If you don't want folks to think you're old, stop using words like "Folks" (milk, boy)

[Travelassie]

Originally Posted by TheShadow

Way too literal. Just means you did something, or offered to do, something, nice. Or were being sweet.

I think that people who don't read many books have very limited vocabularies and people who don't travel can become very provincial and seem to find common words and phrases unusual simply due to lack of exposure to people different from their circle.

I think at least some of that misunderstanding of traditional colloquialisms and slang expressions comes from the number of residents here that were born outside the USA, English is not their first language and they don't understand the culture that gives the context to many of those words or expressions.

[Travelassie]

Originally Posted by OptimusPrime69

To me.... saying "supper" instead of dinner sounds old.

I believe that word came from the old days on the farm when the main meal was served around noon, and they called that dinner. A lighter meal was served later, that was referred to as supper.

The words are used interchangeably today, or so it seems. I know that is the way I use them.

[Travelassie]

Originally Posted by 1AngryTaxPayer

Folks is a very common term, even in business TODAY.

You have to admit that the use of the word folks takes care of any ruffled feathers over the use of gender-specific pronouns that some might choose to find offensive, lol.

[David A Stone]

I have enough self confidence ( and lack of vanity ) that I couldn't care less other people's opinions about my age.


I can see some women being overly sensitive about their actual age , but men also ?


" vanity upon vanity and all is vanity "

[thinkalot]

Originally Posted by TheShadow

I don't really care if you believe things that happen in my life, since I don't know you. And I have never, ever, tried to make a server feel ignorant. And better than them??? As I pointed out in my post, my mom was a waitress for over 30 years and I have nothing but respect for the very exhausting work that they do. We were not putting the server down, we did not let her see our amusement. Believe me, people in many job classifications can have a poor grasp of the English language, and I am ONLY speaking about those whose first language is English. ESL folks definitely get a pass. Our language is hard.

My husband was not being condescending, he was trying to make himself understood in the sometimes loud and clanky sounding dining room of a busy, small town breakfast café. He felt that she must not have heard him clearly, so he repeated himself more clearly trying to be heard above the racket of clanking knives and forks, and plates being stacked, and conversations all around us, not realizing that it wasn't the noise that was the problem, but the actual word he was using. And that's why I thought it fit this topic. His use of the word "latter", and that "former" and "latter" seem to be old fashioned words that younger people don't use.

And, yes, many restaurants have more than one potato option.

I agree with runswithscissors. Why wouldn't your husband say which one he wanted? If the waiter was writing the order "the latter" would be confusing to most people and they know what latter means. Did he say the former when they asked if he wanted white or wheat?

[thinkalot]

Originally Posted by lenora

I, too, did not understand why the term was changed. But then I remembered children in the neighborhood being taunted with "Hey, Retard! or "Look at Tard!". I think it's best that the term was dropped.

Ask a person in their 90's about moron jokes. Moron was mildly retarded. There will always be jokes and then some will want to change the word again. Idiot was moderately retarded and imbecile was severely retarded. You will find these in old census records.

[j_k_k]

I never expected my grandparents to adapt their vocabulary to match mine. Now that I am about as old as they were when they became grandparents, I see no reason to adapt my vocabulary to make me sound like something I am not: a young person. Young persons of goodwill and expansiveness will accept that, perhaps even find it reassuring in a way. Young persons of ill will and insularity need not receive catering.

[Minervah]

Originally Posted by thinkalot

Ask a person in their 90's about moron jokes. Moron was mildly retarded. There will always be jokes and then some will want to change the word again. Idiot was moderately retarded and imbecile was severely retarded. You will find these in old census records.

Even younger. Like:

Question: "Why did the ....... tiptoe past the medicine cabinet?"

Answer: "He didn't want to wake up the sleeping pills."

As kids back in the 50's when we told it we thought it was hilarious. No one at that time thought it was offensive but I guess it was. I actually heard my young nephew tell it in the 90's as "Why did the "dummy tiptoe" etc. I guess that sounds better.

[NickofDiamonds]

[silibran]

Originally Posted by Henna

I have a relative in her '80s who often says "Good show!" to mean something along the lines of "good job" or "that's great."

Also she always refers to her childhood friends (all female) as her girlfriends. I have also heard women in their '60's and '70s use the term girlfriends to mean friends who are female. Is that regional or age related? I would never refer to a friend of mine as "my girlfriend" since as far as I'm concerned, a girlfriend is someone you're in a romantic relationship with.

This is normal among women of all ages, I think.