I know that my family, who was no so long ago Iowa farm stock, has some pretty funny and outdated country expressions that made me roll my eyes as a child.
Now, I kind of enjoy the kitschiness of them, and of course they also remind me of some older relatives who are no longer here with us, so it’s harder to hate them.
These 14 people are also sharing the outdated words they hear from friends and family that they want to hate (but probably don’t).
14. What a cool cat.
Went into a speed shop the other day and overheard the shop owner talking to someone on the phone.
Man was 60+ and said un-ironically “Catch ya on the flip side Daddio” to end the conversation he was having.
13. Wait, this is outdated?
slight stray from question, my english professor says “heavens to betsy”
12. Seems oddly specific.
My coworker says “It’s hotter than a blistered dick in a wool sock”
11. This one needs to make a comeback.
My late father (born in ’33) used to say he’d been “dicked by the dangling dong of destiny” when something went wrong that was out of his control.
Gotta bring that one back.
10. She’s not wrong.
You can call me anything you like except late for dinner!
I use this all the time and my wife tells me that’s something only old men say.
9. This one might need to die.
My dad says chillax all the time in reference to what he is doing.
Seeing people refer to things Gen X/older millennials say in this thread is making me feel like a corpse.
8. Bless her heart.
My Grandma didn’t catch on to any meaning of gay other than joyful until about 2010.
7. Well I’m officially old.
Haven’t seen ‘cool beans’ yet.
I was shamed by a few 19/20 year old coworkers for saying that last week, so… nope. Sorry. We old.
6. I remind myself of this all the time.
My grandpa likes to use the phrase “not my monkey, not my circus”
Edit: to everyone asking if he’s Polish, we’re Latino. He says it in both Spanish and English, “no es mi circo, no son mis monos”.
I didn’t realize until writing it out that he flips the order in English.
5. My mom says this first one.
My grandmother always said I was a “fart in a skillet”.
Along with wishing with one hand and s*%tting in another, see which one fills up first.
It worked (for her) as me being indecisive or hyper.
So if I ran off to do something else she would shake her head and say, “lord, look at you, just like a fart in a skillet.”
4. It’s easier than remembering the word.
Referring to the TV remote as “the clicker”
UPDATE
I know why it’s called a “clicker” or in New England a “clickah” – this has been established a few times below.
To answer demographic questions: while I lived in Boston for 20+ years, my exposure to the term “the clicker” came from my grandfather who lived in NJ.
3. Thanks for this one, Grandma.
My grandma used to say “plate full of piss” to de scribe something uninteresting.
“Granny, did you watch Matlock last night?”
“I did. It was a plate full of piss.”
No idea about origin or anything. Foul mouthed granny’s are just part of growing up in Appalachia.
2. I was “skating on thin ice.”
Anyone else get told they were “Cruisin for a bruisin” as a kid or just me?
That or it was pointed out that I was “tap dancing on a landmine”.
1. That’s…not so adorable.
“The devil’s been beatin’ his wife”- when the sun is out but it’s still raining.
I heard this a lot growing up but apparently some people have never heard of it?
I kind of want to start using some of these myself now, if I’m being honest.
What expression comes to mind while reading this list? Share it with us in the comments!