Words we no longer use
 

The English vocabulary is constantly changing... what words (or phrases) can you recall that we rarely use any longer? Include a definition. (in keeping with CD rules, please only post appropriate language, thank you)

To get us started:

• carriage return (found on typewriters, it was the equivalent of today's Enter key)
  
• icebox (refrigerator that kept food cool through use of ice blocks)

Re: Words we no longer use
 

Coal Chute (where coal was delivered for the furnace)
Quill (used to write with)
Fountain Pen (refillable pen. Some had ink cartridges you replaced)

Re: Words we no longer use
 

carriage return - I thought that it was returning the borrowed horse and buggy

8 track - Before DVD, MP3, CD and cassette tapes. A form of music enjoyment.

Television dial - a round disk on the front of the TV. Numbered 2 to 13 and was used to change channels. Involved leaving the couch to see different channel. Before the term "channel surfing" was invented.

Vinyl - A round disk of pressed material containing recordings of word or music. Disc Jockeys today sometimes use vinyl to produce scratching noise. Played on a phonograph machine. Newer versions came with a record changer that allowed multiple pieces to be played without getting off the couch.

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spindle adaptors - usually a round column that you would place on the center spindle of your record player, which allowed you to play 45's - which had a larger hole in the middle (instead of LPs which had a small hole in the middle). Sometimes you used a 45 plastic insert in the hole which was an odd-shaped piece of plastic.

45's, LP's, and 78's - refers to the revolutions per minute that a musical record makes around the player. 45's were the equivalent of today's single CD recordings...

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From Dictionary.com:

chi·can·er·y /ʃɪˈkeɪnəri, tʃɪ-/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[shi-key-nuh-ree, chi-] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation –noun, plural -er·ies. 1.trickery or deception by quibbling or sophistry: He resorted to the worst flattery and chicanery to win the job. 2.a quibble or subterfuge used to trick, deceive, or evade.

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Outdated phrases:
"Be Kind - Rewind" - found on VHS rentals
"Where's the beef?" - Wendy's advertisement
"I can't believe I ate the whole thing." - Antacid advertisement
"That's how I spell relief." -Rolaids advertisement
"Floppy disk" - Used to differentiate between 5 1/4" computer disk and more rigid 3 1/2" disk. Now refers to 3 1/2", which is mostly obsolete anyway.

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78's also usually only held one song, though at that high speed they were almost as large as a 33 +1/3 rpm album. Increasing data density on the platter (another archaic term) allowed smaller disc sizes or additional audio storage for more songs. Wikipedia has a good description of audio recording history here.

Increasing data density did not begin with audio recordings or the computer age, but has been a goal of mankind throughout history. A very interesting book on the subject is "The Race for Bandwidth: Understanding Data Transmission", written by Cary Lu.

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Kids


Floppy disk was used before 5.25 or 3.5 were even invented

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To go with this...
UHF Channels - the channels from 14 to 64 that you used a tuner or thumb wheel to dial in, and were very lucky if you added 5-6 channels to your 2-13 selection.


and boy were they floppy!!!

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Betamax never really even took off, but my dad's friend still swears that Betamax is/was better than VHS. Needless to say, he was extremely disappointed that his Betamax player was stolen.

Who knows...the Blu-Ray vs. HD DVD debate could end up like VHS vs. Betamax! :p

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Betamax rocked!

I still have the original Star Wars movies on Betamax.

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I use 'carriage return' a lot while programming, actually. ASCII 13. :)

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I loved the zzzip zzzing sound of the carriage return in my hs typing class.

transistor radio - mine was pink.

cherry phosphates - a soft drink from the soda fountain at the local drug store. You would sit in a booth, shyly flirt, and trade out your bubblegum Beatles trading cards - cherry phosphates rocked. You can occasionally find an old timey drug store that will still make you one.

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How about
Tube Checker

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Soon there won’t be any picture tubes either.