Mergatroyd!Do you remember that word? Would you believe the spell-checker did not recognize the word Mergatroyd? Heavens to Mergatroyd!
The other day a not so elderly (I say 75) lady said something to her son about driving aJalopy;and he looked at her quizzically and said, "What the heck is a Jalopy?" He had never heard of the word jalopy! She knew she was old ... But not that old.
Well, I hope you areHunky Doryafter you read this and chuckle.
About a month ago, I illuminated some old expressions that have become obsolete because of the inexorable march of technology. These phrases included: Don't touch that dial, Carbon copy, You sound like a broken record, and Hung out to dry.
Back in the olden days we had a lot ofmoxie. We'd put onour best bib and tucker,tostraighten up and fly right.
Heavens to Betsy!Gee whillikers!Jumping Jehoshaphat!Holy Moley!
We werein like Flynnandliving the life of Riley; and even a regular guy couldn't accuse us of being aknucklehead, a nincompoop or a pill.Not for all the tea in China!
Back in the olden days, life used to beswell,but when's the last time anything was swell? Swell has gone the way of beehives, pageboys and the D.A.; of spats, knickers, fedoras, poodle skirts, saddle shoes, and pedal pushers.
Oh, my aching back!Kilroy was here,but he isn't anymore.
We wake up from what surely has been just a short nap, and before we can say,"Well, I'll be a monkey's uncle!" Or,"This is a fine kettle of fish!" We discover that the words we grew up with, the words that seemed omnipresent, as oxygen, have vanished with scarcely a notice from our tongues and our pens and our keyboards.
Poof,go the words of our youth, the words we've left behind. We blink, and they're gone. Where have all those great phrases gone?
Long gone:Pshaw,The milkman did it. Hey! It's your nickel. Don't forget to pull the chain.Knee high to a grasshopper.Well, Fiddlesticks!Going like sixty.I'll see you in the funny papers.Don't take any wooden nickels.Wake up and smell the roses.
It turns out there are more of these lost words and expressions thanCarter has liver pills. This can be disturbing stuff!(Carter's Little Liver Pills are gone too!)
Leaves us to wonder where Superman will find a phone booth...
See ya later, alligator!Okidoki.
You'll notice they left out"Monkey Business"!!!
WE ARE THE CHILDREN OF THE FABULOUS 40's .. NO ONE WILL EVER HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY AGAIN .. WE WERE GIVEN ONE OF OUR MOST PRECIOUS GIFTS: LIVING IN THE PEACEFUL AND COMFORTABLE TIMES, CREATED FOR US BY THE "GREATEST GENERATION!
Magnarc said
08:35 AM Oct 15, 2019
Possum, could lack of recognition be due to the spelling? I always remember it as Murgatroyd.
Just sayin.
Possum3 said
09:03 AM Oct 15, 2019
You are 100% Correct, Although neither in my dictionary - this is the reason to question other words and phrases from the past.
'Heavens to Murgatroyd' is American in origin and dates from the mid 20th century. The expression was popularized by the cartoon character Snagglepuss - a regular on the Yogi Bear Show in the 1960s, and is a variant of the earlier 'heavens to Betsy'.
Wikepedia says Murgatroyd is an English surname. It's etymology, according to one source, is as follows: in 1371, a constable was appointed for the district of Warley in Yorkshire. He adopted the name of Johanus de Morgateroyde, or literally: Johanus of Moor Gate Royde or the district leading to the moor.
Santa said
11:51 AM Oct 15, 2019
Morning Possum, most of the below are American in origin, not used regularly in Australia, interesting nonetheless.
It's not just the words that have disappeared but those that the meanings have changed such that they are now political incorrect. Any you only know that when someone picks you up.
Fag, boy, ape, gay, durex .........
Craig1 said
09:15 PM Oct 15, 2019
Ah, Yonnies, what a great Saturday arvo, chucking yonnies at the other gang. As for 'franga', check my surname
vanTas said
09:55 PM Oct 15, 2019
The word for everything being alright was :
Okeydokey, at least in my neck of the woods.
dabbler said
11:58 PM Oct 15, 2019
I had to Google "yonnies". It must be Victorian slang. I used "gibber" or "Gooley" in Qld. But most languages are dynamic, so changes are normal. I've read somewhere that Shakespeare wouldn't understand Dickens and that we use Shakespeare's well known phrases in a very wrong way because we don't understand their original meaning.
Santa said
08:19 AM Oct 16, 2019
dabbler wrote:
I had to Google "yonnies". It must be Victorian slang. I used "gibber" or "Gooley" in Qld. But most languages are dynamic, so changes are normal. I've read somewhere that Shakespeare wouldn't understand Dickens and that we use Shakespeare's well known phrases in a very wrong way because we don't understand their original meaning.
Dabbler is right, language evolves, I've seen it happen in my lifetime, of course there are also regional differences within Australia.
Yonnies! in northern SA are gibbers and I've also heard the term goondy or gundy used, my grand father used the term bonza to indicate something was very good, he also used the term tres bon in a similar manner, I assume a term bought back from France by troops at the end of the first world war.
A suit case in SA is a port in NSW, bathers are also referred to as swimmers, togs and a cosi/cozi in different parts of Oz.
Of course how can we overlook Fair dinkum.
Interesting topic.
bgt said
11:59 AM Oct 16, 2019
There is no "black and white" answer to language. Even the use of the term "black and white" is no longer politicaly correct. So best to keep your mouth shut and stay 'cool man'.
LLD said
12:43 PM Oct 16, 2019
Fritz, Stras, Beef German are basically the same depending what state you are in. A scallop can be misleading - potato cake or seafood. And what about beer sizes! Went into a pub in Tailem Bend a few years ago and they had a big billboard of all the sizes and what they are all known by. A pint is 15oz in some states but 20oz in others.
Just back from a trip to the US. Similar region by region, state by state confusion in meanings over there. Most yanks refer to bonnet and boot as hood and trunk but most know about bonnet and boot. Not the case about 40 years ago. Petrol Station here and Gas(online) Stations in the US tend to be called Fuel Stops in both places now because of the variety of fuels available.
Rob Driver said
01:17 PM Oct 16, 2019
Then there was always that,
big gallute or maybe big galloot,
Regards
Angie
Santa said
01:39 PM Oct 16, 2019
bentaxlebabe wrote:
Then there was always that,
big gallute or maybe big galloot,
Regards
Angie
Yep! not a term we hear much nowadays, didn't know it was of Scottish origin.
Galoot
"Galoot" is an old word used, primarily in Scotland, that means a person with an ungainly, cumbersome, and clumsy personality.
"Come here you big 'ol galoot!"
Rob Driver said
02:04 PM Oct 16, 2019
Thanks for that info Santa,
I was unaware of its Scottish origin. When we were kids my uncle used to say to my brother, get out of the way you big Galloot. Your description does match my brother unfortunately.
Regards
Angie
landy said
10:18 PM Oct 16, 2019
Thanks all this has been just Dandy.
sandsmere said
08:54 AM Oct 17, 2019
Wow ! All those sayings are "something else".
Rob Driver said
09:04 AM Oct 17, 2019
It would be cellubrious (sp) if some of these words came back into use.
Possum, could lack of recognition be due to the spelling? I always remember it as Murgatroyd.
Just sayin.
'Heavens to Murgatroyd' is American in origin and dates from the mid 20th century. The expression was popularized by the cartoon character Snagglepuss - a regular on the Yogi Bear Show in the 1960s, and is a variant of the earlier 'heavens to Betsy'.
Wikepedia says Murgatroyd is an English surname. It's etymology, according to one source, is as follows: in 1371, a constable was appointed for the district of Warley in Yorkshire. He adopted the name of Johanus de Morgateroyde, or literally: Johanus of Moor Gate Royde or the district leading to the moor.
Morning Possum, most of the below are American in origin, not used regularly in Australia, interesting nonetheless.
Here's a link to the original American article.
https://rebaneruminations.typepad.com/rebanes_ruminations/2018/11/lost-words-from-our-childhood.html
It's not just the words that have disappeared but those that the meanings have changed such that they are now political incorrect. Any you only know that when someone picks you up.
Fag, boy, ape, gay, durex .........
The word for everything being alright was :
Okeydokey, at least in my neck of the woods.
Dabbler is right, language evolves, I've seen it happen in my lifetime, of course there are also regional differences within Australia.
Yonnies! in northern SA are gibbers and I've also heard the term goondy or gundy used, my grand father used the term bonza to indicate something was very good, he also used the term tres bon in a similar manner, I assume a term bought back from France by troops at the end of the first world war.
A suit case in SA is a port in NSW, bathers are also referred to as swimmers, togs and a cosi/cozi in different parts of Oz.
Of course how can we overlook Fair dinkum.
Interesting topic.
Just back from a trip to the US. Similar region by region, state by state confusion in meanings over there. Most yanks refer to bonnet and boot as hood and trunk but most know about bonnet and boot. Not the case about 40 years ago. Petrol Station here and Gas(online) Stations in the US tend to be called Fuel Stops in both places now because of the variety of fuels available.
Then there was always that,
big gallute or maybe big galloot,
Regards
Angie
Yep! not a term we hear much nowadays, didn't know it was of Scottish origin.
with an ungainly, cumbersome, and clumsy personality.
Thanks for that info Santa,
I was unaware of its Scottish origin.
When we were kids my uncle used to say to my brother, get out of the way you big Galloot.
Your description does match my brother unfortunately.
Regards
Angie
Wow ! All those sayings are "something else".
It would be cellubrious (sp) if some of these words came back into use.
Regards
Angie