Fossil words (meaning, British, quote)

[bjh]

Originally Posted by Chanygirl

"Shall"..I shall, we shall, has been replaced with "Will"

In American English, that's mostly true.

[Mightyqueen801]

Originally Posted by Chanygirl

"Shall"..I shall, we shall, has been replaced with "Will"

I do bids/rfps/contracts for a living, and the rule (in our agency, anyway) is that the contractor shall and the agency will.

[Tia 914]

not sure if this would be considered a fossil word or not, but I haven't heard it in a long time: outskirts-- as in "they don't live directly in town, they live on the outskirts"

[saucywench]

...pantaloons...

[Fred314X]

Which reminds me, saucywench...one doesn't hear the word 'wench' quite as often as beforetimes.

[bjh]

Originally Posted by Tia 914

not sure if this would be considered a fossil word or not, but I haven't heard it in a long time: outskirts-- as in "they don't live directly in town, they live on the outskirts"

I think you're right. Skirts in the general sense of surrounding, in this case a city.

[bjh]

Originally Posted by Fred314X

Which reminds me, saucywench...one doesn't hear the word 'wench' quite as often as beforetimes.

Maybe not where you live.

In German the cognate word for wife is weib, which has the same connotation in German as wench does in English.

Which brings us to other female words...

damsel - from a French word for lady, dame. Damsel is a diminutive form that refers to a younger, and possibly more attractive woman.

The word is now fossilized in the phrase a damsel in distress, not to be confused with a damsel in this dress.

[Mainer61]

Not sure if anyone has mentioned icebox yet?

[fleetiebelle]

I've always liked the original meaning of "queer" as referrring to odd or eccentric. Now it's almost universally applied to GLBT uses, which I get, but still.

[Mightyqueen801]

Originally Posted by fleetiebelle

I've always liked the original meaning of "queer" as referrring to odd or eccentric. Now it's almost universally applied to GLBT uses, which I get, but still.

"My little horse must think it *****..."

I like the original use of *****, too.

Also interesting how ***** was once an insulting word to homosexuals, and now they embrace it. I've even met someone who specializes in "***** studies".

I also knew a girl in my childhood named "Gay". By the time she was an adult, her name had a new meaning, and she started going by her middle name instead.

Edit: WOW that the site blocks out Q-U-E-E-R. That's a little ridiculous.