When
Words Were Worth More
One of the things that changes
dramatically over time is the way language and words
are used. In my grandfather's world, terms like
"radio" and "aeroplane" were
brand new, and "nuclear" and
"antibiotic" were unheard of. But
perhaps of equal interest are those words which
survive from generation to generation, but whose
meanings change over the course of time. Here
are a few terms whose connotations have changed—some subtly, others dramatically—over
the past half century.
(Please note
that some of the following terms and definitions are
not "politically correct," since they were
from an age even before that term was invented.)
|
| |
|
| A-bomb |
n: the ultimate weapon |
| air |
n: a colorless, odorless gas
that is healthful to breathe |
| air bag |
n: a politician |
| asylum |
n: a home for militiamen |
| babe |
n: an infant |
| bike |
n: a pedal-powered vehicle
with two wheels |
| buffer |
n: a device for polishing
floors |
| cancer |
n: a constellation in the
zodiac |
| chip |
n: a flake of damaged paint |
| classic |
adj: of extraordinary design
and quality that endures for decades or centuries |
| clothes dryer |
n: a length of rope
stretched between a house and a garage |
| computer |
n: a mathematician |
| conservative |
adj: reserved; frugal |
| cool |
n: tepid |
| Empire State Building |
n: the tallest building in
the world |
| Everest |
n: a mountain so high that
no one has ever climbed to the top of it |
|
●eye
pad |
n: a soft, absorbent,
protective covering for an infected or injured eye |
| fag |
n: a cigarette |
| fan |
n: a device for keeping cool |
| father |
n: a man who lives with and
supports his children and their mother |
| fox |
n: a small, wild carnivore |
| free |
n: without cost |
| fruit |
n: what you put on your
breakfast cereal |
| genius |
n: a truly extraordinary
talent; a person with such a talent |
| gift |
n: something presented or
donated without thought of receiving anything in return |
| gay |
adj: festive |
| get it on |
v: what you do with your
suit or dress in the morning |
| glue |
n: an adhesive |
| gospel |
n: truth |
| grass |
n: a plant legally used as a
ground cover |
| great |
adj: superb (as distinct
from merely satisfactory) |
| home |
n: a place of residence (as
distinct from an unoccupied house) |
| incredible |
adj: incapable of being
believed (as distinct from merely unusual) |
| lawn mower |
n: a hand-powered device for
trimming grass |
| liberal |
adj: well rounded; generous |
| like |
adj: similar to; vt:
to enjoy or be fond of |
| long distance call |
n: a telephone call that
must be placed through an operator |
| made in Japan |
adj: inferior |
| made in USA |
adj: superior |
| memory |
n: a mental function for
storing multiplication tables, rules of language, and
points of etiquette |
| militiaman |
n. a state policeman |
| mother |
n: a woman who cares for her
own and/or adopted children |
| news |
n: the reporting of
noteworthy factual or authoritative information (as
distinct from uninformed opinion and sensationalist
gossip) |
| newspaper |
n: an unbound pulp
periodical on which news, and occasionally pictures, are
printed in black ink |
| party line |
n: a telephone line serving
more than one residence |
| pick-up |
n: a small open truck used
by laborers for light hauling |
| pot |
n: a ceramic or metal vessel
for cooking |
| privy |
n: an unsanitary structure
used for sanitary purposes |
| pussy |
n: a domestic feline |
| queer |
adj: peculiar |
| rap |
v: to strike sharply with
the fingertips or knuckles |
| reefer |
n: a railroad refrigerator
car |
| relative |
n: someone in your family
tree |
| root directory |
n: a catalogue of tubers |
| seat belt |
n: a device to facilitate
identification of the remains of air crash victims |
| security system |
n: a padlock and a large dog |
| soap |
n: a product for shaving,
washing, and decorating windows |
| special effects |
n: Donald Duck getting
caught in the sound track |
| sport vehicle |
n: a two-seat automobile
characterized by an efficient engine, a manual
transmission, and maneuverability and braking superior to
that of a standard sedan |
| square |
adj: honest, fair |
| stereo |
n: a method for producing
and viewing three-dimensional images |
| television |
n: a device for viewing
black-and-white moving images broadcast from live sources
of news and entertainment |
| train |
n: the most luxurious and
reliable way to travel from city to city |
| van |
n: a large truck for moving
household possessions |
| vibrator |
n: a device for generating
the high voltage for radio vacuum tubes in cars, boats,
and planes |
| water |
n: a colorless, odorless
liquid that is healthful to drink |
| windows |
n: transparent devices for
viewing through walls and providing ventilation |