The 20 phrases that have gone extinct due to modern technology
- Before the advent of smartphones and advanced technologies, individuals used a distinct language.
- Nowadays, it is uncommon to hear phrases like “Beep me,” “Check the machine,” and “Roll down the window.”
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I’m certain you recall this: ‘You end the call first.’ ‘No, you end the call first.’
It loses some of its charm when you struggle to find the button to end a call on your smartphone, doesn’t it?
As our technology evolves and times progress, the language we employ also undergoes transformation.
Let’s embark on a nostalgic journey, exploring something unique in our pursuit of the ultimate technological knowledge.
Take note of the number of times you have mentioned this phrase in your lifetime.
Lower the window.I still use the manual ‘rolling down’ feature in my 1964 Mustang, even though automatic windows have been around for a long time in cars.
Please review the messages on the answering machine.The existence of voicemail on mobile phones has made physical answering machines unnecessary. I find it fascinating that Apple’s iOS 17 allows you to listen to a voicemail as it is being recorded, giving you the option to answer the call. Is this a recent development? Not really.
● Dial 411: My mother helped design the 411 directory system for Bell Labs. Now, just look someone up online, and you have their digits.
● Beep me:Once upon a time, pagers were extremely popular. However, nowadays they are primarily utilized in healthcare or other specialized sectors.
● I’ll tape it:You no longer use DVR and streaming services to ‘tape’ shows. Instead, you can simply press the record button on your device or watch it later on-demand.
Notify me: Pagers were extremely popular in the past, but now they are mainly utilized in healthcare or other specialized fields.
Rewind/Fast-forward: It made perfect sense for cassettes and VHS tapes. Sure, we still use them metaphorically, but you’re not actually winding anything
● Rewind/Fast-forward:It was logical for cassettes and VHS tapes. Although we still use them as metaphors, there is no actual winding involved.
● Find a payphone: Payphones have become an urban relic due to the widespread ownership of cell phones.
Develop the film or avoid wasting it.Oh, the good old days of waiting for days to see a picture you looked horrible in. Digital cameras and smartphones have done away with this.
● Look it up in the White or Yellow Pages: Online directories have replaced those hefty books.
I will send it to you via fax.Fax machines are on the verge of becoming obsolete.
● Drop a coin in the jukebox:Prior to the existence of Spotify and Apple Music, we were required to make payments in order to enjoy our preferred songs at restaurants and pubs using these music devices. Can you fathom the idea of describing to a member of Generation Z that you actually had to physically select a song and patiently wait for it to start playing?
● Burn a CD: At some point, burning CDs was the ultimate mixtape gift. With cloud sharing and playlists, the art of burning a mix for someone is becoming ancient history.
I’ll fax it to you: Fax machines are almost dead
Burn a CD: At some point, burning CDs was the ultimate mixtape gift. With cloud sharing and playlists, the art of burning a mix for someone is becoming ancient history
The sound of a dial-up: The younger generation may not comprehend the frustration of waiting for a connection, only to be disconnected when someone answers the phone.
● Turn the channel knob: Some of us remember when changing the channel meant getting off the couch! No remote, just a clicky round dial.
● You’ve got mail: The well-known catchphrase of AOL signifies the arrival of a new email in your inbox. However, given the numerous notifications we receive on a daily basis, such a message would now be considered bothersome.
● Save it on a floppy: Back in the day, these disks couldn’t even store a single song according to today’s standards. But now? We carry terabytes in our pockets.
● Dial-up tone: Kids today won’t understand the agony of waiting for a connection only to get disconnected because someone picked up the phone.
Press the hashtag symbol.The focus is currently on the hashtag.
I require fresh batteries for my Walkman.The device that came before the iPod revolutionized the way music enthusiasts enjoyed their favorite tunes. Nowadays, instead of constantly buying new batteries, we simply recharge our devices.
Don’t forget to perform a defragmentation on your computer.Keeping your PC in good working order was once a customary practice. However, with technological progress, this upkeep is now largely automated.
Raise the antenna.Positioning was crucial, whether it involved the rabbit ears on a TV or a telescoping antenna on a boombox. We all recall those times when we had to hold it just perfectly to achieve a clear picture or signal. How nostalgic!
I wager that there are children and even individuals in their twenties in your life who would be completely perplexed by these expressions.
That makes me think about what phrases we use now that will someday be a thing of the past. ‘Drop me a pin,’ ‘Swipe left’ and ‘Tap to pay’ come to mind.
Do you know the origins of ‘CC’ and ‘BCC’ in emails?
If you have ever sent emails, you have probably utilized the ‘CC’ (carbon copy) or ‘BCC’ (blind carbon copy) fields. However, have you ever considered where these terms originated from? These terms originated during the era of typewriters.
If someone desired to create an identical copy of a typed document, they would insert a carbon paper between two regular sheets of paper. The ink from the carbon sheet would be transferred to the second sheet through the pressure of typing, resulting in a ‘carbon copy.’
