Lost language.

[JB]

My paternal grandmother was born in Brooklyn, NY in 1879. Her heritage was English/French.<br /><br />I was amused by much of her language, some of which I haven't heard since she passed away.<br /><br />Recognize any of these?<br /><br />Wheel. It meant bicycle.<br /><br />Bumbershoot. Umbrella<br /><br />Duster. A long, linen coat worn when "outing" in an open "motorcar". She wore it when driving her Buick 4 door convertible.<br /><br />Velocipede. Tricycle<br /><br />When she was distressed or frustrated she said "Oh, pshaw!!" (pronounced "shaw")<br /><br />When surprised, she said "Oh, my stars!"<br /><br />Others occur to me sometimes, but not right now.<br /><br />Are you storing away some lost language from ancestors, too?

 

[mellowyellow]

Re: Lost language.

gee so many of these words... my fav. is when<br />my granpa would call a poor job a "Rube Golberg".<br />until recently didn't even know it was a real guy<br />or what it meant. grama from Pittsburgh says<br />"yu'ins" a lot.

 

[ehenry]

Re: Lost language.

My Grandaddy had several things he used to say. Here are a couple:<br /><br />"Boy, a raggedy ride is better than a dressed up walk."<br /><br />"You need to say that again, Boy. Your tougne must've got hung over your eye-tooth and you couldn't see what you were saying."<br /><br />And the way he said "boy".....you knew you were the boy in the crowd!! I've yet to hear anyone else say it like he did.<br /><br />JB, he used tan my fanny for leaving my wheel laying in his way.

 

[crab bait]

Re: Lost language.

i heard of 'duster' an they still use 'phshaw'here in sussex county..<br /><br />my grandmom from cambridge maryland had a slew-of-'em..<br /><br />'carry me to do my buying' ( take me to the store) <br />'allmong yous'<br />'worsh your hands'<br />'that salesman was slicker than a hounds tooth an just as sharp'<br />'tote' (never carry)

 

[cotterman]

Re: Lost language.

my mother-in-law used to say when somebody was cheap they were "tighter than bark on a tree"<br /><br />she was raised on a farm and had a saying for everything, wish i could remember them all.

 

[FLATHEAD]

Re: Lost language.

I used to work for an old mennonite carpenter that used to say " Tighter than a bulls a$$ runnin down hill" Of course he was refering to the roof we just put on.

 

[Jack Shellac]

Re: Lost language.

In South Alabama, it was:<br /><br />"I'm fixing to" {getting ready to do something}.<br />"Tump it" {Turn and dump as with a wheelbarrow].<br />"Poor as Job's turkey" [this is Job in the Bible, who I'm pretty sure didn't even have a turkey}.<br />"Pretty is as pretty does" {My sisters heard this a lot when they were acting up}.

 

[OBJ]

Re: Lost language.

How many times lately have ya' heard "stop it or I'm gonna' bear yer as*!". Parents to children. Heard it a lot when I was a kid. Seems to be a foreign language now days.

 

[DJ]

Re: Lost language.

I've definetely heard, "oh my stars" and "duster".

 

[Hooty]

Re: Lost language.

....tear yore as* up like a sow's bed<br />....dumber then ah door nail<br />....hard 'an woodpecker lips<br />....scarce as hen's teeth<br />....rough road was "ah axle-buster"<br />....drunker than Cooter Brown<br />....yore as* is gonna belong to Joe Hayes (Joe Hayes was the guy that took dead horses and cows to the rendering plant)<br />....take ah notion<br />....mosey<br />....coggitate (sp)<br />....runnin' boards<br />....casons (tires)<br />....thumb-buster (large revolver)<br /><br />c/6<br /><br />Hooty

 

[gonfishn]

Re: Lost language.

Growing up I always had an answer to every thing(still do). My dad always told me"don't let your alligators a.. overload your canary mouth".