand the meaning of what used to be popular words, but are now so dated a reader may not understand them? Words like bed chamber, affright, peradventure, fain.

Have you caught your grandmother using beau for boyfriend? Or lettered for educated? Or bunkum for nonsense? Have you said Walkman rather than Smart Phone? Or telephone for cell?

Nobody uses marvelous, fetch, horsefeathers, and pussy cat anymore.

What old-fashioned words or phrases do you hear or use? Leave a comment and we can discuss and laugh about how our language constantly changes. I'm sure you can think of many. Let’s talk. 

ANNE GREENE delights in writing about wounded heroes and gutsy heroines. Her second novel, a Scottish historical, Masquerade Marriage, won three prestigious book awards. The sequel Marriage By Arrangement, finalled in a number of contests. A Texas Christmas Mystery also won several awards. Look for Anne’s new World War II historical romance, Angel With Steel Wings, early in 2015. The first book in Anne’s lady detective series, Holly Garden, PI, Red is for Rookie, débuts later in 2015. Anne’s highest hope is that her stories transport the reader to awesome new worlds and touch hearts to seek a deeper spiritual relationship with the Lord Jesus. Anne makes her home in McKinney, Texas. She loves to talk with her readers. Buy Anne’s books at http://www.Amazon.com. Talk with Anne on twitter at @TheAnneGreene. View Anne’s books, travel pictures and art work at http://www.AnneGreeneAuthor.com.

Learn more about Anne as well as gain tips on writing award-winning novels at http://www.anneswritingupdates.blogspot.com. Visit Anne here every 14th day of every month. She loves to hear from you.