June 5, 2008
When’s the last time you used the word “rapscallion”?
The talented (and hilarious) Deep Friar wrote a post a few weeks ago that included the word “kerfuffle.” We all got a big kick out of his word choice, and it got me thinking about other old timey words that have fallen out of use in today’s lexicon.
Here’s a list of outmoded words and phrases that I think we should bring back:
- Pull yourself up by your bootstraps.
- ragamuffin
- nincompoop
- Heavens to Murgatroyd!
- dunderpate (a favorite of C. Montgomery Burns)
- mosey along
- bumfuzzled
- kerfuffle
- the bees knees
- diddley-squat
- rapscallion
- ruckus
- If I had my druthers …
Please share your favorite old-fashioned words and phrases as a comment. I have a hankerin’ to read what you have to write!
Filed by rebecca at 11:53 am under For the love of words
I was suprised to hear my five-year-old nephew use nincompoop recently (That’s what he was calling his Uncle Friar…the smart-ass!)
Or should I say “smart-aleck” ?
PS. Thanks for the Link Love…!
Hmmm, this one is really tough off the top of my head! I like trousers, poppycock, bunk, and goofball…how did you come up with all those others?
PS. Thanks for adding my blog to your list!
@Friar: “smart-aleck” — good one! sounds like you’ve got one sharp nephew.
@steph: “Poppycock.” LOL. How did I miss that one? How about “slacks” as an alternative to “trousers”? Funny. How did I come up with all of them? Well, my husband is a huge Simpsons fan, and about half of these were uttered at one time by Grandpa Simpson or Mr. Burns. The others are phrases my grandma used to use (”pull yourself up by your bootstraps”) or words I’ve come across in the past few weeks in books or online. Oh! I forgot to add “skedaddle” … I came across it last night while reading.
@steph: You’re welcome! Just let me know if you change your title to “Pimp my Read” …
Well, I use about 6 of those pretty regularly myself. Maybe I’m a retro trend setter!
Here are a couple of my favorites: you’re too big for your britches and you’ve got a bee in your bonnet.
@Matt: Thanks for dropping by and please accept my apologies on the late posting of your comment (I blame WordPress)!
They say all the cool kids are going ‘retro’ these days, so I guess that makes you one cool cat.
I checked out your site and blog, and your series on The Wiggles made me LOL. Good stuff. I look forward to reading more from This Laptop for Hire.
@Kim: Great additions! All I can say to those is “ouch”! (do people still wear “bonnets”?)