Inspired by the Dirt thread . . .

[NotHardUp1]

OK, so Cormac's fun thread got me to wondering how much we do perceive generational markers correctly. The Tumblr quiz is fun, but not accurate to decades or age.

So, see what your awareness is. Below is a list of things that for the US would have died out in most places by different decades within the last hundred years. I'm not researching them, just guessing myself. See when you would place each event to which decade (1960's, 50's, 40's, 30's).


A. Polyester men's suits (leisure suits)

B. Motor courts (motels) popular

C. Cars sprout fins

D. Castor oil dosed to treat ailments

E. Ice boxes in wide use

F. Serials at the cinema

G. Shootings at school were marbles

H. Cheap tin toys were made in Japan for U.S.

I. Hot curlers were used by many girls

J. Hair oil used by most men

K. Good china was a must to entertain

L. Brides were given silverplate flatware

M. Cartoons were the only kids' programming on Sat. mornings

N. Typewriters were manual

O. Waffle irons were not electric

P. Women usually did not drive cars

R. Toilets were not indoors

S. Cake walks were things at parties or festivals

T. Every boy had a balsam wood glider, until it crashed

U. Walkie talkies were on Christmas wish lists

V. Avocados were unknown at the grocery

W. Yo-yos were popular toys

X. Men carried coffee thermoses to work

Y. Women wore girdles often

Z. Boys wore bow ties


No one will probably want to answer 26 items, but answer any you like or just read other folks' answers.

 

[unloadonme]

I don't remember any of that stuff and I'm 95.

 

[NotHardUp1]

Well, I admit they are mostly American-centric. I don't have any knowledge of what England was like over the decades.

 

[HoodedRat]

A. Polyester men's suits (leisure suits) 1970s?

C. Cars sprout fins 1950s?

D. Castor oil dosed to treat ailments 1940s?

J. Hair oil used by most men 1920s?

K. Good china was a must to entertain 1950s?

L. Brides were given silverplate flatware 1950s?

M. Cartoons were the only kids' programming on Sat. mornings 1960s?

R. Toilets were not indoors 1950s?

 

[rareboy]

A. Polyester men's suits (leisure suits) 70's

B. Motor courts (motels) popular 50's early 60's(depending on where you lived)

C. Cars sprout fins 50's

D. Castor oil dosed to treat ailments 1900-1950's

E. Ice boxes in wide use 1940's &50's

F. Serials at the cinema 1930's -50's

G. Shootings at school were marbles 50'sand 60's

H. Cheap tin toys were made in Japan for U.S. 1950's

I. Hot curlers were used by many girls 1960's

J. Hair oil used by most men 1950's - 63

K. Good china was a must to entertain 1950's through NOW

L. Brides were given silverplate flatware 50's & 60's

M. Cartoons were the only kids' programming on Sat. mornings 60's & 70's

N. Typewriters were manual 1900 - 1960's

O. Waffle irons were not electric 1900-1940's

P. Women usually did not drive cars 1900- 1930's

R. Toilets were not indoors up to the 60's

S. Cake walks were things at parties or festivals 1940's and 50's

T. Every boy had a balsam wood glider, until it crashed 1950's and 60's

U. Walkie talkies were on Christmas wish lists 1960's to 1975

V. Avocados were unknown at the grocery before 1975

W. Yo-yos were popular toys 50's

X. Men carried coffee thermoses to work up to the late 60's

Y. Women wore girdles often up to the 70's

Z. Boys wore bow ties 50's into the 60's

 

[Vannie]

1)-Polyester men's suits (leisure suits)

Had two leisure suits.One light beige and one navy blue. JCPenney


2)- Motor courts (motels) popular

We used to take trips in the eary 70's to historical towns in Virginia and stay in a Motor court Motel called The Raleigh. Immaculately clean at $16.00 a night.


3)- Good china was a must to entertain.

Yes...and the silverware was polished.


4)-Cartoons were the only kids' programming on Sat. mornings

My friend Billy and I sat glued to cartoons on Saturday mornings.


5)- Typewriters were manual

Had some kinda cheap plastic one.


6)- Every boy had a balsam wood glider, until it crashed

Had a few


7)- Walkie talkies were on Christmas wish lists

Still used long range Walkie talkies into the mid 90's


8)- Avocados were unknown at the grocery

also Kiwi fruit


9)-Yo-yos were popular toys

Had to be a Duncan


10)- Men carried coffee thermoses to work

My Dads fit inside his very big lunchbox with a latch mechanism to hold it in place. And he would sometimes fill it with Postum

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postum


11)-Women wore girdles often

Does this dress make me look fat


12)- Boys wore bow ties

Had a lot to go with my leisure suits

 

[Alistair]

Well, I admit they are mostly American-centric. I don't have any knowledge of what England was like over the decades.

Actually you're kind of describing americana with all your examples

 

[NotHardUp1]

Yes. Dated artifacts of American culture are legitimately deemed Americana.

I like Ike.

 

[purina]

1)-Polyester men's suits (leisure suits)

Had two leisure suits.One light beige and one navy blue. JCPenney

What d'ya mean had?

6)- Every boy had a balsam wood glider, until it crashed

Had a few

And the same number of Hi-Flyers.

 

[NotHardUp1]

And the same number of Hi-Flyers.

I started to mention Puffer Kites as well, but already had plenty of toys.

 

[Vannie]

What d'ya mean had?

If I remember correctly I had them in the mid-late 70's

 

[Rickrock]

A. Polyester men's suits (leisure suits) - 1970's

B. Motor courts (motels) popular - 1990's - aren't they still in use?

C. Cars sprout fins - They came in 1950's & a few still had them in the 1960's

D. Castor oil dosed to treat ailments - 1940's

E. Ice boxes in wide use - 1920's

F. Serials at the cinema - 1930's

G. Shootings at school were marbles - 1950's

H. Cheap tin toys were made in Japan for U.S. - 1970's - maybe even before this

I. Hot curlers were used by many girls - 1970's

J. Hair oil used by most men - 1950's

K. Good china was a must to entertain - 1940's - don't really know

L. Brides were given silverplate flatware - 1950's

M. Cartoons were the only kids' programming on Sat. mornings - 1960's

N. Typewriters were manual - 1960's - they started to be electric in the 1960's

O. Waffle irons were not electric - no idea maybe 1930's

P. Women usually did not drive cars - 1950's

R. Toilets were not indoors - 1910's

S. Cake walks were things at parties or festivals - no idea, maybe 1900's

T. Every boy had a balsam wood glider, until it crashed - 1960's

U. Walkie talkies were on Christmas wish lists - 1950's

V. Avocados were unknown at the grocery - 1960's

W. Yo-yos were popular toys - 1940's

X. Men carried coffee thermoses to work - 1950's

Y. Women wore girdles often - 1950's

Z. Boys wore bow ties - 1950's

I'm mostly guessing. I remember many of them being popular at a certain time, but not as sure about when they died out. When do we find out the answers by experts?

 

[NotHardUp1]

I'm mostly guessing. I remember many of them being popular at a certain time, but not as sure about when they died out. When do we find out the answers by experts?

I don't think we'll have any 100% consensus, and the die outs vary by region and rural vs. urban, of course. Urban use of outhouses ended far sooner than rural for the obvious reason that city sewage systems made it possible long before rural people could afford septic tanks.

And the use of ice boxes waned in the countryside only after the REA succeeded in getting electricity to the majority of residents in rural areas.

The linkage between transportation, electrification, and infrastructure is indeed an interesting one to see, as it was in the technology series Connections.

In the Dirt thread, the mention of wax Coke bottle candy was mentioned as very old thing, but it was not so old, only common after petrochemical industrialists found new markets briefly for paraffin.

 

[peeonme]

I saw most on that list, my grandmother called a refrigerator an "ice box".

 

[NotHardUp1]

Since you took the time to post and to ask, I'll post mine alongside yours as my guesses.

A. Polyester men's suits (leisure suits) - 1970's Agree

B. Motor courts (motels) popular - 1990's - aren't they still in use? Only in restorations. They decayed long ago and were becoming broken down shacks in most places as early as the 60's. These are the tiny cabins set in a horseshoe arrangement (usually).

C. Cars sprout fins - They came in 1950's & a few still had them in the 1960's Agreed

D. Castor oil dosed to treat ailments - 1940's I would hazard to guess it was still in wide use as late as the 60's.

E. Ice boxes in wide use - 1920's Agreed. Rural electrification was accelerated as Roosevelt stoked WPA and similar efforts in the 30's.

F. Serials at the cinema - 1930's Agreed. Their heyday was the 20's, but some lingered into the 30's.

G. Shootings at school were marbles - 1950's At the latest. Marbles dominated before schools had playground equipment.

H. Cheap tin toys were made in Japan for U.S. - 1970's - maybe even before this They began in the 20's, surged in Occupied Japan in the late 40's, and were still common as late as the 60's when safety concerns killed them off.

I. Hot curlers were used by many girls - 1970's Agreed. They were the rage in the 60's, blow away by handheld dryers in the 70's.

J. Hair oil used by most men - 1950's My read is that it dyed out in the 60's as "the dry look" gained ground.

K. Good china was a must to entertain - 1940's - don't really know I hit a peak when expendable income surged in the 50's and 60's, and has declined in every decade since.

L. Brides were given silverplate flatware - 1950's Followed the formal china boom.

M. Cartoons were the only kids' programming on Sat. mornings - 1960's 60's and 70's

N. Typewriters were manual - 1960's - they started to be electric in the 1960's Agreed

O. Waffle irons were not electric - no idea maybe 1930's Wealthy families in the 30's, the rest of us by the 50's.

P. Women usually did not drive cars - 1950's Again, probably an urban vs. rural difference. Women could drive but often didn't until the second world war

R. Toilets were not indoors - 1910's 1960s for rural families in many areas

S. Cake walks were things at parties or festivals - no idea, maybe 1900's They were a thing in the 20's and 30's, but lasted on until the 60's

T. Every boy had a balsam wood glider, until it crashed - 1960's made popular by the boom in commercial flights, so from 40's to the late 60's when plastic took over

U. Walkie talkies were on Christmas wish lists - 1950's probably peaked in the 60's as Japanese electronics made them more affordable

V. Avocados were unknown at the grocery - 1960's Agreed. They began showing up in the 70's

W. Yo-yos were popular toys - 1940's and before, but they hit a boom when plastics made them surge again in the 60's

X. Men carried coffee thermoses to work - 1950's All the way up to the late 60's when plastics displaced the glass bottle in a Thermos

Y. Women wore girdles often - 1950's Up to the 70's, only killed off by women's lib

Z. Boys wore bow ties - 1950's up to the 60's when clip on neck ties replaced them

 

[NotHardUp1]

I saw most on that list, my grandmother called a refrigerator an "ice box".

I think all my siblings still do. My mother was born in '31, her mother in 1910. That's a bit like the vernacular that doesn't die out. Sweet milk, light bread, ice box, parlor, and similar holdovers.

 

[peeonme]

I think all my siblings still do. My mother was born in '31, her mother in 1910. That's a bit like the vernacular that doesn't die out. Sweet milk, light bread, ice box, parlor, and similar holdovers.

My dear mom would have been 100 in Dec. this year, my dad would've been 115. They had me late in life and we live very old school. Funeral homes were funeral parlors, we had "good china" as well as silver plated flat wear, it was used on holidays only. I still like a proper table set on Thanksgiving, Easter and Christmas.

 

[NotHardUp1]

There is a social function for using special items on ceremonial occasions like holidays. It's extra work, but that was the point.

 

[NotHardUp1]

Speaking of ancients, this is an exaggeration and not a completely fair comparison, but funny and almost on topic:

 

[Kahaih]

I saw most on that list, my grandmother called a refrigerator an "ice box".

I've been laughed at for calling a glove compartment a glove box.

I like terms that are quick, condensed, and/or flow easily off the tongue.

Most people I know have condensed 'the refrigerator' to 'the fridge'.