Terms Which Have Disappeared

[tonyb]

In the justifications where I do the bulk of my driving, there is clear signage indicating that the intersection the driver is approaching has photo red light enforcement. The presence of "speed snitch" photo radar vans is also clearly indicated by signs placed sufficient distance ahead to allow a driver who actually notices the signs to bring his or her vehicle down to the posted speed limit.

I've heard and read of the controversies concerning red light cameras. The dilemma is that the more effective they are in their stated purpose -- to reduce red light running and in so doing the frequency of collisions in the intersections -- the less cost effective they are. Fewer tickets, less revenue. But law enforcement costs money, whether it's automated or not. So long as there is honest, evenhanded enforcement -- no tweaking the duration of the yellow caution light, for instance -- I'm cool with it.

As to laws existing mostly to generate revenue for the enforcement agencies, I save my scorn for civil forfeiture, wherein personal assets are seized without criminal convictions. It provides the agencies with a strong incentive to emphasize enforcement of certain laws, which inevitably leaves less attention paid to others. And, as convictions aren't necessary, it also does nothing to discourage sloppy police work. Hey! We don't need a conviction to score this Mercedes! So let's not bother with all the legal niceties.

 

[BlueTrain]

While generally speaking, justice is usually served, there is still a lot of injustices in the system from top to bottom and the blame can be evenly spread out among everyone from the policeman on the beat to the legislators writing the laws.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Hey, all that state of the art tactical gear costs money.

Not really. Most of the swat gear, including the mrap vehicles come free from the feds.

 

[DocCasualty]

Not really. Most of the swat gear, including the mrap vehicles come free from the feds.

Is that anything like a free lunch?

 

[tonyb]

In the justifications where I do the bulk of my driving, there is clear signage indicating that the intersection the driver is approaching has photo red light enforcement. .,.

Should read "jurisdictions," of course, not "justifications." I can blame auto-correct, I think.

 

[St. Louis]

This morning I caught myself telling someone that I had "wiped the slate clean." Then I realized that this young person probably had no idea what that phrase means in its literal sense. I actually grew up in a very rural area & believe this or not, I learned to write on a slate with a chalk pencil (and no, I'm not 100 years old.) We used damp rags to wipe our slates clean.

 

[Stearmen]

This morning I caught myself telling someone that I had "wiped the slate clean." Then I realized that this young person probably had no idea what that phrase means in its literal sense. I actually grew up in a very rural area & believe this or not, I learned to write on a slate with a chalk pencil (and no, I'm not 100 years old.) We used damp rags to wipe our slates clean.

Actually, that is coming back, but now it would be, "wipe the whiteboard clean!"

 

[Fading Fast]

"Nogoodnic" is one I heard now and then growing up, but, pretty much, only from the older generation even then. I haven't heard it in decades.

And I'm sure we've posted this one before, but "frock" for a women's dress isn't one you really hear anymore either.

 

[BlueTrain]

That's because women don't wear dresses anymore. They don't, do they?

"Frock" was also used as a term for a certain coat in the British army, although the term has gone out of use, along with the item itself. It is not to be confused with "frock coat," which is still in use but only in a few circumstances. Band masters are typically issued frock coats but not all of them. As an item of civilian dress, a man's frock coat fell out of fashion sometime between the wars, I think, although the morning coat (a tail coat) is still seen sometimes. I've never seen anyone wearing any of them (in real life).

Likewise, for some reason, "smock" was long used in the British army for what we would term a field coat, although in point of fact, I never heard that term used in the U.S. Army, either. They were universally called a "field jacket," after the official name of the short jacket issued from around 1941. It began to be replaced by the M1943 outfit before the end of the war. The British have finally begun using the term "field jacket," and their garments are so labeled.

 

[LizzieMaine]

The only time you ever see a frock coat in public these days is at a Doctor Who cosplay convention.

"Frock" for a dress was always more of a Britishism than an Americanism. It was used in some prewar women's shops trying for an upscale image, but it fell out of use in all but the most la-de-dah kind of stores by the end of the war. It has, however, made something of an internet comeback among such members of the fashion-blogger crowd who wish to appear more cosmopolitan than they actually are.

 

[Fading Fast]

The only time you ever see a frock coat in public these days is at a Doctor Who cosplay convention.

"Frock" for a dress was always more of a Britishism than an Americanism. It was used in some prewar women's shops trying for an upscale image, but it fell out of use in all but the most la-de-dah kind of stores by the end of the war. It has, however, made something of an internet comeback among such members of the fashion-blogger crowd who wish to appear more cosmopolitan than they actually are.

Hence, since I am not a member of the "fashion-blogger crowd who wish to appear more cosmopolitan..." I haven't seen it. My web "fashion" interests are this site's sartorial section and the "traditional" side of Ask Andy About Clothes - probably as far from the cool kids as I could get (my safe place).

Lizzie, was "nogoodnic" used up in Maine by the old-timers when you were growing up like it was in central Jersey?

 

[Doctor Strange]

It's typically spelled "nogoodnik" - the "nik" ending coming from Yiddish words like nudnik ("a pest"). Clearly, a word of Jewish origin.

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

 

[LizzieMaine]

We didn't get that one here, despite having a good-sized Jewish community along the coast. We did, however, hear a lot of "schmuck."

 

[Fading Fast]

It's typically spelled "nogoodnik" - the "nik" ending coming from Yiddish words like nudnik ("a pest"). Clearly, a word of Jewish origin.

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

Interesting - would not have guessed / thought it had a Yiddish origin. That said, on the Wikipedia page you link to, I couldn't find "nogoodnik -" even using the "find" function. Am I missing the obvious (something I do quite often)?

We didn't get that one here, despite having a good-sized Jewish community along the coast. We did, however, hear a lot of "schmuck."

"Schmuck" popped up occasionally in my New Jersey youth, but in very Jewish New York City, I hear the word, to this day, frequently.

 

[Doctor Strange]

No, it's not on that page. But a lot of other interesting words are. Sorry to be misleading!

"Nogoodnik" isn't actually a real Yiddish word, per se. It's a Yinglish word that applies the Yiddish "nik" suffix to the English "nogood".

 

[scottyrocks]

"Schmuck" popped up occasionally in my New Jersey youth, but in very Jewish New York City, I hear the word, to this day, frequently.

And it's so satisfying to say, especially with emphasis. haha

 

[MisterCairo]

"Nogoodnic" is one I heard now and then growing up, but, pretty much, only from the older generation even then. I haven't heard it in decades.

And I'm sure we've posted this one before, but "frock" for a women's dress isn't one you really hear anymore either.

It is fairly common in the UK.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

We didn't get that one here, despite having a good-sized Jewish community along the coast. We did, however, hear a lot of "schmuck."

I k ow in the US Marine Corps ascrew up is called Schmuckatelli.

 

[Stanley Doble]

"Beatnik" was created by a newspaper columnist Herb Caen. "Nogoodnik" may have had a similar origin. I think both were inspired by "Sputnik" a word that came out of Russia in 1957 and became very influential. So, more Russian than Yiddish.

 

[Seb Lucas]

To a smart alec kid you might say, "Don't come the raw prawn with me, Sunny Jim." I haven't heard that since the mid 1980's. Very old Australian saying. Meaning -"Don't try to play me, Kiddo"