But how does a very common term used in states as different as Minnesota, West Virginia and New York disappear so thoroughly in such a short period of time?
i think because of personal experiences, or close relations to some one with a personal experience.
the cliche for years was 'where were you when president kennedy was shot?'.. and while my kids had no recollections, they were aware that kennedy's shooting marked a point in most adults lives.. they understood the context.
I never made a station to station call. by the time i was grown, and had a phone of my own, direct dialing was available.. (at least on this end!) you got an operator on the other end sometimes. my son doesn't even expect to get an operator! he presumes you can call all over the world, direct dial.. and why not? you can. he and wife can call relitives in singapore, or philapeans, or austrailia, or ireland, or japan. and those far flung relitives can call them!-direct dial.
at some point. (say 45 to 50 years ago), ptomaine fell out of favor-- no one was getting it anymore, no one was dying of it.. (one, there were new names for the same types of illness, and 2 there were antibotics, so few people died when the did get sick)
but we adults had parents who still used the word-because they knew someone who had gotten it!.. and we heard their injuctions not to eat or touch something lest we get ptomaine poisoning..
but we never heard of any one really getting it.. ptomaine was a 'boogyman' something you were afraid of, but didn't know what it was. as we got older, we learned about food poisoning, and e-coli contanination, and all sorts of other fears.. (which are real enough)but we still think of ptomaine poisoning as make-believe. we have no personal experience with the ptomaine, and we don't use the expression.
There is movie (In or Out(?)) with Keven Kline, and it has a delightful scene in which a hollywood bimbo, is stranding in a small town in (Wisconson? Iowa? some middle american state) and the small motel only has dial phones..
she tries pushing the finger holes, and is totally stymied by the dial..its a little far fetched, but makes the point.
D Day passed this year, largely unmarked, last december, the seventh came an went with almost no comment.. (as a child i was often reminded what day it was on either of these days..)
i shook the hand of a man who shook the hand of John Sullivan as child.. (i had no idea who that was, or why i was supposed to be thrilled..) Shake the hand of man who shook the hand of John Sullivan was very common among people my grandparents age... now no one knows the expression at all! (except in a historical contex!)
do you remember the maine? or the rueben james?(that easier, but still obsure..) even explaining 'where's the beef' is hard!
