What the heck is a fender skirt?

[Studlover (imported)]

What the heck is a fender skirt?

I came across this phrase in a book yesterday "FENDER SKIRTS". A term I haven't heard in a long time and thinking about "fender skirts" started me thinking about other words that quietly disappear from our language with hardly a notice.

Like "curb feelers" and "steering knobs." Since I'd been thinking of cars, my mind naturally went that direction first. Any kids will probably have to find some elderly person over 50 to explain some of these terms to you

Remember "Continental kits?" They were rear bumper extenders and spare tire covers that were supposed to make any car as cool as a LincolnContinental.

When did we quit calling them "emergency brakes?" At some point "parking brake" became the proper term. But I miss the hint of drama that went with "emergency brake."

I'm sad, too, that almost all the old folks are gone who would call the accelerator the "foot feed"

Didn't you ever wait at the street for your daddy to come home, so you could ride the "running board" up to the house?

Here's a phrase I heard! all the time in my youth but never anymore - "store- bought." Of course, just about everything is store-bought these days. But once it was bragging material to have a store-bought dress or a store-bought bag of candy.

"Coast to coast" is a phrase that once held all sorts of excitement and now means almost nothing. Now we take the term "world wide" for granted. This floors me.

On a smaller scale, "wall-to-wall" was once a magical term in our homes. In the '50s, everyone covered his or her hardwood floors with, wow, wall-to-wall carpeting! Today, everyone replaces their wall-to-wall carpeting with hardwood floors. Go figure.

And when did Go Figure arrive in our language?

When's the last time you heard the quaint phrase "in a family way?" It's hard to imagine that the word "pregnant" was once considered a little too graphic, a little too clinical for use in polite company. So we had all that talk about stork visits and "being in a family way" or simply "expecting."

Apparently "brassiere" is a word no longer in usage. I said it the other day and my daughter cracked up. I guess it's just "bra" now "Unmentionables" probably wouldn't be understood at all.

I always loved going to the "picture show," but I considered "movie" an affectation.

Most of these words go back to the '50s, but here's! a pure-'60s word I came across the! other d ay - "rat fink." Ooh, what a nasty put-down!

Here's a word I miss - "percolator." That was just a fun word to say. And what was it replaced with? "Coffee maker." How dull. Mr. Coffee, I blame you for this.

I miss those made-up marketing words that were meant to sound so modern and now sound so retro. Words like "DynaFlow" and "Electrolux." Introducing the 1963 Admiral TV, now with "SpectraVision!"

Food for thought - Was there a telethon that wiped out lumbago? Nobody complains of that anymore. Maybe that's what castor oil cured, because I never hear mothers threatening kids with castor oil anymore.

Some words aren't gone, but are definitely on the endangered list. The one that grieves me most ! "supper. " Now everybody says "dinner." Save a great word. Invite someone to supper. Discuss fender skirts.

Someone forwarded this to me. I thought some of us of a "certain age" would remember most of these. OH!!!!!!those were the days!!!!!!!! Or, were they?

[Mac (imported)]

What about words like:

gay (happy) now homosexual

or

thong (shower clog or beach sandal) now a woman's panty?

I liked the look of fender skirts. However, they weren't very convenient with ice and snow in the winter.

[HairyHarry (imported)]

As far as I remember, a fender skirt was the cover for the rear wheels on an automobile. For streamlining I reckon. I can't at present remember what they were called on British cars, such as the Alvis Grey Lady, from the early 1950s.

[kristoff]

What about words like:

gay (happy) now homosexual

or

thong (shower clog or beach sandal) now a woman's panty?

I liked the look of fender skirts. However, they weren't very convenient with ice and snow in the winter.

Actually, Mac, the eytemology of "gay" as a code word for homosexuality predates its use for "happy" by about 300 years. Someone else stole OUR code word

[Shortie (imported)]

Actually, Mac, the eytemology of "gay" as a code word for homosexuality predates its use for "happy" by about 300 years. Someone else stole OUR code word

That's an interesting assertion, Krister. I'm interested in the basis, since, as an English major of long standing, I have some background in etymology. I recall sitting around in the Student Center after classes, arguing about just that topic.

One of my all-time favorite books is Chaucer's "Canterbury Tales," especially in the Olde English version. The word "gay" is used many times in the stories told therein, and in every instance I can recall, its meaning is either "bright," "happy," or "carefree."

Since Chaucer lived from 1342 to 1400, and wrote the Tales around 1390, that would seem to establish a precedent of over 600 years. If you can cite an earlier reference, I'll use it in the next faculty meeting I attend with my wife. Should ignite some interesting discussions,

[thefraj (imported)]

That's an interesting assertion, Krister. I'm interested in the basis

I think there is an element of truth in both Krister and Shorties' assertions. Here is the Wikipedia entry: (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gay)

The primary meaning of the word gay has changed dramatically during the 20th century – though the change evolved from earlier usages. It derives via the French gai, from the Latin gaius, and originally meant "carefree", "happy", or "bright and showy" and was very commonly used with this meaning in speech and literature. In more recent times, starting in the mid 20th century, the word gay cannot be used solely in this former context without the expectation that one will assume a double entendre, or that the person using the term is out of touch with contemporary society. Some have tried to recover the original denotation of the word, but with limited success.

Castro Street in San Francisco

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Castro Street in San Francisco

Look up gay in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

The word started to acquire sexual connotations in the late 17th century, being used with meaning "addicted to pleasures and dissipations". This was by extension from the primary meaning of "carefree": implying "uninhibited by moral constraints". By the late nineteenth century the term "gay life" was a well-established euphemism for prostitution and other forms of extramarital sexual behaviour that were perceived as immoral.

The first name Gay is still occasionally encountered, usually as a female name although the spelling is often altered to Gaye. (795th most common in the United States, according to the 1990 US census[1]). It was also used as a male first name. The first name of the popular male Irish television presenter Gabriel Byrne was always abbreviated as "Gay", as in the title of his radio show The Gay Byrne Show. It can also be used as a short form of the female name Gaynell and as a short form of the male name Gaylen. The "Gaiety" was also a common name for places of entertainment. One of Oscar Wilde's favourite venues in Dublin was the Gaiety Theatre, first appearing there in 1884.

It's just something weird I've come to realize lately. History doesn't really exist. It is just a myth. Everybody has a view - based loosely on half-baked evidence of people who were never there in person; fuelled by political agendas - whether unintentional or otherwise.

I went to the grocery store to buy some coke about 2 hours ago. How do I know I went? People have only my word of mouth. Maybe I didn't go? Maybe I just said I did?

The truth is, I wish I'd have paid more interest in history lessons so I could dispute bits I wasn't happy with or didn't suite me personally.

Yes, sorry, getting back on topic. As far as I'm concerned Gay originally meant homosexual and was later "borrowed" to refer to someone who was "carefree", "happy", or "bright and showy". (Whether this is true or not is not relevant - so long as enough people accept this as truth, it goes into the books as fact)

Anyone who dissagrees, is : (1) Homophobic (2) A Revisionist (3) A Bigot

[Slammr (imported)]

I think there is an element of truth in both Krister and Shorties' assertions. Here is the Wikipedia entry: (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gay)

It's just something weird I've come to realize lately. History doesn't really exist. It is just a myth. Everybody has a view - based loosely on half-baked evidence of people who were never there in person; fuelled by political agendas - whether unintentional or otherwise.

[/b]Yes, sorry, getting back on topic. As far as I'm concerned Gay originally meant homosexual and was later "borrowed" to refer to someone who was "carefree", "happy", or "bright and showy".

Anyone who dissagrees, is : (1) Homophobic (2) A Revisionist (3) A Bigot

To stay off topic, I agree with what you said about history. All history is fiction, not that it doesn't necessarily have an element of TRUTH, but what we read is someone's interpretation of what actually happened.

As it's said, History is written by the victors. Ancient history is all fiction. Think of it as a historical novel. Most accounts we have of it were written by people that only read about those events. Nothing, for instance, about Alexander the Great was written during his lifetime. The accounts of him we have were written hundreds of years after his death.

How much of the events of your own life could you report accurately? Memory is unreliable.

[Studlover (imported)]

To stay off topic, I agree with what you said about history. All history is fiction, not that it doesn't necessarily have an element of TRUTH, but what we read is someone's interpretation of what actually happened.

As it's said, History is written by the victors. Ancient history is all fiction. Think of it as a historical novel. Most accounts we have of it were written by people that only read about those events. Nothing, for instance, about Alexander the Great was written during his lifetime. The accounts of him we have were written hundreds of years after his death.

How much of the events of your own life could you report accurately? Memory is unreliable.

How did we go from Fender Skirts to the etymology of Gay? I am like really confused now.

Slammr, you explain. You're a dis-placed Texan.

Studlover

[Slammr (imported)]

How did we go from Fender Skirts to the etymology of Gay? I am like really confused now.

Slammr, you explain. You're a dis-placed Texan.

Studlover

Remember the old game of "Gossip" where the first person whispers something to the next, then he to the next. When you come to the end, the last person repeats what he's heard. Usually, he says something entirely different from what the first person said. That's pretty well what we have here.

[kristoff]

The eytemology I am referring to is one that was presented to me by a fellow teacher at the University were I once taught. My presumption is that he was taking it from someone's published work. His eytemology was similar yet quite different than the one presented by Roger above, quoting Wikipedia.

His suggested that the origin in the English language was a transliteration from the French, as suggested, same words essentially. But that the reason or explanation attached had to do with the theatre. Because hundreds of years ago, women were not allowed on stage (or in front of it I suspect), select men (read gay) were utilized in the roles of women. They were apparently referred to as "the girls," in French, and this adapted to "the gays," and evolved from there. I am however, no expert on the French language or its evolution - I would defer to others here.

I've also heard some of the references attributed to Chaucer's work. I've heard some folks challenge the modern useages in presenting his work today, including the word gay. Whether that was his word choice, and intended meaning, I have no idea. There are arguments on both sides, each with an agenda I am sure.