10 Sayings Kids Today Won’t Understand
September 17, 2023
source: Library of Congress
As technology continues to evolve and our culture shifts, some once-common sayings are fading into obscurity. These 10 sayings serve as a reminder of how rapidly the world has changed and how some experiences that were once common are now unfamiliar to the younger generation. While these sayings may be fading away, they offer a glimpse into the not-so-distant past and the way things used to be in simpler times.
1. “Roll down the window”
In the days before power windows, rolling down a car window involved turning a crank handle. Today’s kids simply press a button to lower the window, making the phrase “roll down the window” a relic of the past.
2. “Rewind the tape”
Before the digital age, we used videotapes and cassettes for recording and playback. To watch something again or listen to a specific part, you had to rewind the tape manually. With streaming services and digital media, there’s no need to “rewind” anything anymore.
3. “Hang up the phone”
In the era of smartphones, saying “hang up the phone” seems strange to kids who have never seen a phone with a physical receiver. In the past, ending a call meant placing the receiver back on its cradle.
4. “Ditto”
Before the era of copy machines and digital documents, “ditto” was used to request a copy of something, often in school or office settings. It was a time-saving way of saying, “Give me the same as what you just gave to someone else.”
5. “Drop a dime”
In the days when payphones were common, making a call often required a dime (10 cents). The phrase “drop a dime” meant to make a call, but today’s kids may be puzzled by the connection between a dime and phone calls.
6. “Burning a CD”
Before music streaming and digital downloads, creating a personalized music collection involved “burning” songs onto a blank CD using a CD burner. This phrase is now obsolete as CDs themselves are becoming increasingly rare.
7. “You sound like a broken record”
Vinyl records were known to skip or repeat a section when damaged, hence the phrase “you sound like a broken record.” Kids today might not understand this reference as they are more accustomed to digital music without physical imperfections.
8. “Drop the needle”
Playing music on a record player involved physically placing a needle on the vinyl to start the music. This saying has lost its relevance in an age of instant music access and digital playback.
9. “Don’t touch that dial”
Before remote controls, changing the TV channel required getting up and turning a dial on the television set itself. Kids today may find it strange to hear this saying when they can simply use a remote control or voice command to change channels.
10. “Wait for your photos to be developed”
In the era of instant smartphone photography, the concept of waiting for film to be developed in order to see your pictures is foreign to kids. The phrase “wait for your photos to be developed” no longer holds the same meaning.
