# Words that have changed in definition or use since your childhood



## Nobodo (Nov 5, 2014)

There are a lot of them, but to start this off here is one that makes us even think differently about some Christmas carols than we did as children...

GAY


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## Imperial (Feb 9, 2011)

one word comes to mind, and i wont doubt if someone has a bowel movement over it, the word is . . .

rape


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## Nobodo (Nov 5, 2014)

That is totally....

*SICK*

Yep, very different now.


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## flippinfool (Aug 22, 2014)

Try the word HAZE


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## Rayshot (Feb 1, 2010)

Coincidentally, a couple of days ago I was musing the very thing about a word's primary meaning changing.

The cartoon intro song to the Flintstone's came to mind; ".....a gay ole time." Among other words in the language.

Queer was one that changed when I was in elementary school.

Doobie was perhaps always there but wasn't just a band anymore.


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## Nobodo (Nov 5, 2014)

When I was young, everything was

GROOVY.

A couple of decades later it was

TUBULAR.

Know what I mean,

HOLMES


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## Nobodo (Nov 5, 2014)

As a child, they kept fluids outside, and lasted for years.
As an adult, they kept fluids inside, and were used only once.
Now they make things fly, and we do everything we can to make them last longer.

RUBBERS


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## Tag (Jun 11, 2014)

Default meant not to repay a loan.


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## Tag (Jun 11, 2014)

Chicken nuggets??????????? Would that be 2 per serving


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## Tag (Jun 11, 2014)

Chicken tenders? Would they be the same as what we used to call chicken nuggets? I need to brush up on my chicken anatomy.


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## Tag (Jun 11, 2014)

Time out was a term used in sports.


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## Henry the Hermit (Jun 2, 2010)

Politician

Old meaning = Elected Public Servant.

New meaning = Parasitic human-like life form which makes life miserable for society.


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## Nobodo (Nov 5, 2014)

Is Charlotte on the *WEB* again?

Have you seen my *MOUSE*?

Can I still play a song on my *KEYBOARD*?

(OK, I do live in Colorado...)

Get off the *POT*.

Do you have any *WEED*, maybe just a *JOINT*?

How much for a bag of *GRASS*?


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## Imperial (Feb 9, 2011)

Nobodo said:


> Get off the *POT*.
> 
> Do you have any *WEED*, maybe just a *JOINT*?
> 
> How much for a bag of *GRASS*?


Got Oregano ?


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## Tentacle Toast (Jan 17, 2013)

Henry knows what I was tawkin' bout...


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## Tag (Jun 11, 2014)

Trust


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## Tag (Jun 11, 2014)

Respect


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## Nobodo (Nov 5, 2014)

Scout. (Ok, that ones a gotcha, first thought in this forum is different than other folks)


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## Nobodo (Nov 5, 2014)

When I was a kid a STYLUS was on a record player, and sometimes you'd have to change them.

A TUBE was something you'd pull out of the radio to check in a tester, until they were replaced by TRANSISTOR RADIOS.

A CONTACT was also something you'd replace, but in your car.

You would DIAL somebody to talk to them but hope they weren't on a PARTY line.


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## Tentacle Toast (Jan 17, 2013)

The word "blunt" took on a new meaning when I hit middle school (about 93')...


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## Imperial (Feb 9, 2011)

selfie


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## Tentacle Toast (Jan 17, 2013)

"Shocker" & "minivan" are two more that come to mind...


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## Nobodo (Nov 5, 2014)

man


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## Rayshot (Feb 1, 2010)

Nobodo said:


> man


I hear dat! Your observation may be the most poignant yet.

And I am not thinking, mean macho butt holes or arrogant jerks, and the current feminized male, but a man that can be humble, strong and mild and people are drawn to.

It's late and I'm tired but anyone that is tuned in will get what I mean.


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## Nobodo (Nov 5, 2014)

Rayshot said:


> Nobodo said:
> 
> 
> > man
> ...


It's definitely one that has changed in many ways!
A related one -- when I was a kid in school learning English grammar, when writing in the third person about an unknown entity, it was always "he". It's what we were taught in school, but now it's considered sexist.


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## THWACK! (Nov 25, 2010)

"Dominoes" was a game, now it's run of the mill pizza.


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## THWACK! (Nov 25, 2010)

One doesn't hear "bum" anymore - now a bum is a "homeless person". Give me a break!


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## THWACK! (Nov 25, 2010)

Tag said:


> Chicken tenders? Would they be the same as what we used to call chicken nuggets? I need to brush up on my chicken anatomy.


...depends on how tender the po' li'l chicken was.

"Nuggets" refers to gold, as in something of value (certainly more than just "tender"), which is what one wants for his money at a restaurant, such as that fast food place with the "Golden Arches".


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## Nobodo (Nov 5, 2014)

THWACK! said:


> Tag said:
> 
> 
> > Chicken tenders? Would they be the same as what we used to call chicken nuggets? I need to brush up on my chicken anatomy.
> ...


Of course 'Nuggets' can also refer to 'the family jewels', but that was before they became 'junk'!

Oh, and I left out an NBA team...


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## THWACK! (Nov 25, 2010)

"Bite" - used to be something one would do with his/her/its teeth.

Now it's part of the terminology in computer science. Albeit, spelled differently.


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## THWACK! (Nov 25, 2010)

Cougar - used to have claws on all four feet, now on only two hands.


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## Tentacle Toast (Jan 17, 2013)

LoL, I've always wanted scratches from one of those (preferably all over my back)...


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## Nobodo (Nov 5, 2014)

Those cougars don't
BYTE
but they do
NYBBLE
a
BIT.

WORD.


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## Tentacle Toast (Jan 17, 2013)

Nobodo said:


> Those cougars don't
> BYTE
> but they do
> NYBBLE
> ...


...I definitely DON'T want to feel teeth...


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## Nobodo (Nov 5, 2014)

But a nybble is only half a byte, wouldn't hurt much.

But a WORD can be 2, 4, 8, or 16 bytes, depending on the 
PROCESSOR.

Words hurt.


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## THWACK! (Nov 25, 2010)

Nobodo said:


> When I was young, everything was
> 
> GROOVY.
> 
> ...


I think it's "homes", referring to "homeboy", but what do I know. :wave:


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## THWACK! (Nov 25, 2010)

Tentacle Toast said:


> Nobodo said:
> 
> 
> > Those cougars don't
> ...


Ah, you want old gums!!!


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## THWACK! (Nov 25, 2010)

THWACK! said:


> "Bite" - used to be something one would do with his/her/its teeth.
> 
> Now it's part of the terminology in computer science. Albeit, spelled differently.


Anybody catch the "albeit" in this discussion of bites/bytes? Nah, you guys are too slow to keep up to me.

; )


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## Nobodo (Nov 5, 2014)

THWACK! said:


> Nobodo said:
> 
> 
> > When I was young, everything was
> ...


Let's see what the ultimate authority has to say on the issue....

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Holmes

It definitely used to be pronounced with an exaggerated 'L' in it!


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## Nobodo (Nov 5, 2014)

THWACK! said:


> THWACK! said:
> 
> 
> > "Bite" - used to be something one would do with his/her/its teeth.
> ...


Way, way, WAY too slow, obviously. In fact, I still don't catch it and probably won't later today either! Maybe tomorrow? :neener:


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## Nobodo (Nov 5, 2014)

To burn a CD -- years ago people would have wondered why you would want to burn an investment.

We don't have to go back that many years to....


have no idea why somebody would dial 911
have no memories of 9/11


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## Greavous (Sep 29, 2013)

The word "Bitchin", used to be used to describe something pretty awesome. Now its what she does when I dont do as Im told.


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## flippinfool (Aug 22, 2014)

Postal used to mean using the USPS for mail now going postal means getting angry and loosing it to the point of violence.


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## Nobodo (Nov 5, 2014)

flippinfool said:


> Postal used to mean using the USPS for mail now going postal means getting angry and loosing it to the point of violence.


Give it some time and it will be called "going Shockley". anic:


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## Tentacle Toast (Jan 17, 2013)

Nobodo said:


> To burn a CD -- years ago people would have wondered why you would want to burn an investment.
> 
> We don't have to go back that many years to....
> 
> ...


Those people never knew the joys of sweet lady H...


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## THWACK! (Nov 25, 2010)

Elementary then, it comes from a slum in the UK as opposed to the US, Watson. Obviously : )

I think it's "homes", referring to "homeboy", but what do I know. :wave:

When I was young, everything was

GROOVY.

A couple of decades later it was

TUBULAR.

Know what I mean,

HOLMES

Let's see what the ultimate authority has to say on the issue....

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Holmes

It definitely used to be pronounced with an exaggerated 'L' in it!

I was wrong, apparently. I was wrong only twice before - Mrs. R #1 and Mrs. R #2

Regards,

Mike


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## THWACK! (Nov 25, 2010)

flippinfool said:


> Postal used to mean using the USPS for mail now going postal means getting angry and loosing it to the point of violence.


Hah! You should watch those guys at the "Postal Gun Club".


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## Nobodo (Nov 5, 2014)

THWACK! said:


> Elementary then, it comes from a slum in the UK as opposed to the US, Watson. Obviously : )
> 
> I think it's "homes", referring to "homeboy", but what do I know. :wave:
> 
> ...


Or......... were you right?

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=homes

Ahhh, urbandictionary. What a fickle lass ye be.


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## THWACK! (Nov 25, 2010)

Nobodo said:


> THWACK! said:
> 
> 
> > Elementary then, it comes from a slum in the UK as opposed to the US, Watson. Obviously : )
> ...


Of course I was right, I was only wrong twice. One of them dropped dead and the other married some slob she met online.

; ) ; )


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## flippinfool (Aug 22, 2014)




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## Nobodo (Nov 5, 2014)

When the word 'bear' was used as a noun it used to only conjure up thoughts of a large animal that poops in the woods.

Later the word 'market' got tagged on to it to mean a condition where the price of securities was falling.

But when we were young we probably would have never guessed what it would soon mean when a man referred to himself as a 'bear':

http://www.bearmagazine.com/


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