Things in living memory which seem very anachronistic now

[GordonT]

The first definition is really just a subset of the second one. Being "old-fashioned" means belonging to an earlier period to when it was seen, the second definition encompasses that and more by covering anything belonging to any different period to when it was seen. Neither of those definitions cover things being seen in the period they belong to, which is what most of the things posted in this thread are.

So what would you advocate as being a more appropriate description for the thread?

 

[AndrewE]

So what would you advocate as being a more appropriate description for the thread?

just use "old-fashioned" or "out-dated."
If you want to be really precise, the Wikipedia page says

Metachronism​

A metachronism (from the Greek μετά, "after", and χρόνος, "time")[1] is the use of older cultural artifacts in modern settings which may seem inappropriate. For example, it could be considered metachronistic for a modern-day person to be depicted wearing a top hat or writing with a quill.

Which says "Rees-Mogg" to me!

I would offer drawing water from my aunt's farm (household) well with a hand-pump and carrying it in buckets or a big jug for all the household needs.

 

[Dent]

So what would you advocate as being a more appropriate description for the thread?

The best description for most of the examples posted so far would be "Things you remember being different", or even just "Things you remember".

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 3 Sep 2024 ==

just use "old-fashioned" or "out-dated."

Most of the things posted here were not old-fashioned or out-dated at the time they were remembered from, they were perfectly normal and current when they existed.

 

[OhNoAPacer]

Most of the things posted here were not old-fashioned or out-dated at the time they were remembered from, they were perfectly normal and current when they existed.

Surely the intention of the thread is for examples of things that were commonplace but that if seen now would be anachronistic.
It may not be a strictly correct title but it is hardly the most egregiously wrong one either.

 

[dangie]

Is it anachronistic that more people used to actually know what "anachronistic" means than do now?

Can’t actually say it’s a word which has ever cropped up in any of my everyday conversations.

 

[Dent]

Surely the intention of the thread is for examples of things that were commonplace but that if seen now would be anachronistic.
It may not be a strictly correct title but it is hardly the most egregiously wrong one either.

Things which would be anachronistic if seen in a different period to when they were actually seen encompasses literally everything, by the definition of "anachronistic". The premise is like saying things which would be blue if you painted them blue.

 

[GordonT]

The best description for most of the examples posted so far would be "Things you remember being different", or even just "Things you remember".

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 3 Sep 2024 ==


Most of the things posted here were not old-fashioned or out-dated at the time they were remembered from, they were perfectly normal and current when they existed.

How about "Things you remember which some might find odd if seen in a modern setting"?

 

[OhNoAPacer]

Things which would be anachronistic if seen in a different period to when they were actually seen encompasses literally everything, by the definition of "anachronistic". The premise is like saying things which would be blue if you painted them blue.

Well it can depend.
Something can no longer be commonplace, even though it once was, without being anachronistic.
In any case it is intended to be a light hearted thread were the title not being accurate, to whatever degree, hardly matters.

 

[dangie]

In any case it is intended to be a light hearted thread were the title not being accurate, to whatever degree, hardly matters.

Unfortunately there are some who dissect everything just to be pedantic

 

[Westinghouse]

The "Beechnut Chewing Gum" machine outside the sweetshop adjacent to the school. 1d a packet. Turn knob, out it came. BUT every 4th go delivered two packets ! A little arrow on the knurled knob indicated when jackpot was next. You then hung around until the arrow was pointing outward. In goes your penny and you've hit the big time ! Happy days for sure.

 

[GordonT]

Unfortunately there are some who dissect everything just to be pedantic

I think as the original title has now been around for over a fortnight with multiple responses in the fashion that was intended I shall not edit it in case that creates a further dissection.

 

[AndrewE]

Well it can depend.
Something can no longer be commonplace, even though it once was, without being anachronistic.
In any case it is intended to be a light hearted thread where the title not being accurate, to whatever degree, hardly matters.

I absolutely agree. 548 replies says other people do too... (I am amazed that our resident classicist hasn't weighed in with his greater mind and education, but never mind!)

Various "new old" things pop into my mind at odd times of the day or night, but I have usually forgotten them by the time I come to post... How about children arriving at primary (infant) school accompanied by parents - i.e. mothers - exclusively on foot, and after that walking to junior school in small groups of friends without a parent?

Did anybody else learn "country dancing" at junior school (age 7 to 10?) It has stood me in good stead!

"Music and movement" (BBC prog) being played for us at infant school and BBC schools radio science programmes (accompanied by a black-and-white pamphlet) in about 1964...

And most sadly, at infant and junior school, a cohort of ageing/elderly unmarried women teachers who lost their boyfriends and most of the potential stand-ins in the 1st World War.

 

[Hadlow Road]

Unfortunately there are some who dissect everything just to be pedantic

A joy to read dissect, rather than disect. You have quite made my day, thank you.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

I absolutely agree. 548 replies says other people do too... (I am amazed that our resident classicist hasn't weighed in with his greater mind and education, but never mind!)

Is it not the case that none of the forum quizmaster team nor any of the moderators have seen fit to state the quiz was having off-topic postings made upon it because of the lack of understanding of the word in question

I was in the Classics Stream from 1956 to 1962 at St Bede's College, Manchester studying both Greek and Latin and won the 6th form Classics Prize in 1961 for my summation of the works of Xenophon in relation to war relating.

 

[dangie]

A joy to read dissect, rather than disect. You have quite made my day, thank you.

Google was my friend

 

[OhNoAPacer]

Unfortunately there are some who dissect everything just to be pedantic

Some people give us pedants a bad name

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Google was my friend

A similar word, with only one intermediate letter "S" is bisect.

 

[londonbridge]

Aerogrammes - fold up pieces of blue paper for air mail letters, which came with an address space and 'airmail postage paid' note, so no need for paper and envelope.

In my younger days I had a pen pal in the US and used those quite a bit to write to her. A search turned up a suggestion on Money Saving Expert that they were discontinued in 2012, but someone bumped the thread about five years later and said they’d used two old ones that they still had and both got through, the person was told by the post office they were still valid when he posted them. Obviously there probably wouldn’t be too many still lying around in peoples houses these days.

And of course, with advances in communication methods, having a pen pal is another tradition that has largely died out.

 

[The exile]

Having to go into a bank to open an account, apply for credit, change account details etc. All seems very antiquated now.

Was often a lot less hassle though - especially if “known personally” was enough to verify ID!

 

[Harpo]

When banks were quiet places, with no "piped music"

What’s a bank?

 

[Killingworth]

Was often a lot less hassle though - especially if “known personally” was enough to verify ID!

To open an account 60 years ago you needed a referee. A parent or existing customer would do. Otherwise the bank would need to verify the referee with their own bank. A date of birth was not required.

That could lead to increasing difficulty as DOB became part of standard ID procedures. Many long standing customers had defaulted to 00.00.0000 so were told they'd got it wrong! But of course they couldn't be told what the bank had recorded and had to go into branch to get it 'corrected'.

 

[Whistler40145]

Green Shield Stamps

 

[PeterY]

Green Shield Stamps

As kids we used to love licking and sticking them into the books, along with the Co-Op stamps. I think with Green shield stamps, it was 7/6 for cash or 15 shillings if you brought items from the Green Shield shop in Watford. (Values maybe wrong)

 

[dangie]

The Inspector getting on the bus and checking tickets.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Reversible varnished wooden seats on street tramways.

 

[GordonT]

The Inspector getting on the bus and checking tickets.

And drivers or conductors clambering up the exterior front of many 1960s or older double-deckers in order to reach the handles to wind the destination blind or service number blinds.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

When tripe was always in plentiful display in butchers shops.

 

[Ediswan]

When tripe was always in plentiful display in butchers shops.

Live eels in a tin bath outside the wet fish shop.

 

[Harpo]

Live eels in a tin bath outside the wet fish shop.

Jellied eels widely available.

 

[GusB]

When tripe was always in plentiful display in butchers shops.

If you have a regular butcher, I'm fairly sure they'd be able to supply it if you asked. I've never eaten tripe, but one of the supermarkets I worked in used to stock it; I remember having to scan it at the checkout and my initial reation was "eurgh"! That was almost 30 years ago, though and I haven't seen it since. I suppose it's one of those things that just went out of fashion. Similarly, kidney is something that doesn't seem to be as widely available these days; I love a steak and kidney pie.

Dare I mention mutton? My late dad always used to lament the fact that Scotch pies were no longer made with mutton. It was another thing that went out of fashion, yet these days you have "celebrity" chefs raving about "hogget", which is halfway between lamb and mutton (and no doubt attracts the premium prices that go with the latest food fads)!

When I think about it, having a local butcher is in itself quite an anachronistic concept! I'm lucky that we've still got one here in the village and I'll go there if I want to treat myself to a decent steak. I just wish there was a local fishmonger to go along with it.