Words and phrases that have sadly fallen out of use.

[Svartalf]

Obstreperous doesn't get out much these days.

don't make me taunt you again by uttering such preposterous twaddle

[Pappa]

Obstreperous doesn't get out much these days.

don't make me taunt you again by uttering such preposterous twaddle

Someone should start a Clinton Huxley vs. Svartalf the damned Frenchie thread.

[Coito ergo sum]

No time for the old in-out, love! Just came to read the meter!

Stop here your meretricious doings, you recreant caitiff of pimp

Codswallop!

Guttersnipe!

[Coito ergo sum]

Viddy well, me droogs, viddy well. Appy-polly-loggies. I had something of a pain in the gulliver so had to sleep. I was not awakened when I gave orders for wakening. I am feeling a bit shagged and fagged and fashed, it being a night of no small expenditure. I can't make up my rassoodock what to do with the evening. Maybe I'll start off at the Korova milkbar for some milk-plus, milk plus vellocet or synthemesc or drencrom. Be off! Or, I'll tollchock your yarbles! Ahhh...what I need now, to give it the perfect ending, is a little of the old Ludwig Van.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

No applause please. Just throw money.

[Hermit]

Pathetic is a beautiful word, full of ...er...pathos when used in its compassionate sense. Unfortunately, these days it's used only as a term of derision.

A few months ago I used the word in its now apparently archaic definition. It led to a misunderstanding that took a bit of explanation to resolve. Tchaikovsky's sixth symphony was named 'The Pathétique'. Most people, if they ever even heard of it, would probably not even realise why.

It reminds me now of another word that has changed meaning in popular means: When Elizabeth I said "We mere English..." she used that adjective with pride. 'Mere' meant 'pure' then.

[Pappa]

Pathetic is a beautiful word, full of ...er...pathos when used in its compassionate sense. Unfortunately, these days it's used only as a term of derision.

A few months ago I used the word in its now apparently archaic definition. It led to a misunderstanding that took a bit of explanation to resolve. Tchaikovsky's sixth symphony was named 'The Pathétique'. Most people, if they ever even heard of it, would probably not even realise why.

It reminds me now of another word that has changed meaning in popular means: When Elizabeth I said "We mere English..." she used that adjective with pride. 'Mere' meant 'pure' then.

My favourite meaning shift is "vulgar", because it displays quite clearly how many words evolve from being normal -> everyday -> popular -> common -> vulgar. See the transition all those words are currently making?

Popular is on it's way, think of popular press, popular music.
Common is getting there... common as muck.

The only sense we still use vulgar in it's original sense is in the phrase "vulgar fractions".

That process has happened to nearly all our derogatory terms in English.

[Xamonas Chegwé]

Presently. A couple of hundred years ago, if you said, "I will be there presently," it meant that you were coming immediately - now it means you'll get around to it in a bit.

[Pappa]

Presently. A couple of hundred years ago, if you said, "I will be there presently," it meant that you were coming immediately - now it means you'll get around to it in a bit.

Like "now in a minute" then.

[colubridae]

My mum still says "five and twenty past" the hour and "five and twenty to" the hour.

She is 90 this year.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

"Tarnation". "Dag nab it!" "Durn fool city slickers!" "Carpetbagging Yankees!" "Injuns!"

[colubridae]

"Tarnation". "Dag nab it!" "Durn fool city slickers!" "Carpetbagging Yankees!" "Injuns!"

A double sarparilla on the rocks, please barman.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

"Tarnation". "Dag nab it!" "Durn fool city slickers!" "Carpetbagging Yankees!" "Injuns!"

A double sarparilla on the rocks, please barman.

You Oklahoma City faggots think we have ICE in Albuquerque?

[colubridae]

"round these parts, stranger, folks don't cotton to folks what don't cotton to other folks! That's cotton talk" Bob Hope. paleface et al

[colubridae]

My ass is in a sling



as in:-



(ps i don't know what it means anyway?)

[Gawdzilla Sama]

My ass is in a sling

(ps i don't know what it means anyway?)

Think trebuchet.