We went to a track meet today in a small town about 45 minutes away to watch my daughter run. She is a Senior and this is her last meet. It was raining most of the day. We were prepared. Went to the car and got my bumbershoot. There were plenty of other people who had their own bumbershoots. When I mentioned that to them, nobody knew what I was talking about.
People just have no vocabulary skills.
Jim

Indubitably.

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Not in jail.

Just not too many Anglophiles in Iowa, eh?

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Diddums

Shoulda threatened them with your perambulator. That'll teach 'em.

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Diddums

I have no idea what a bumbershoot is. I've never heard of it. Must be a regional thing.

Do you know what a illlegeracy is without googling it? Not illiterate, but illegerate. Not knowing that word, does that mean a lack of vocabulary skills?

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Thread Killer.

Now this is SERIOUS!!!


Truthfully when I talk to most young people they have no idea what I'm talking about, any more than I can understand them and their 'street talk'.

I have some rather embarrassing stories where I was misinterpreted for using common terms that WERE common in my trade and even in standard usage. Trying to describe something and using these terms ends the conversation right there with somebody being offended.

I was going to make a list sing the misinterpreted terms without actually using the words, but in spite of this being ONLY about legitimate terms, I'm afraid that my intentions may be misinterpreted and that I might get dinged.....or worse.

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"He was kinda funny lookin'"

These weren't kids.
First was a Woman who told me she was 63. Next was a Woman who is in her early 50s. I teased he and told her I'm sure her Dad, who is a friend of mine, would know. Saw him later. He is a retired Pastor, probably almost 80. He also had no idea what a bumbershoot is.
I was so disappointed.
Jim

I have two along with a shillelagh that I keep in the boot of my car. Ta ta, off to the loo.

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Music/Sports/Beer fan

Thank god you didn't put a fag in your mouth!

Bumbershoot isn't regional at all. The OP is from NE Iowa, and every September (when the rainy season starts) they hold a music and food festival called Bumbershoot in SEATTLE.

Seattle is about as far from NE Iowa as anyplace in the continental US can be. Not even close to the same region.

Like the OP said, its a vocabulary issue. It seems that the majority of people these days hardly know enough words to express themselves without resorting to profanity. Over the last 50 years the boob tube has dumbed-down our society's language skills to the lowest common denominator.

It's not regional, just very dated according to the Interwebz. I'm excused for not knowing until I looked it up as I come from the UK.

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Release the Kraken

I had to look this up I admit.
P&R you've been watching too much Chitty Chitty Bang Bang:

Me ol’ bam-boo, me ol’ bam-boo
You'd better never bother with me ol’ bam-boo
You can have me hat or me bumbershoot
But you'd better never bother with me ol’ bam-boo

heheheheh.....
Someone said bum....

That can't be an excuse.

From the "anglophile" comment, and the "shillelagh in my boot/off to the loo" comment, and the "perambulator" and the "fag", it appears that most here think it to be a British term, and if anyone knows what it is, it should be you.

Personally, I thought y'all called 'em a brolly, but what do I know.

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I always take precautions

I know what you mean. When I was a child in NC, I may have been the only kid in my class who called Brazil nuts by their right name. Of course, that was a few years ago.

Wells,
Jest what would Mary Poppins done without one....Gees.

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"IN GOD WE TRUST"

And being a racing fan, I much enjoy the brolly girls.

I live in the SW, in a desert. I was raised there/here. It doesn't rain much so there's no need for rain gear. Nor have I spent much time where it rains a lot. I've never heard of the word. I've never read it in a book, never heard anybody say it. Ever.

So, does anybody know what the "illegerate" means? If not, then vocabulary skill must be lacking, apparently.

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Thread Killer.

That is so politically incorrect and laugh out loud funny at the same time!

Now see, there is the problem. They are old enough that they don't automatically pull out their smart phone and Google it...

Although I agree it is odd that those vintages would not know that term. Perhaps they are from Rio Linda?

We were at an Olive Garden with our daughter and had just ordered our meals. We always get the salad and bread sticks. When the salad was brought to the table I asked my wife if she wanted to "toss the salad". Innocent enough question in my mind. Our daughter told us not to use that expression but wouldn't tell us why. I waited till I got home and googled it and was surprised with the disgusting result. How does the younger generation come up with this stuff. I guess I've been forced to never look at a salad the same way again.

I do now thanks to google.Its a good word.

Nah, don't let the idiots hijack the language. If the younger set wants to create meanings for things like that they can wallow in their own ignorance.

I also had to tell my folks to stop using that phrase. When they asked why, not being one to lie to them, I told them. Then, they asked me how I knew what it meant. I asked them if they remember old girlfriend they thought was the sweetest thing...they changed the subject.

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Thread Killer.

In feminine terms here in the Deep South "Bumbershoot" equals "Parasol"

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NULLI SECUNDUS

As Paul Harvey would have said "Now you know the rest of the story!"
Thanks to Google I now know! Now I don't know if I really wanted to know!

Considering that they ran us out of Great Britain about 300 years ago,
we are no longer required to use all their local jargon.

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NRA LIFE MEMBER

Of course I know what a bumbershoot is! The problem is I don't know where to get a license for them or when the season opens. I think I need #6 shot though.

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Endeavor to persevere. <><

Actually, the correct term is "bumperchute." It refers to an enclosed canopy used on the rear of trucks but also doubles as a term for an umbrella.

I quit using big words because I didn't want people to think I was being sesquipedalian.

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Pack light and cinch tight.

I am in the South. and, have heard that one all my years. I thought everyone knew what Bumbershoot was.

What I think is totally lacking in vocabulary skills is having to use vulgar language to express oneself. I have always been told that that shows the lack of command of the English language.

There are several terms that are associated with my former occupation that I would not expect other folks to know. Some of these were: Stretch, Z or S twist, turns per inch, Draught and many more. They are all associated with the rubber covering industry.

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I Cor. 10:13 "1611KJV"

Ok, it's not British. But we were having such fun.

Did you have to throw a spanner in the works?

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You're shy a few manners.

When I was on the cop job (1975 to 2007) I'd have to ask victims or witnesses for written statements to describe an incident or an accident.

What I would usually get in return was a jumbled mess that was very tough to understand...or follow. With numerous spelling errors...not even errors....as if they simply didn't TRY to spell the word at all. And many times the writers were College students or recent graduates! Or held jobs that SHOULD have required the ability to communicate.

I will always recall having an older Gent do a statement for me back in 1980 or so. I should have kept it. It was as if it was written by one of the cast of "Deadwood" minus the swearing. Or similar to how Rooster Cogburn spoke in "True Grit". Written using descriptive words and phrases. Easily understood and conveying a true sense of the incident.

Only great minds can read this
This is weird, but interesting!

If you can raed this, you have a sgtrane mnid too

Can you raed this? Olny 55 plepoe out of 100 can.

I cdnuolt blveiee that I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd what I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno't mtaetr in what oerdr the ltteres in a word are, the olny iproamtnt tihng is that the frsit and last ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can still raed it whotuit a pboerlm. This is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the word as a wlohe. Azanmig huh? Yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt!

I thought something said by one of the cast of Deadwood, minus the swearing, would be total silence.

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I always take precautions

I beg your pardon! I speak barfly!

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Music/Sports/Beer fan

I have a friend, who's about 15 yrs younger than I am. I mentioned the word cowcatcher in a sentence, and he had no idea what that was. I knew what a bumpershoot is. I will Google this "toss" nonsense.

YIKES!

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Wayne
Torn & Frayed

Yes, this is a completely American term.

My dad used this when I was small. However, he used bumperchute rather than bumbershoot. Meh, I don't count an obscure word like this to be a lack of vocabulary. There are words used every day that most of use don't know. Do you know what stercoraceous means? How about metrology? I don't fault anyone for not knowing them as they are uncommon.

However, I do agree that there is a general lack of learning/teaching in schools these days. While at lunch one day with my in-laws, a young man walked up to our table. He was their neighbor. I noticed a cast on his hand and inquired about it. He told me it was due to a fight. I asked, "What precipitated the altercation?" He looked at me like I was speaking a foreign language and said, "Wuh?" Yeah, not the sharpest knife in the drawer.

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Freedom isn't free.

Be careful Toss or Tosser is a very bad Brit English term

I believe a "bumbershoot" is the same as a "gistenflabber"

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John

Right thar ya go....Some times a well placed 'Yup' says it all.


.

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"IN GOD WE TRUST"

I blame the movable type printing press. Before you knew, kids were not even learning Latin any more and books were being printed in the vulgar tongues. Afterwards those filthy peasants started to get all sorts of ideas.

Someone help,id like to find the perfect post in this thread--just to be able to incorporate the word: Apoplexy.

I had a great grandfather that fought at "Apoplexy".

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Music/Sports/Beer fan

Smart guy. Heh heh,that'll work.

My 21 year old son had no idea what a bumbershoot is.
He also didn't know what a Lustrum is.
However he DID know what a Fortnight is.
Jim

I got to use "obfuscate" on the wife the other day. Great fun!

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James L. "Jim" Rhiner

if it was raining...were you wearing your "mac"

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There's nowt so queer as folk

I wouldn't either, except I watched Rooster Cogburn and the Lady last week.

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I always take precautions

Are you kidding, I don't even speak decent jive! I thought most of these words you guys are coming up with was stuff I got vaccinated for in first grade!