Wednesday, April 14, 2010

What IS a Dollytub Anyway?


Thank you so much for sharing your secret addictions following my previous post about my current vice.

We 'more mature' bloggeroos have words and phrases in our vocabulary that have become out of date. An overheard conversation between two of us old duffers will sound like a foreign language to anyone born after 1970.

So today, I have decided to educate and inform those younger ladies who don't know their rammle from their klimbim.

In the picture above you will what our poor old Mums used to wash our clothes with before they had a washing machine. The metal tub you see is a dolly tub. The hot soapy water was put in this and the clothes were washed by moving up and down and twisting the funny looking three legged wooden dolly peg.

The board you see sticking out of the tub is a washboard used to help scrub collars and cuffs.

Dollytub Cottage is so called as a play on words. I am an avid collector of 1950's British Hard Plastic Dolls. My clever old Liam, (God rest His Soul.) thought it up as my ebay identity.

Here's another word out of the Ark.................


Before about 1963 this wasn't called a dress - it was a frock.

This wasn't called a cooker............





We called it a stove.

Wireless?



That's NOT a wireless!

This is a wireless...........


I bet some of you are now feeling reeeeaaaally old!

Old English Lesson over.

I'm working on some more of my funny stories for you, so watch this space.
I just couldn't get my brain to work well today. (Withdrawal effects from the Coco Pops, I suspect!)

In the meantime, to exercise your chuckle muscles, I couldn't resist showing you this......



I spit my cuppa tea over my keyboard when I saw it!

12 comments:

LoloDesigns said...

Yep I do feel old now but made me smile the whole way through. I personally love the word frock and stove much classer I think!

And as for that sign, lucky I wasn't drinking anything when I saw it! xx

KC'sCourt! said...

Now I feel a bit ancient especially today! I know what a dolly-tub is! I know what a frock is and according to my grandmother I should always have a posh one for special occasions! It was always an oven or cooker........and I know what a Wireless is! We have a huge collection of them in the loft, conservatory, shed my husband collects and restores them bits everywhere well s'pose its better then bikes and cars!!!!!
The sign - I was eating breakfast when I saw it!!!!!!!!!

Kelly said...

Ha ha I'm only a young un but I knew what everything was :) I think its sad that these words aren't used any more!

That sign made me lol, I love signs like that!!!

menopausalmusing said...

That sign is a corker!:O))))))))))))))))))))

Great post! Keep them coming Sue.

Lalabibaby @ Dreaming of The Simple Life said...

Ouch just spurtled me coffee .... that sign is a cracker (was going to say corker ... another mature uttering but Cathy beat me to it) ... I can remember the old copper that used to sit in the scullery of mum's first house and nan had a mangle outside the back door. All mod cons ;-)

Sandies' Patch said...

O.K! What was the copper coloured thing with holes in, on a broom handle? Was it a 'poncher'? Mey mum used one in the 'copper', a metal barrel - shaped thing that was 'powered' by gas, lit from underneath. I'm showing more than my weetabix here!
The last picture made me roar with laughter (LOL!).

VintageWantsNotNeeds said...

Talking about copper's when my husband was a boy he sat on a lit one and burnt his rear end ouch.... and yes I know every one of the descriptions of the items listed, but I am not old - well not really old, just a little old...
Debxx

Unknown said...

I love that sign!!! I nearly choked on my mint toffee when I read it, but think maybe I will give the hospital a miss for treatment, I may get more than I bargained for! HAHa!!xxxxHave a great weekendxxx

WinnibriggsHouse said...

I still have a stove, listen to the wireless and put my best frock on...but I'm not old.. my birth certificate may say so, but I'm still young at heart!
And that sign..I'm glad I had just finished my whisky and soda :)

Autumn Mist said...

'Frock' is still one of my all-time favourite words, and I am definitely NOT old! I took my children to a local museum a few years ago, where there was a carpet beater, a tin bath (remember those?) and one of those mincers you used to clamp to the table and turn the handle. My childrens' verdict? "Wow, mum, you must be really old!!"

Unknown said...

Hello, I came across your blog while surfing, and was really amazed to see a photo of my 1940s cooker in this post! You must have found it on my flickr page, but I don't mind one teeny little bit! Great blog, Mary xxx (the vintage cottage)

Lisa Reiter said...

Hi Sue
I can see you haven't posted in a while, but I love this post and the fabulous picture. I've looked everywhere for such a picture and hope you don't mind that I've borrowed yours for a little memoir on my own blog. I have credited you and linked back here. But do let me know if you're not happy with that and I'll rectify my presumptions.

Warm wishes
Lisa Reiter