12 Old-Fashioned Phrases Our Elders Used That We Should Bring Back Today
Older generations were onto something using these phrases.
Moe Magners | Pexels Language is always evolving, even if we don't notice it. As generations pass, words that were once commonplace fall out of fashion. Some people bemoan the ways that our style of communication has changed, yet many of those those changes are for the better.
People find new ways to describe things, sometimes digging deep into the past to find old-fashioned phrases our elders used that we should bring back today. Slang that our parents and grandparents used might sound outdated, but some of their tried-and-true sayings are worth dusting off and taking out for a spin.
Here are 12 old-fashioned phrases our elders used that we should bring back today
1. 'Now you're cooking with gas'
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The phrase "Now you're cooking with gas" means that you're on the right track. If you're trying to solve a difficult problem and you finally come up with a solution, someone might exclaim, "Now you're cooking with gas!"
The saying originated in the 1930s as part of an advertising campaign, designed to get people to switch from electric stoves to natural gas. According to Martha Barnette and Grant Barrett, the hosts of the show, "A Way With Words," the natural gas industry wanted to sway buying habits and get their product into more households, so they came up with the catchphrase, "Now you're cooking with gas."
"They didn't launch any newspaper ads, nothing big in the movie theaters," Barrett explained. "They went to the writers of the popular radio shows of the day. These were the people who were like the TV stars of their day, before there was TV."
"They got them to put this line in the scripts of people like Jack Benny and Bob Hope," he continued, referencing two famous comedians at the time. "Anytime something wonderful happened or somebody did something that deserved a sentiment of agreement, they would go, 'Now you're cooking with gas,' meaning, 'Now you're doing the right thing' or 'Now we're on the road to success,'" Barrett concluded.
While it may be almost 100 years old, the saying totally deserves a comeback.
2. 'Far out'
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Another old-fashioned phrase we should pick back up is saying "Far out" when we see something cool or impressive.
"Far out" originated from jazz. As Barrett noted, "It's connected to so many other slang terms over the years." He explained that when something is far out, it's "So good, it's beyond human experience. It's other-worldly."
"Far out" is connected to the saying "Out of sight," which is from the early 1800s. "By the 1920s, we get 'Out of this world' or 'Out of the world,' and it was very much in jazz... And then, by the 1940s, you would get 'Far out of this world,' which was quickly shortened, definitely by the 1950s, to "Far out," Barrett added.
It might surprise you to imagine your older relatives at nightclubs, throwing around edgy slang, but imagine how surprised they'll be when you say "Far out" at your next family function.
3. 'You're the cat's pajamas'
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The image of a cat wearing pajamas is adorable and strange, just like cats themselves. Yet the phrase has nothing to do with being weird; it's actually a compliment.
Telling someone they're the cat's pajamas means that you think highly of them. A person who's the cat's pajamas is easily the most magnetic person in any room.
According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, the phrase "cat's pajamas" originated in 1923 as "A slang term denoting 'excellence' and based on animal anatomy." It's connected to other feline-centric sayings from that same era, like "the cat's whiskers" or "the cat's meow."
The next time your work bestie aces a presentation, tell them they're the cat's pajamas so they know how great they really are.
4. 'Burning the midnight oil'
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Almost every college student has a story about pulling an all-nighter, when they stayed up studying until sunrise, just so they could pass their final exam. As it turns out, working so hard you go without sleeping isn't anything new.
The phrase "Burning the midnight oil" means working late into the night. It dates back to the 17th century, when people used oil lamps, meaning that "midnight oil" was a real thing to burn, instead of just a figurative saying.
If someone says that you look tired, tell them that you were up burning the midnight oil, and let their imagination run wild.
5. 'Sounds like you're in a pickle'
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A pickle is more than just a delicious component of girl dinner; it's also an old-fashioned way to tell someone they've found themselves in a difficult situation.
When a friend tells you about her new boyfriend's red flags or your boss demands that you answer his emails on the weekends, you can respond by saying, "It sounds like you're in a pickle."
According to Bon Appétit, "In a pickle" has roots in a Dutch saying, "In de pekel zitten," which translates literally to "In the pickle brine." Back in the day, being in a pickle was associated with being pickled, or drinking too much, which can certainly put someone in any number of difficult situations.
One particularly famous wordsmith, William Shakespeare, used the phrase in "The Tempest," referring to a character overindulging in alcohol. But even if you don't imbibe, you can still use this old-fashioned saying whenever you're facing trouble.
6. 'Happy as a clam'
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We might not think of clams as being especially happy, as bivalve mollusks don't express much emotion. But if we dive deeper into this old-fashioned phrase, we find that it actually makes a fair amount of sense.
The saying "Happy as a clam" is a shortened version of the original "Happy as a clam at high water," which refers to the fact that high tide protects clams from predators. At low tide, they're at risk of being scooped up by fishermen or snatched by a seagull, which would most likely make them feel sad.
The phrase was documented in an extremely old newspaper, "The Bangor Daily Whig and Courier," in 1841, but that doesn't mean we can't use it today. We can channel our inner clams by committing ourselves to the people we love and the activities that bring us the most joy, like bringing this old-fashioned phrase.
7. 'Put a sock in it'
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Telling someone to put a sock in it is an old-fashioned way to tell them to be quiet. As far as politeness goes, it's less harsh than saying, "Shut up," yet more forceful than gently asking a person to lower their voice.
Anyone who's been shushed by a librarian knows how quickly that sound gets people to quiet down, but what if you want to request silence with a retro feel? Just pull out this old-fashioned phrase and watch everyone go quiet with awe and respect.
8. 'Straight from the horse's mouth'
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Gossip is an almost unavoidable social phenomenon, but you can never be sure if what you're hearing is true. When you get information directly from the source that it's about, you're getting it straight from the horse's mouth.
The saying comes from horse racing, specifically, from determining how old a racing horse was. Young horses have fewer teeth than fully-grown horses. People could therefore figure out the age of their equine companions by looking into their mouths.
Spreading rumors is bound to hurt people, which is why you should make sure you're getting all your intel straight from the horse's mouth.
9. 'Bright-eyed and bushy-tailed'
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Being bright-eyed and bushy-tailed is an old-fashioned way of saying that you're awake, energetic, and ready to take on the day.
Waking up in the morning is never easy, especially if you struggle to get a good night's sleep. If you find yourself pulling up the covers and hitting the snooze button more often than not, just imagine you're an adorable woodland creature, like a bunny or a fawn, waking up in a meadow as the sun rises.
While the old you would chug coffee and stare at your computer screen, the bright-eyed and bushy-tailed version of you is cheerful, determined, and all geared up to be the most productive worker you can be.
10. 'Chew the fat'
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The idea of literally chewing the fat is unappetizing to most people, but the idiomatic meaning of the phrase "Chewing the fat" is actually quite enjoyable.
The dictionary definition of "Chew the fat" is to have a friendly, relaxed conversation, although that wasn't the phrase's original meaning. In England, before the 1880s, "Chewing the fat" meant to grumble or complain.
You can go way, way back and stay true to the saying's roots by using "Chew the fat" when you're faced with a task you don't want to do. If that doesn't work, you can keep it kind of current and tell your friends you want to hang out, "chew the fat," and bring old fads back to life.
11. 'Don't have a cow'
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Another old-fashioned phrase that we should bring back today is the phrase "Don't have a cow." "Having a cow" means getting upset or agitated about something, so telling someone not to have one could be seen as a form of conflict resolution.
While having difficult conversations can cause hurt feelings, exclaiming, "Don't have a cow," can cut that tension immediately.
12. 'They're really out to lunch'
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Saying that a person is "out to lunch" is an old-fashioned way of describing their less-than-stellar mental faculties. The phrase was first recorded in 1955, and it's associated with the idea of not being present.
The phrase "Out to lunch" refers to people who have low intelligence and poor self-awareness. When someone is "out to lunch," it means they're not very smart or observant. Being "out to lunch" means they're flaky, unreliable, and fairly clueless.
Some things should be left in the past, like fax machines, horse-drawn carriages, and going into an office for work. Yet other things, like these old-fashioned sayings, should be brought back to spice up any conversation.
Alexandra Blogier is a writer on YourTango's news and entertainment team. She covers social issues, pop culture analysis and all things to do with the entertainment industry.