Lost Words from our childhood

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 a Jalopy; 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 are Hunky Dory after 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 of moxie . We'd put on our best bib and tucker , to straighten up and fly right.

Heavens to Betsy! Gee whillikers! Jumping Jehoshaphat! Holy Moley!

We were in like Flynn and living the life of Riley ; and even a regular guy couldn't accuse us of being a knucklehead, a nincompoop or a pill. Not for all the tea in China!

Back in the olden days, life used to be swell, 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!”

Poof, go the words of our youth, the words we've left behind. We blink, and they're gone. Lickitysplit. Where have all those great phrases gone?

Long gone: Pshaw, The milkman did it. Hey! It's your nickel.

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 than Carter has liver pills. This can be disturbing stuff! (Carter's Little Liver Pills are gone too!)

We of a certain age have been blessed to live in changeable times. For a child each new word is like a shiny toy, a toy that has no age. We at the other end of the chronological arc have the advantage of remembering there are words that once did not exist and there were words that once strutted their hour upon the earthly stage and now are heard no more, except in our collective memory.
It's one of the greatest advantages of aging!

Leaves us to wonder where Superman will find a phone booth… See ya later, alligator! Okidoki. After while crocodile

You'll notice they left out "Monkey Business"!!!

WE ARE THE CHILDREN OF THE FABULOUS 50'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!”

.... OK if crawling under school desks for nuclear attack drills, the Cold War is peaceful and comfortable.....but the cars and the music were KEEN!

Neat and a half post, X. I recognized every one of those phrases.

Indeed. But 'Suffering Cats','I knew a guy that was so low he could sit on a cigarette paper + swing his legs.'

I guess "You're gonna shoot your eye out" has been taken over by the "Christmas Story" movie but by God we heard it a lot back then.Funny,we all got a BB in the pants but nobody lost an eye.

Thanks

Fedora's have gone out of style twice now.
that's how old they are.
clark kent glasses are making a come back so there's hope.

When I have to go to weddings or funerals (more of the latter lately) I still have my Brooks Bros. Saville Row dbl. breasted pin stripe suit + snap brim fedora.I wear my black shirt w/ white tie (makes me look like George Raft.)Shows my age too I suspect.