Antiquated/outdated/un-pc terms

The following is a list of words or phrases that are now outdated for one reason or another. 

Sitting Indian Style: sitting on the floor with your legs crossed. The term is now considered politically incorrect/racist. It was still used in the 1970's. by the 1990's preschools were no longer using the term citing racism. Instead the term PRETZEL STYLE or CRISSCROSS APPLESAUCE are now used. 

Walking Indian File:  walking one behind the other. This term was used in Little Town on the Prairie. What's used now? "SINGLE FILE". Indian File was never used when I was growing up. I never heard it until I read the book. 

Colored: current term is African-American. Other terms previously used and no longer PC are; Negro (dates earlier than colored) and the worst one can't even be mentioned. It goes by an initial. The N-word. The most negative term ever given to a group of people. It's so negative you can't even say the word in polite society. From the travel diary of 1894 as they travel through Kansas. She notes they see more colored people. 

Irishman: Man of Irish nationality or descent. Current term. Irish or Irish-American. From Little town on the Prairie

Chinaman: Man of Chinese nationality or descent. Current term: Chinese, Chinese American. 

Scotch: a person of Scottish nationality or descent. Current term: Scottish, Scottish-American. 

Corsets: tightly fitted women's undergarment that fits from under the breast to the hips. Many times ladies would faint from these corsets. Many houses had "fainting rooms" where ladies could go in and modestly take off their corsets. Typically, men were not allowed in this room. I'm soo glad it went out of style! 

Britches: (farmer boy) pants that would go just below the knee caps. 

Hooped skirts: (farmer boy) Eliza Jane wore hooped skirts. The skirt held the shape by the wired hoop under the skirt. 

Baste a shirt:(little town on the prairie) needlework tack, with long loose stitches in preparation for sewing. 

Buttonhole: (little town on the prairie) Laura makes buttonholes for the shirts. 

Cobbler: (farmer boy) a person who makes or mends shoes. 

Moccasins: (farmer boy) apparently young boys wore moccasins until they were old enough to wear boots. Every night Almanzo had to carefully clean and dry his moccasins to keep them pliable and usable. 

Homesteading: under agreement with the government; claim land, improve it, farm it, and live on it a few months out if the year. 

Pioneer: one of the first people to settle an unused area. 

Settler: Person Who settles in a low population area. 

Water pump: (travel diary 1894)

Tree claim: 

Tar and feather: (mark twain Tom Sawyer) cover people in tar then cover with feathers as punishment. 

Covered wagon: conestoga wagon or prairie schooner. 

Motor car: (1894) Laura stated in her diary that to the north citizens had one type of car while the south had another type of car. 

Horseless carriage: (travel diary) archaic term for an automobile. 

Telegraph:

Morse code:

Consumption: tuberculosis. 

To Be: ex. "Almanzo, be you sick?" (Farmer Boy)

Blacking brush: (Farmer Boy) brush specifically for shining boots black. 

Scythe(s): tool used for cutting grass or wheat, or crops as such. 

Cradle(scythe):

Bonnet: ladies or child's hat tied under the chin. There is usually a brim frame 

Calico: pain white unbleached cloth. 

Bombazine:

"They didn't bruise one apple, for a bruised apple will rot, and one rotten apple will spoil a whole bin." (Farmer Boy, p. 241; paperback)

WindRow (Farmer Boy, p. 236; paperback)

Milk pan: during the various harvest seasons

Hogsheads: a large measure of liquid. 63-64 gallons

Down cellar (Farmer Boy; harvest chapters) as opposed to down the cellar

Gaily; happily Gay; happy

Playing Wild Indian (Farmer Boy, p. 277, paperback)

Indian Summer (Farmer Boy, p. 277, paper

Hooped skirt and undergarment of the time. 

Man tarred and feathered then carried out on a pole. 

An image of an early model motor car.