Terms Which Have Disappeared

[tonyb]

And then there are those phrases that can mean not only very different things, but even the direct opposite.

“Nothing is too good for him” comes to mind.

 

[Upgrade]

There’s a whole branch of linguistics dedicated to how words can change to their opposite meaning over time.

Terrific, awful, and decimate come to mind. Inflammable was confusing.

There’s many types of meaning changes, but the semantic change page lists auto-antonym or contronym for words that change to their opposites which itself has many other terms for it.

 

[3fingers]

And then there are those phrases that can mean not only very different things, but even the direct opposite.

“Nothing is too good for him” comes to mind.

I have on a rare occasion told someone to have the day they deserve. Always with a normal tone of voice.
You can see the wheels turning, but they are not quite sure if you just wished them well or told them to get bent.

 

[tonyb]

^^^^
“Have a day” prompts similar reactions.

 

[LizzieMaine]

I told someone today that I was "busier than a one-armed paperhanger," and received a horrified gape in response.

 

[Bushman]

At least you didn't say you were busier than a one legged man in an asskicking contest. Somehow I feel the reaction would have been worse.

 

[tonyb]

Gone to rack and ruin.

 

[Upgrade]

I rewatched 12 Angry Men and noticed the continuous towel dispenser in the public bathroom; the type that was a cloth towel mounted in an endless loop.

I’ve always wondered if they were particularly hygienic or if they were washed often.

Apparently they are still sold today though I’ve never encountered one.

 

[tonyb]

^^^^
Such were common well within my memory, although I don’t recall seeing one in decades.

I believe that when the roll of clean fabric was exhausted it rolled no more.

Like you, I question how hygienic those things were. I’d guess not very. Might go some way toward explaining why we didn’t see them anymore.

 

[LizzieMaine]

You can still get them from industrial-janitorial suppliers -- https://www.cannonhygiene.com/services/washroom-care/roller-paper-towels/roller-towels

I haven't actually seen one in a very long time, but they used to be found at the "sanitary facilities" on the grounds of our local county fair. Judging from the flies, I don't think they were real strict about replacing the roll.

 

[Haversack]

They are actually quite an old idea. In the German National Museum in Nürnberg, there is tall wooden washstand and cabinet from the 16th C. On the side of the cabinet are two round wooden towel bars spaced about 6' apart. Running between them is a continuous loop of linen towel. The end caps on the towel bars are removable so the loop of linen can be replaced when soiled.

 

[Bushman]

I remember those. I worked on the loading dock of the Merchandise Mart in Chicago right out of high school and they had 'em in the bathrooms still. Last time I went there (coincidentally, once again looking for work, this time at NBC Sports) I looked and it seems they were replaced with those super blower air dryers that just shoot the water off your hands in every direction.

 

[3fingers]

Winding and installing a new roll is a skill.
A towel roll and a Boraxo dispenser are accessories in my ultimate washroom.

 

[LizzieMaine]

I have one of our old Boraxo dispensers from the gas station at my bathroom sink. One of the kids used it and screamed OH MY GOD LIZZIE WHAT DID I PUT ON MY HANDS?

 

[Trenchfriend]

I loved the 90s with the rasp-soap crank dispensers. And the soapy smell!

 

[ChiTownScion]

I rewatched 12 Angry Men and noticed the continuous towel dispenser in the public bathroom; the type that was a cloth towel mounted in an endless loop.

I’ve always wondered if they were particularly hygienic or if they were washed often.

Apparently they are still sold today though I’ve never encountered one.

An odd coincidence but I was at a family memorial/"wake without a body" yesterday held, of all places, at a small neighborhood bowling alley in the city. They had one of those towel things.

 

[3fingers]

I’ve always wondered if they were particularly hygienic or if they were washed often.

They were provided by a laundry service. You got as many rolls as you needed to get through until your next service day. When you hit the end of the roll you took that one out and replaced it with a clean one. On your day your route man took the used rolls and left you with clean ones. These companies provided everything cloth for businesses from garages and restaurants to beauty parlors. Towels, uniforms, the red shop rag the guy at the garage always had hanging from his pocket, etc. Even floor mats were swapped out with a fresh set. They also serviced the soap dispensers and many times all of the bathroom accessories. A good route man had specific items based on where they were going so a restaurant didn't get a ratty or stained roll towel that came from an auto repair shop.
It's all run by a few large companies now, but they used to be locally owned businesses. Our major one around here was aptly named Clean Towel Service.

 

[vitanola]

I told someone today that I was "busier than a one-armed paperhanger," and received a horrified gape in response.

I'm as nervous as a long-tailed paperhanger in a room full of one-armed cats in rocking chairs.

 

[Inkstainedwretch]

I've always wondered...
Do land offices really do a lot of business?
Do hotcakes really sell?
Are churchmice really poor?

 

[Fading Fast]

...Are churchmice really poor?

I've always liked that expression, but rarely use it anymore as you get a lot of blank stares today when you do.