Twenty-three skiddoo!
October 13, 2006When Maggie first told me about her book, No One Cares What You Had for Lunch: 100 Ideas for Your Blog, I thought, that’s going to be a great resource--for someone else. For the lame-o who can’t come up with a single topic to post about. Not to put those losers down! But such a book—wonderful as it would undoubtedly be—would nonetheless not be of use to myself, the greatest creative mind of the 21st century.
As in most things, I have been proven wrong. It’s a goldmine of inspiration even for the veteran blogger who thinks she knows her way around these parts. In fact it may be even more useful for such a person, who might be feeling a tad blocked these days, who may be thinking, “I’ve been writing this damn thing for two and a half years and I’ve covered every topic under the sun. I DESERVE TO TELL THEM ABOUT MY LUNCH.”
(Leftover shepherd’s pie and a Fun-Sized Twix bar. See? Haven’t you gained something from knowing that?)
The topic I’ve chosen from Maggie’s book is #14, “Watch Your Language,” in which I am to list some archaic words or phrases I wish would come back into popular use. I have many of these, as I find living in the present highly distasteful. Here are a few:
Vo- dee-oh-do. Sometimes “Vo-dee-oh-do-do.” Either way, it’s a winner. This was used to great effect in the Little Rascals to describe some colorful and suspicious individuals. “They were a couple of vo-dee-oh-dos.” According to Google it was also used in "Laverne and Shirley" as a euphemism for sex, but no one wants to imagine either Laverne or Shirley in that way, so let’s go with the former useage.
Jackanapes and cock of the walk. Preferably used together. “He thinks he’s a real cock of the walk, but I say he’s nothing but a jackanapes.”
Conniptions. No one talks about anyone having conniptions anymore. That’s a shame. I myself make it a habit of having a conniption at least once a day, just to give someone the opportunity to use this glorious word.
…see? I believe everyone should end every statement with “see?” It’ll make you sound like a character in Double Indemnity. At the very least, you’ll sound like my Grandpa. Either way I will love you.
What olde-timey words or phrases would you like to come back? Place your requests here!
Reader Comments (178)
Also, I like "drat".
I also wish the pennyfarthing bicycle would return to fashion.
Also, she always said "oh, it's six-one-half-dozen or the other"
As far as conniptions - daily!
It means drunk or the same as canned, corked, tanked, primed, scrooched, jazzed, zozzled, plastered, owled, embalmed, lit, potted, ossified or fried to the hat.
I found it on a website that listed the slang of the 20's. It rocks.
http://local.aaca.org/bntc/slang/slang.htm
As in: "Oh my, look at the dinners on that one".
There are distinct memories of my modest mouse grandmother "whispering" this phrase when she saw a woman with abundant bosoms or especially with abundant clevage. Especially in the case of younger women who were flaunting their wears.
Always said in hushed voice of shock and maybe with a twinge of admiration. So classic.
See also: "My dinners are falling out of this top!"
supper-- always eaten at the kitchen table, dinner was served at the dining room table
peas and carrots!! (as a term of exasperation)
horse hockey!! (instead of bullsh*t)
monkey-around (as in, "stop all that monkeying-around in there!)
Behoove - (must be said imperiously) as in, "It would behoove you to finish your dinner." (My mom used to say this when we were so little that my sister thought it was "it would be hoo of you.")
People always look at me funny when I say "whipstitch" (to mean 'often') like, "She's always coming back in here every whipstitch."
One of my favorites is "machine" instead of "car," as in, "Look at that machine!"
My grandma used to say, "Oh, Lordy Day," which I always thought was really sweet.
Somewhat related: after acting in a very olde-timey production a few years back, I picked up the habit of saying "oh MY!" is a seductive manner. The boyfriend appreciates this.