[Previously wrote about words/phrases used in Midwestern states=
that might make them hard to understand. Now we talk about language us =E2=
=80=9CBoomers=E2=80=9D use that causes head-scratching in our grandkids. I =
am an early Boomer (born after dad came home from the Philippines) and thin=
k I still use most of these phrases daily! I will briefly define/illustrate=
each phrase so the poor non-Boomer generation can hope to decipher what I=
=E2=80=99m saying.
I have about 40 so that will run thru Thursday. I=
f you see I missed one, let me know. I won=E2=80=99t give you credit, but y=
ou can feel a sweet self-satisfaction on helping an old guy 😊]
1. WHAT=
=E2=80=99S ON THE BOOB TUBE?
(TV, with its giant tubes, was seen as foo=
lish or geared to foolish people, so gained the nickname)=
2. TAKE A CHILL=
-PILL or CHILL OUT
(relax, =
take it easy; cool down and get away from the heat)
3. BITE THE =
BULLET
(face challenges head-on, from the pr=
actice of doctors on TV giving a lead bullet for the cowboy to bite on when=
pain was intense)
4. BUG OUT
(quickly leave a bad=
situation, from military breaking camp or retreating in face of enemy)
5. CATCH YOU ON THE FLIP SIDE
(see you later, referring to 45 rpm records with a=
n =E2=80=9CA=E2=80=9D side song and turned over to =E2=80=9CB=E2=80=9D side=
for secondary song)
6. CAN YOU DIG IT?
(when you really like something or focused on an i=
dea or sound)
7. BUZZ OFF
=
(leave me alone, just go away)=
8. DON=
=E2=80=99T PUT ALL YOUR EGGS IN ONE BASKET
(=
have prudent foresight of events, since the unexpected can happen and you=
=E2=80=99re left with nothing)
9. ROLL DOWN THE WINDOW
(let fresh air in car or house, back when it took at actual crank to d=
o so)
10. CLOSE, BUT NO CIGAR
(good effort, but =
short of total success, from the cigar prize of carnival games that we soug=
ht to win but failed)
~~
Dr Bob Griffin
[email protected] =
www.grif.net
"Jesus Knows Me, T=
his I Love!"