Terms that you don't hear young people use these days

[McRhu]

"Cor blimey guv, strike a light."

 

[joebassman]

Cockney rhyming slang.

My old lady and my old man

 

[John Griffiths]

That's all my eye and Betty Martin

 

[McRhu]

Gaun doon the watter fur the ferr?

 

[Gloster]

Note quite ones you don’t hear, but ones where the wrong word is often used: floor for ground and (in a bus) chair for seat. There are plenty of others that I could add in at the end of each day

 

[yorkie]

Note quite ones you don’t hear, but ones where the wrong word is often used: floor for ground and (in a bus) chair for seat. There are plenty of others that I could add in at the end of each day

Can you elaborate please?

How about spending a penny?

I am not sure I've heard anyone actually say that; it's the sort of thing I only occasionally get to read, usually in some sort of article which is trying to use complicated language.

Floppy disk

Not in scope as these are not used any more

Modem

Actually people do occasionally use this term to describe devices which aren't actually modems!

Fax machine

Again not in scope

The blower, for telephone

I don't think I've ever heard anyone say this in my entire life, not even grandparents.

Gaun doon the watter fur the ferr?

No idea what this means but this is more of a phrase than a term

"Cor blimey guv, strike a light."

Again this is a phrase, and I'm not sure I've ever heard anyone say this !

Some from the top of my head:
....
Tea (instead of dinner)
...

I agree with pretty much all of these except tea; it's still used in Yorkshire to describe an evening meal, but I suspect that dinner is becoming more prevalent. I should do a poll some time...

 

[Howardh]

"Light" as in "have you a light" as smoking seems to have all but been extinguished amongst 16 - 30's!

 

[Gloster]

Can you elaborate please?

I mean that all too often you hear the wrong word being used. For example, by a mother to her child on the bus, “Don’t sit on the ground, you’ll get your clothes dirty. Sit on the chair.” Or, the one that prompted this, a news item where a reviewer refers to the ground as the floor.

 

[Jimini]

Can you elaborate please?


I am not sure I've heard anyone actually say that; it's the sort of thing I only occasionally get to read, usually in some sort of article which is trying to use complicated language.

Not in scope as these are not used any more

Actually people do occasionally use this term to describe devices which aren't actually modems!

Again not in scope

I don't think I've ever heard anyone say this in my entire life, not even grandparents.


No idea what this means but this is more of a phrase than a term

Again this is a phrase, and I'm not sure I've ever heard anyone say this !


I agree with pretty much all of these except tea; it's still used in Yorkshire to describe an evening meal, but I suspect that dinner is becoming more prevalent. I should do a poll some time...

'The blower' for a telephone is still bandied about quite a bit round here!

 

[Cdd89]

Calling council tax “the rates”, which I heard someone say the other day.

Calling unemployment benefit “the giro”.

Calling stops “stages”.

Calling a car a “motor”.

“On the other side” - referring to an alternative television channel from the current one.

I’m not sure I’ve heard a young person say “chemist” - always “pharmacy”.

Do young people say “cashpoint”, or is it always “cash machine” now?

 

[XAM2175]

I mean that all too often you hear the wrong word being used. For example, by a mother to her child on the bus, “Don’t sit on the ground, you’ll get your clothes dirty. Sit on the chair.” Or, the one that prompted this, a news item where a reviewer refers to the ground as the floor.

Referring to the ground as the "floor" seems to be a uniquely British thing, age aside.

Calling council tax “the rates”, which I heard someone say the other day.

In fairness, the name was officially changed quite some time ago so you'd not expect younger people to have ever used it.

Calling unemployment benefit “the giro”.

Same for this one, since being paid by the giro process is quite some time in the past now.

“On the other side” - referring to an alternative television channel from the current one.

Not quite as relevant now that there's no single "opposite" channel!

 

[450.emu]

Calling council tax “the rates”, which I heard someone say the other day.

Calling unemployment benefit “the giro”.

Calling stops “stages”.

Calling a car a “motor”.

“On the other side” - referring to an alternative television channel from the current one.

I’m not sure I’ve heard a young person say “chemist” - always “pharmacy”.

Do young people say “cashpoint”, or is it always “cash machine” now?

Young people don’t use cash machines nowadays, fam (Fam being a word for mate, derived from Family) everything is done via contactless in the shop whilst their £900 electric scooter is dumped right outside the convenience store entrance.

Channel is more used in connection with YouTube, and your "motor" is now your "whip" (nothing to do with politics, more likely an Audi RS6 or otherwise with annoying pop pop pop exhaust, like a Deltic on a cold start)

 

[185143]

That reminded me that one word I rarely* hear these days is "the Telly". Most people now seem to use "TV" instead. Or maybe that's just the circle of family and acquaintances I meet.

* - the main exception being comedian Craig Cash (ex-Royle Family) who narrates Gogglebox, on the odd occasions I watch it.

It's pretty much always "The Telly" for me!

How about spending a penny?

"Need a/going for a P..." (either a three or 4 letter word at end)

I do call the evening meal "tea" and am quite pedantic about it being the "Railway Station".

My Grandma used to call the pub (And maybe that's another one, does anyone still say "Public House"?) "The Alehouse". Never heard anyone but her say that. Though she was very Lancashire, so it might be a regional thing.

On the topic of pubs, do many people actually say "Wetherspoons", or is it pretty much just "'Spoons?" And what about "toilet" as well? I hear a lot of people, particularly blokes out on the pop, telling their mates "I'm just going for a p*ss".

 

[alxndr]

"Light" as in "have you a light" as smoking seems to have all but been extinguished amongst 16 - 30's!

I’d say that and I’m in that age bracket. I know a fair few others who would too.

I’m not sure I’ve heard a young person say “chemist” - always “pharmacy”.

I think I might have said that yesterday morning! I probably say “pharmacy” more frequently but do sometimes call it the “chemist”—it’s shorter!

 

[DelayRepay]

And what about "toilet" as well? I hear a lot of people, particularly blokes out on the pop, telling their mates "I'm just going for a p*ss".

I would use toilet if being slightly more formal, e.g. if I was asking a plumber to repair that particular appliance in my bathroom, or if I was asking someone for directions.

With mates it's "I'm going for a p***", or "I'm going to the bog". Or sometimes just "I'll be back in a minute". If it was family or colleagues rather than mates I might say "loo".

My boss always says "using the facilities" or "taking a comfort break".

I did once hear someone in our call centre say to a caller (who wanted to speak to a particular person) "Can you hold on? He's not at his desk. I think he's gone for a wee".

Describing a toilet as a WC seems to have fallen out of fashion, apart from on maps. And I've not heard the word lavatory used for a long long time.

 

[yorkie]

I mean that all too often you hear the wrong word being used. For example, by a mother to her child on the bus, “Don’t sit on the ground, you’ll get your clothes dirty. Sit on the chair.” Or, the one that prompted this, a news item where a reviewer refers to the ground as the floor.

Ok so these aren't examples of terms which young people are no longer using; you're talking about a completely different concept. Also if that's your experience fair enough but it does t match mine.

 

[DelayRepay]

“On the other side” - referring to an alternative television channel from the current one.

Not quite as relevant now that there's no single "opposite" channel!

My grandad always used the "the other side" to mean ITV. He still said that long after BBC 2 and Channel 4 appeared.

Whereas my mum says it to mean "any channel other than the one I'm watching". E.g. if a programme is boring she'll say "Let's see what's on the other side" then flick through all the channels. She also never says ITV. It's either Yorkshire, or three. Whereas if you told a youngster to put Yorkshire on for Corrie they would not know what you meant!

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Whereas if you told a youngster to put Yorkshire on for Corrie they would not know what you meant!

Certainly not outside the Yorkshire TV region they wouldn't!

 

[DelayRepay]

Do you still hear pushchairs (used for small children) described as a "buggy"? I don't think I've heard that for a long time.

 

[yorksrob]

Do young people still say "up yours" ?

 

[DelayRepay]

Do young people still say "up yours" ?

I do! But not in polite company. I often mutter it under my breath though

 

[yorksrob]

I do! But not in polite company. I often mutter it under my breath though

Good to know it's not completely fallen out of use

 

[Bletchleyite]

Referring to the ground as the "floor" seems to be a uniquely British thing, age aside.

A floor is inside a building or vehicle. The ground is the actual earth.

 

[ABB125]

A floor is inside a building or vehicle. The ground is the actual earth.

What about the ground floor?

 

[XAM2175]

A floor is inside a building or vehicle. The ground is the actual earth.

... yes, I know this. It's why I made the post.

 

[Bletchleyite]

What about the ground floor?

Still the floor, raised above the ground slightly.

... yes, I know this. It's why I made the post.

So you are saying young people say "I sat on the ground in the train as no seats were available"? Never heard that that I recall. They'd say floor.

 

[XAM2175]

So you are saying young people say "I sat on the ground in the train as no seats were available"? Never heard that that I recall. They'd say floor.

Yes, but not specifically from young people. I was saying that I'd only ever heard it in the UK, but if anything it's more from people in the 20s to 40s. Anyway, as it's more of an error of speech than an age distinction, it's off topic.

 

[najaB]

Calling council tax “the rates”, which I heard someone say the other day.

My nephew (who's turning 24 this week) talked about his "poll tax" yesterday!

That said, he was speaking with my brother (who's 52) at the time, so it might have been for his benefit.

(I guess that's the opposite to this thread though, a younger person using a term that would never have been current in their lifetime).

 

[birchesgreen]

Corporation pop

 

[Busaholic]

What about the ground floor?

You mean what the Americans call the first floor?