Outdated Slang IV

Ecommerce will never work

When did people stop saying...

Any joy?
canalise (popular 40s to 1960, then steep decline)

cheerio (peaked 30s)

destructive/constructive (constructive peaked 20s to 50s. Constructive criticism has been popular since the 30s.)

Ecommerce will never work.

for yonks (early 70s)

from here on in

full of the joys of spring (peaked 1900)

give it up as a bad job (peaked 30s)

haemorrhage (funds etc)

I don’t think!

I’m afraid I don’t know anything about computers.

in any way, shape or form

in-crowd

india-rubber for rubber (india rubber was non-vulcanised and more “natural”, also thought to be more bouncy)

inscape

intuitive interface (They all are now – or are supposed to be.)

literature for brochures, leaflets, handouts, “information packs” etc

lover (the word “boyfriend” came back – and “lover” always sounded a bit self-conscious. Boyfriend has been steadily rising since the 60s.)

mindset (sharp rise from 70s)

moonbat (spike 1990)

neurotic (especially in the accusative - peaked early 50s)

on second thoughts… (or “on second thought”, as the Americans say)

push-pull technology

right/well out of order (70s)

same here

Schwing! (Probably 1980.)

This I must see.

tunny fish/tuna fish (because people might not know that tuna was a fish)

TV rots the brain.


jellyfish (now “jellies”)

umbrella (umbrella term, Dance Umbrella)

unpack (a concept)

up to you (now “down to”)

You pays your money and you takes your choice.

Thanks to NGram.

Part III here, and links to Parts I and II.