Words, Phrases and Sayings you heard when you were younger, but don't hear much nowadays

[AGXStarseed]

A bit of a random thread but one that I thought might be interesting.

Sometimes we hear words, phrases and sayings in our younger years that seem to fade out/be used less as we grow older and our language and culture both change over the years/decades.
These words/phrases can be anything - from the name of a show, the description of a person, a compliment or an insult, etc. - while sayings can encompass a whole variety of meanings.

So are there any words, phrases and/or sayings from your younger years that you remember but which you don't hear much nowadays?
(For obvious reasons, don't post anything that violates the forum rules, as there's definitely some words, phrases and sayings that are considered offensive nowadays for one reason or another).

I'll start us off with a couple:

01. "Plonker" - I'd usually hear this as a lighthearted jest from my Dad if I had an avoidable accident or just did something silly (either that or he'd call me a "Pillock" or a "Wally"), and it's a word that will be immortalized for those who watched Only Fools and Horses on the BBC ("Rodney, you plonker!"). Sadly, it's one that I don't hear much nowadays.

02. "Tomboy" - As a kid who grew up in the 90's/00's, I would hear this one a fair bit; it referring to girls who dressed and acted in a more masculine manner as opposed to "Girly girls" who would dress and act in a more traditionally feminine way. Honestly, when I think of tomboys, I'm reminded of this particular song.
Nowadays, the word Tomboy is not something I hear much.

 

[Outdated]

Good thread idea, I've got a few to add but I'll have to vet them a little first. I grew up with all the same words you mention above, Pillock and Punce were common.

Spar Dangler was another common one, referencing the character of a mutinous sailor.

Flat out like a lizard drinking.

On to it like seagulls on to a sick prawn.

Lost like a fart in a fan factory.

Budgie Smugglers - men's Speedos, looks like they're trying to smuggle a small bird out of the country.

Bugger is a common use word in Australia, it's not considered to be a swear word and even children use it.
If something is broken beyond repair - Well that's buggered then.
If you think someone has made a bad suggestion - Bugger that for a joke.

 

[Slime_Punk]

"like a fart in church". That one used to crack me up but nobody says it anymore

 

[Outdated]

Just another common one you'll still see around the place today, on a pub meals menu:

Chicken in Pyjamas.

That's because no one can remember how to spell Parmigiana.

 

[Neonatal RRT]

Well, I grew up in the late 60's-early 80's. I grew up with a "very colorful" racist vocabulary, my grandparents and parents just threw that language around without a care in the world, and many other people I knew did as well. Name a country, any country, there was a long list of terms for these people, and if they had a different skin color, oh boy. When I was a young boy I had all the popular joke books, and they were loaded, cover to cover with jokes about different people. I could write a book on all the words and phrases you can't say anymore.

An entire series of jokes: Truly Tasteless Jokes - Wikipedia

 

[Outdated]

Nasty as a cut snake.

Jumpy as a cat on a hot tin roof.

Done like a dinner - this means to be beaten by a large margin, I don't understand the origins.

 

[Nitro]

"He/she ain't worth a pint of piss or the pot to piss it in"

"It's colder outside than a well digger's ass"
I actually asked a well digger how cold that was, but he couldn't answer it

"It's hotter than the hinges of hell today"

 

[Outdated]

Some terms were sports related, these are from Cricket:

Spinner - someone who's behaviour is not well understood.
Tosser - wanker.

From football:

Drop Kick - a useless time wasting person, someone you'd like to bounce off the end of your boot just to see how far they go.

 

[Neonatal RRT]

"Tighter than a bull's ass in fly season."

"Your mouth goes like a flapper in a goose's ass."

"Dumber than a bag of doorknobs"

"He/she's not the sharpest crayon in the box."

"Awe, bless your little heart." Polite for "you're stupid."

 

[Forest Cat]

One thing that was common to hear when I was a kid, was people saying things like "That party last night was completely Texas". Or "Did you see that car crash? Holy crap that was Texas!". Or "You're going to ski down that 80 degree incline mountain on one leg? Wow that's Texas!".

"Texas" is still used now but not as much as before. We actually stole the word Texas from the Americans a long time ago and use it to describe something crazy or out of control. It would be funny if people in Texas started saying "Did you see that car crash? Holy crap that was Norway!".

 

[Gerald Wilgus]

What my family had asked me when I was at my lowest that I do not hear now is; Are you homosexual? WTF, everybody could see that I had little hope of a relationship, no girlfriend, and I was painfully shy, and nobody thought that I needed help.

 

[Tom]

Book - To leave, as in 'Let's book'. Came from booking a airline ticket.

Crash - To sleep, as in 'Can I crash here tonight?'

Beau Coup - Many. When I first entered military (1980) this was used by the Vietnam era vets still in ther service.

 

[Progster]

I grew up in the 80s and a lot of the ones I remember from then are still around today. I haven't heard "naff" = not good, or "lush" (= very good) for a while. Another amusing one, that it's cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey

 

[NDR2]

I can think of a few:

“Far out.”
“Groovy.”
“Heavy!”
“Dynamite.”
“Outa sight!”
“Right on.”
“Everything is everything.”

There are no more valley girls or valley dudes, so expressions like, “Fer sure, fer sure, “Gag me with a spoon,” or “Bag your face,” aren’t used anymore.

A couple of honorable mentions:

“Neat!” (I think these days young people say, “Cool!”)
“Blecch!” (I think these days young people mainly say, “Eww!”)

 

[MildredHubble]

What my family had asked me when I was at my lowest that I do not hear now is; Are you homosexual? WTF, everybody could see that I had little hope of a relationship, no girlfriend, and I was painfully shy, and nobody thought that I needed help.

This is something I'm glad I don't hear very much these days too! It's funny though as that's often the "go to" for most knuckle dragging morons I encounter these days. I really wonder what they see in me that triggers that?! Hmmm the mind boggles! But anything perceived as for want of a better word, "Effeminate" in those superlative pea brains is synonymous with "gay" or "homosexual". I think it's just them expressing their contempt for females and the feminine.

Just happened to me quite recently. Actually, and theres me thinking I'm not looking so "pretty" these days!

 

[MildredHubble]

Oh I just thought of one quite personal to me that I don't hear anymore these days....

"Hey I'm Psych Doctor V, but you can call me Dr J."

He also had a number of other names he went by. I'm sure there is a very good and simple reason for that, and all of them perfectly innocent. He definitely didn't get his "PhD" from Bali. Oh NoSireee.

 

[Gerald Wilgus]

This is something I'm glad I don't hear very much these days too! It's funny though as that's often the "go to" for most knuckle dragging morons I encounter these days. I really wonder what they see in me that triggers that?! Hmmm the mind boggles! But anything perceived as for want of a better word, "Effeminate" in those superlative pea brains is synonymous with "gay" or "homosexual". I think it's just them expressing their contempt for females and the feminine.

Just happened to me quite recently. Actually, and theres me thinking I'm not looking so "pretty" these days!

But, the role of knuckle dragging moron as gender identity was something (from my view) promoted in the 1950s to boys. That created man-children.

 

[Outdated]

But, the role of knuckle dragging moron as gender identity was something (from my view) promoted in the 1950s to boys. That created man-children.

Man-Child was a term my sister often used to describe men she met, she defined it as "A full grown body but with the emotional maturity of a six year old.".

 

[Outdated]

My sister kept a toyboy for a couple of years because at the time that was all she wanted. Mum called him The Incredible Sulk.

 

[MildredHubble]

But, the role of knuckle dragging moron as gender identity was something (from my view) promoted in the 1950s to boys. That created man-children.

Indeed! And that spawned a while slew of phrases I'm quite glad we don't hear so much these days!

Though some phrases I'd like to bring back into fashion. Val Kilmer's portrayal of Doc Holiday! Phrases like...

"You're daisy if you do."

"Are we cross?"

"In vino veritas"

"Do I hate him?"

"Awe let's try something you can do. I know let's have a spelling contest."

And of course...

"I'm yaw Huckleberry"

But as Val Kilmer said, he's a fun character but he did hurt an awful lot of people.