These are just some of the words that were used often
while growing up. The name in parentheses after each Word entry
is who it most pertains to or who originated it. Enjoy!
:) ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUWYZ
Back of Hand (most)
n. used to wipe one's runny nose; especially
convenient when no shirt was worn. (See also
Sleeve).
Bald Spot (all) n.
the top of Mike's head when he was a kid.
Banana (Mike) n.
something slimy eaten in Mexico. Also added to Corn Flakes to
make them taste better.
Barenaked (all)
adj. without clothes; more naked than just
naked.
Barn Door (all) n.
this was best not left open when leaving the
bathroom.
Barrel (all) n.
what one sits on. (See also Cecil).
Bath Water (all)
n. the bluish-gray film of slimy sludge by the time it was
the third or fourth brother's turn to get into the
tub.
Beeer (Dad) fig.
the only word Dad needed to yell out the dining room window to
let Joe and Jeff know to also pick up beer, drinks and snacks
when getting into their car.
Behave (Dad, Mom)
v. what the kids were supposed to do; be nice, settle
down, and not pick on anyone.
Behind the Shed (all)
n. where you would certainly find someone to play with if
you came outside and nobody was around.
Big Beast (Dad) n.
Dad's big black motorcycle that no kid dared to
drive.
Big Kids, The (all)
n. Mary Ann through Dennis. (See also Little Kids,
The).
Bird (some) pn. a
name we'd use to refer to a bird-brain.
Blessing (Fr Mehr)
n. performed on the big green bus after a Sunday Mass in
1979 before we moved to Texas.
Blue Book (all) n.
just one of the books in the old Book of Knowledge
collection.
Board (all) n.
usually found in a mud puddle that one would have to wipe off
before putting back on the swingset.
Boat Anchor (Dad)
n. anything that no longer works or no longer serves a
purpose.
Bobbies (all) pn.
Uncle Bob's house. We couldn't wait to go there as they
always had all the newest toys and the latest cool electronic
stuff.
Bocky (Mom) adj. a
whiney kid.
Body Burp (Dad) v.
fart, a polite way for Dad to say he or someone else had just
passed gas. (See also Stink).
Boiler (all) n. a
type of furnace in a garage that blows hot air into a
house.
Bongo Drums (all)
n. the most intricate musical instrument ever played by a
sibling.
Boob Tube (Dad) n.
a television set. (See also Idiot Box).
Boonies (Dad) n.
the wilderness, any place far away from people or civilization,
or the lilac bush when driving into it with the
motorcycle.
Booties (Mom) n.
what Mom wears on her feet.
Bougger (all) n. a
big chunky piece of snot. (See also Snot).
Bouhock Bouhock (all)
fig. a word heard every Sunday at church amid all the
quiet.
Bread (Dave) pn. a
nickname given to Dale. Not something you put jelly
on.
Bubbles (all) n.
gas released in the Bath Water. Also what breasts are called.
(See also Bath Water and Stink).
Buggy (all) n. the
antique brown buggy Jeff and Dale used as newborns.
Bus (younger ones)
n. all the younger ones sitting in the stairway
pretending. (See also Stairway and
Twirp).
Bus Watcher (all)
n. the person whose duty it was for the week to sit on the
blue flour box and look out the window for the bus to give
everyone ample time to grab their books and run to the end of the
driveway. (See also Go Out and Here Comes the
Bus).
Butch Moaner (Mary Ann, Joe,
Donna) pn. a play name given to Mary Ann as a
kid.
Buusshjha buusshjha (all)
fig. something we thought our grandmother was
saying, but in reality she was just speaking German.
By Gosh (Dad)
expr. lesser form of what you didn't want to hear
preceding your name. (See also My Gosh).
Cecil (Joe, Dave)
pn. a word whispered to the other brother while serving
Mass that would almost certainly torment him into holding back
laughter lest Father Mehr (or Dad!) would catch him. Cecil was a
bum who could always be found at Dietz Garage sitting on a
barrel. (See also Barrel).
Cement, The (all)
n. the slab of cement that was right across from the
garage at the bushes. Not to be confused with the cement behind
the shed.
Checkers (all) n.
one of the only board games that Dad enjoyed playing with the
kids.
Chest of Drawers (Dad)
n. what Dad called a dresser.
Chicken Coop (all)
n. a type of shed with nothing in it but sticks on the
ground, never used to house chickens.
Chorus (Dennis) n.
the name of a singing game Dennis would play with his younger
siblings.
Church (Dennis) n.
Fr. Dennis with a sheet draped over his shoulders and holding
mass for his younger siblings using pieces of Saltine crackers
for the host.
Cloe (Janet) n.
what just one unit of clothing is called.
Come Now (Mom)
fig. a phrase to settle the kids down from fighting with
one another.
Company (all) n.
relatives who came to visit on Sundays.
Cookies (all) n.
we always had overwhelming urges for these whenever commercials
came on. (See also Stuck Together).
Corner, The (all)
n. the end of the road going towards Riggs and
Kellys.
Corn Meal (older ones)
n. the most popular cereal as little kids, and the worst
tasting. (See also Oat Meal and Cream of
Wheat).
Crack (brothers)
n. cleavage. Not pertaining to butt and not the
drug.
Cream of Wheat (older
ones) n. the third most popular cereal as little
kids, and the third worst tasting. (See also Corn Meal and
Oat Meal).
Cushions (all) n.
the back seats from a couple of old cars used to jump onto from a
Wheel Thing. (See also Wheel Thing).
Daddy the Kids are Teasing Me
(younger ones) fig. and inevitably almost
immediately followed up with "Daddy the kids are
still teasing me". (See also
Teasing).
Dandelion Soup (all)
n. a common dish served at the "restaurant"
located in the far right shed compartment. (See also
Dollars).
Daniel Boone (Dad)
v. to use the woods or a field as a bathroom.
Daniel Boones (Dad)
n. Gary's pajamas. (See also
Jammes).
Davenport (all) n.
an old heavy couch.
Dee (all) n. all
the dust particles one could see floating in the window light
above the davenport.
Den of Thieves (Dad)
n. term used to describe an implement dealership that
ripped off Dad by not paying for his work.
Dill Pickle (some)
pn. a secondary nickname given to Dale.
Dimfritz (Dad)
expr. not quite a Dumkopf but nonetheless an idiot. (See
also Dumkopf).
Dingding (all) pn.
a derogatory nickname originated by Dad for that neighborhood
menace of a kid, Jerry Pearson. (See also Ole
Dingding).
Dining Room (all)
n. a room with a desk and a toybox in it, not a room where
you eat meals.
Dinner (all) n. a
meal eaten everyday at around noon, but never in the
evening.
Dishwashing Brothers (older
brothers) n. the one month period when the older
brothers were required to do dishes, which obviously didn't
last since they strategically did lousy jobs.
Divadius (Mary Ann)
pn. a nickname given to young David based on a derivative
of his name, transposing the vowels and adding a unique
Greek-type ending.
Dogs (Dad) n. a
word to describe one's feet, usually when preparing to wash
them with a garden hose.
Dollars (all) n.
maple leaves used for buying things in the shed or chicken coop
"store".
Don't Worry Kid (Dad)
fig. response given when a kid gets a little too excited
or anxious for something.
Doos-da-doos (Joe)
fig. weird repetitive word Joe would use while skipping
around the house.
Doughboy (Dad) n.
nickname given to Al Dobler who insisted on using his mini bike
on our go-cart track during supper.
Down Boy (brothers)
fig. what inevitably had to be said out loud when looking
at an Ouch. (See also Ouch).
Dragger (Dad) n.
handmade steel grate used for grading the driveway and go-kart
track with the Case or Alice Chalmers tractors. (See also
Go-Kart Track).
Draw the Drapes (Dad)
fig. to close or pull the drapes.
Dumkopf (Dad)
expr. harshest (almost swear) word used to describe any
idiot who did something unsatisfactory.
Dup-hus (Mom) n.
any of twelve children who spilled milk mostly only while at the
kitchen table.
Gigs (all) pn. a
nickname given to Gary, still in common use today. The name came
about because of Gary (Gigs) Johnson, one of Dingding's
friends.
GI Joe (Joe) n.
usually found hanging out with some of the girls' dolls when
Joe would come looking for it.
Go-Kart Track (all)
n. a track that encircles a house, garden, front and back
yard and of which a quarter of it is comprised of a driveway and
another quarter of it is comprised of a stick road. (See also
Stick Road).
Goolash (Dad) n. a
scrambled egg based dish using every possible leftover in the
refrigerator that Dad would make for us while Mom was in the
hospital delivering the latest sibling. Not to be confused with
goulash.
Go Out (all) fig.
what the Bus Watcher said when the bus was at Stromberg's
corner and here Mary Ann is just now coming down the stairs! (See
also Here Comes the Bus and Bus
Watcher).
Grass Harp (all)
n. blowing on a blade of grass held taut between the
thumbs to make "music".
Grundies (brothers)
n. underwear. (See also Underpants).
Here (Mom) intj.
When just one word would do, there was no need for Mom to say the
entire sentence, as in "Here, stop running through the
house." or "Okay, here now." or "Get in here
and do the dishes." (See also Say).
Here Comes the Bus (all)
fig. the warning given by the Bus Watcher when they see
that the bus had turned the corner. (See also Go Out and
Bus Watcher).
Here's the Beef (all)
fig. phrase on a shirt given to Dad from Mary
Ann.
Herm (all) pn. an
affectionate nickname used when referring to Dad, unbeknownst to
him.
Hide the Pencil (all)
n. a "getting warmer" type hiding an object
game, actually quite fun.
Hind End (Dad) n.
a butt. (See also Seat).
Hiney (all) n. a
very short haircut that all the brothers received every
summer.
Ho-hum (Mom) expr.
what Mom would say after every yawn.
Hold Your Horses (Dad)
expr. what we had to do when overly excited about getting
something.
Hoo-hoo-hoo (young ones)
expr. sound made in anticipation of getting a sucker as
Mom is unwrapping it. (See also Sucker).
Horsepistol (some)
n. a hospital.
Horseplay (Dad, Mom)
n. the word heard when goofing around and not behaving.
(See also Behave).
Hug (all) v.
bumping foreheads with Dad just before bed.
I Hope They Broke
(Dennis) fig. utterance made by Dennis after
whipping his glasses onto the lawn for greater effect after
holding his seat to get out a stronger yell.
I'm Gonna Tell Daddy
(younger ones) fig. when one broke something, made a
mistake, or got into trouble, they dreaded hearing these words
coming from a sibling or even Mom. (See also
Swallow).
I'm Telling (younger
ones) fig. usually an empty threat hoping to get
another sibling into trouble.
Innertube (all) n.
large tractor tire tube used by the little kids for playing and
bouncing, and later by the big kids for floating down the
river.
Ish (all) expr.
how one would refer to something that wasn't
good.
Ishy (all) adj.
anything unpleasant or not good.
Island, The (all)
n. tall over our heads patch of bushes past the
shed in the southwest corner of the property. (See also
Jungle, The).
Is That Right? (Dad)
fig. a question usually asked by Dad after he would hear
an interesting statement.
Jammes (all) n.
pajamas. (See also Daniel Boones).
Janny (all) pn.
the name Janet was always known by as a kid.
Jeffmation (Jeff)
fig. the extreme imaginative playing by young Jeff
when standing on one leg and intensely maneuvering his hands with
fingers taut to increase story line drama, completely oblivious
to his surroundings.
Johnny Johnny (younger
ones) fig. the "Johnny, Johnny, Johnny, Johnny,
Woops Johnny, Woops Johnny..." little game played on
one's hand.
Jungle, The (all)
n. tall over our heads patch of bushes past the
shed in the southwest corner of the property. (See also
Island, The).
Jungle Music (Dad)
n. any music that is not Frank Sinatra, Glen Miller,
Lawrence Welk, Polka, Waltz or Gospel, in other words Rock and
Roll.
Just Hand Me One
(Grandpa) fig. what the string of siblings at the
middle of the table were supposed to do when Grandpa Voigt wanted
some bread, but nobody ever dared comply.
Kneeling Looking at Engine
(older brothers) adv. standard way of letting Dad
know as he drove up that the riding lawnmower broke down, but he
didn't know it happened five hours earlier and there was
plenty of playing and TV watching that had to be done in the
meantime.
Kool-Aid (all) n.
the main summertime beverage. (See also
Mustache).
Laying Down Game (all)
n. a game played at night where you'd have to lie down
anywhere on the property and everybody else would have to find
you. It was scary for that last person wandering around in the
dark alone.
Let's Pray (Dad)
expr. a command issued after a meal when some of the
little mouths were still being fed with food still on their
plates. (See also Now).
Lights Out (Dad)
expr. very often yelled up the stairs any time after 10
pm. You sure didn't want to hear footsteps coming up the
stairs after those two words were said.
Lilac Bush (all)
n. a big bush used as a fort or for hiding things
in.
Linc (Joe, Dave)
pn. used to describe anyone with a gap between their front
teeth.
Little Brats (older
sisters) pn. what the big girls called the little
girls.
Little Gray Pony (Dad)
fig. Dad's cool little jingle that he sung all the
time. "A little gray pony and a big black horse doo
dah.." (See also Web Footed Friends).
Little Kids, The (all)
n. Janet through Gary. (See also Big Kids,
The).
Little Weeds (Dave)
pn. a nickname when referring collectively to the young
Jeff, Dale, and Gary.
Loft (all) n. cool
second story room in the shed often used when playing Little
House on the Prairie.
Long Grass, The (all)
n. the best place to build forts, make cool paths, play
around in and hide in.
Long Johns (all)
n. long underwear worn in the wintertime. Not to be
confused with where Margie later worked.
Looking for a Toy
(brothers) fig. excuse one had to use when caught
trying to view the television when an "adult movie" was
on. Of course it always took forever to find that toy.
(See also Toybox).
Louse (Dad) n. a
nincompoop.
Lunch (all) n. a
snack or meal eaten everyday at around 3 pm, but never ever at
around noon, not to be confused with Dinner. (See also
Dinner).
Lummox (Dad) n. a
derogatory word used by Dad to describe a lazy and worthless
person.
Meatloaf (Mary Ann)
n. what one drops on the floor while slicing and puts back
on the table.
Melted (Joe, Dave,
Dennis) v. term used to describe what happens when a
match or lighter meets a plastic toy Indian's head. (See next
entry).
Men, The (Joe, Dave,
Dennis) n. a collection of small plastic soldiers,
cowboys and Indians, all of which were given a name and
statistics and were transformed into rubber-banded super heroes
or match-melted villains.
Minerva (Dave) pn.
a nickname given to young Margie.
Minibus (all) n.
any Ford Econoline van.
Minnesota Faith Department
(some) n. a government agency in Minneapolis for the
sole purpose of monitoring all the churches in the state. Not to
be confused with the similar sounding words "may the
souls of the faithful departed" recited during meal
prayers by the family.
Mittens (all) n.
worn on hands for cold winter play, usually with holes or a
mismatched pair.
Mocking (all) v.
an almost daily event, picking on someone by copying their every
move or word so as to majorly frustrate them, but of course in a
playful way. (See also Teasing).
Monkey Bars (all)
n. any type of playground equipment with steel bars that
one can hang on.
Mop (Joe, Dave) n.
the long hair that hippies wore in the 70's.
Mosh-koot (Dad)
fig. goodbye.
Muscle (young ones)
n. the elbow.
Muslim (Mike) n.
any "Jesus Freak" who wears a white robe and
sandals.
Mustache (young ones)
n. formed from milk or Kool-Aid, usually worn all day
long.
Mutt (Dad) n. any
dog other than Sparky. (See also Sparky).
My Gosh (Dad)
expr. what you didn't want to hear preceding your
name. (See also By Gosh).
No Brains (Dad) n.
word used to describe motor scooter riding kid at campground in
Missouri on family move to Texas.
Noserun (all) n.
the runny green stuff. (See also Snot).
Nothing Doing (Dad)
fig. what Dad would say when you'd best not be
doing what you presently were doing.
Now (Dad) fig.
When just one word would do, there was no need for Dad to say the
entire sentence, as in "Now I'm home" or
"Let's pray now" or "Now it's time to
go".
Nowisthetimeforallgoodmentocometotheaidoftheircountry
(Dad) expr. the wartime line typed everytime a
typewriter was fixed or oiled.
Obscene Gesture (Dad)
n. what Joe and Dave got counseled for when Delbert
reported them for flipping off his bus. (See also
Yellow).
Octagons (Jeff) n.
Margie's first pair of glasses.
Oh (brothers)
expr. used as a one word utterance (almost under one's
breath) by all seven brothers on numerous occasions in their late
teen lives as a complete answer when being questioned by
Dad about something foolish or stupid that they did.
Oh Bats (Mom) fig.
what Mom would say when something that she was doing went
wrong.
Ole Dingding (Dad)
pn. a nickname used by Dad when referring to that
neighborhood menace of a kid, Jerry Pearson, as being an utter
and complete nincompoop. (See also Dingding).
One-Two-Three-Four...
(all) fig. what we heard immediately as we stepped
up the bus steps and proceeded down the aisle. (See also
Yellow).
On the Ball (Dad)
fig. to be focused on the job at hand; you'd best be
on the ball or Dad would surely let you know that you
weren't!
Ooo-golly (Mom)
expr. term used in instances where an item slips and is
quickly caught, or is missed and dropped to the floor, or when
milk is spilled.
Ouch (brothers) n.
a babe so fine that it was actually painful just to look
at her.
Out Kid (Dad) fig.
When Dad said this, you'd better get out of his chair in a
hurry! Was almost always said in conjunction with waving the
newspaper in an outwardly motion.
Pail (all) n. what
was always placed next to the bed when one was sick. (See also
Throw Up).
Pappy (Dad) pn.
how Dad usually referred to his father, especially during his
story telling.
Peach Fuzz (brothers)
n. fine, virtually transparent, tiny pubescent hairs on
one's face requiring a magnifying glass to see.
Peanut Toes (all)
pn. a nickname given to Sharon.
Peddle Pushers (sisters)
n. very long shorts worn by the sisters.
Pee Gee (older brothers)
fig. the absolute constant response to the question,
"Well, what is it rated?", when attempting to go to the
movies with the Gerads boys. It goes without saying that all
those movies were really R's.
Peetah (some) pn.
the name Linc called Pete on The Mod Squad. (See also
Linc).
Peewater (all) n.
number one, what wasn't important enough to
flush.
Perm (Dennis) n.
an early 80's man's hairstyle.
Phonograph (all)
n. a record player that folds out from a box with a door
on it and often used as a merry-go-round for small
toys.
Piece of Bread (all)
n. slice of bread, often used to absorb spilled milk on
the table which then had to be eaten!
Pip Squeak (Dad)
n. another word used for a Whipper Snapper but with a
little less affection. (See also Whipper
Snapper).
Play Ball (Joe)
fig. all Joe would have to say to get a softball game
going.
Please Pass the Milk
(all) fig. the only words ever spoken during
supper. (See also Supper).
Plum Plum POW (Dad)
fig. a little game Dad played on the arms and heads of the
younger kids.
Poop Deck (all) n.
a little roof covering the steps to the house beside the garage
to prevent birds from doing a number on our heads.
Pop (all) n. soda;
a term still used in modern day Minnesota.
Popsicle (all) n.
small plastic cup filled with Kool-Aid and placed in the freezer
with a stick inserted later when it thickened. (See also
Kool-Aid).
Potty (all) v. to
use the bathroom.
Pue (all) n.
number two, crap, dump, what is important enough to flush,
except sometimes when using the upstairs toilet.
Pull A (all) fig.
An endearment when one wanted to mock another after they screwed
up, as in, "Don't pull a Joe now!"
Pump House / Pump Shed
(all) n. junk filled shed where the well and pump
were. Dad called it the pump house and we called it the pump
shed.
Putch (Mom) v.
what Mom would do to us when we spilled milk, it was a bit more
than a tap, but not quite a slap. (See also
Swat).
Putt-putt (Dad) n.
Gary's toy scooter.
Puusghhct (Joe, Dave)
fig. the sound made by plastic cowboys and Indians when
they were in fist fights. (See also Men).
Racehorse Syndrome (Dad)
fig. what Dad tended to get when working a lot and
sweating.
Racing Stripe (Dad)
n. the black stripe Dad had Dennis spray paint from rear
bumper to front bumper and over the roof of the Ford
Falcon.
Railing, The (all)
n. the upstairs banister.
Ramp (Joe) n. a
board inclined up a cinder block for bikes to jump over young
siblings lying on the ground.
Read a Book (Mom)
fig. what Mom would say when we told her "there's
nothing to do".
Red (Janet) n. the
color we told Janet that Billy Kelly hated when he drove by on
his junky motorcycle, thus forcing her to go into the house and
change out of her red coat.
Register (all) n.
a grate-type deal in the floor used to insert a string with a
microphone on the end of it all the way down into the Front Room,
ala Mission: Impossible. (See also Front
Room).
Right? (sisters)
fig. what was asked directly at the end of a sentence when
explaining something by the same person who explained
it.
Rights (Dad) n.
what Dad claimed the younger ones had too when the older ones
thought only they had them.
Rinse Water (Mom)
n. the water in the sink used to rinse the dirty
dishes.
Rocks (Dad) n.
what idiots had in their heads.
Roof (all) n. a
ceiling.
Rope (all) n.
frayed twine used to make tire swings.
Rosary (Dad, Mom, older
ones) n. recited every Sunday night before bedtime,
kneeling in front of the couch.
Rubbers (all) n.
winter or rain boots, not to be confused with
condoms.
Sandwich (all) n.
what everyone fought for as soon as Dad came home from
work.
Say (Dad) intj.
When just one word would do, there was no need for Dad to say the
entire sentence, as in "Say, that's enough of that"
or "Say, what's going on here?" or "Say, quit
running through the house". (See also
Here).
Schamolians (Dad)
n. money; eg. "That costs just too many
schamolians".
Scheist (Mom) fig.
a word said on occasion by Mom which we only learned later in
life what the translation was.
Scrawny (Dad) adj.
very skinny or ribs showing, usually said after a youngster
showed his muscle.
Seat (all) n. a
butt. (See also Hind End).
Seven Steps Around the House
(all) n. a game where everyone got seven free
(giant) steps to get as far as possible on their way around the
house, the rest of the way was a race without getting caught
moving by the tagger as he'd go around the house the other
way.
Seventy Five Mile An Hour
Cut-across (Dad) n. the road that Dad always
took on the way to Heimenz house.
Shucks (all) intj.
darn, dang, shoot, crap. Not corn shucks.
Shu-op (Mike) v.
shut up. Often when Mike said this word he was told that yes Dad
is at the shop.
Sick (Donna, Janet)
adj. something utterly ridiculous or just plain
terrible.
Skull (Joe) n.
happened to find its hair all cut off after hanging from the
ceiling in the upstairs bathroom while merely hoping to scare
someone.
Sleeve (young ones)
n. used to wipe one's runny nose. (See also
Noserun).
Slow Poke (older ones)
n. a long-lasting flat chocolate sucker. (See also
Sucker).
Slugs (all) n.
huge, white, bloated, bubbled-up, wood ticks that Sparky always
had Nick Marudus remove from her. (See also Wood
Ticks).
Smeary Ann (sisters)
pn. a nickname the girls and Lawrence's girls called
Mary Ann if she was in a "mood".
Smokes (Dad) n.
cigarettes.
Snooze (Dad) n. a
short nap Dad took after supper. (See also
Supper).
Snot (all) n. the
runny green stuff. Also what Judy Pearson called some of us. (See
also Noserun).
Snowbank (all) n.
a tall pile of snow used to play King of the Hill on in the
winter. Dad would keep building it taller for the older siblings
to keep the reign lest their younger brothers would kick their
butts. (See also Sandpile).
Snuce (Dad) n.
either chewing tobacco or accelerator or gas; eg. the car
didn't have enough snuce to get up the hill.
Soakie (all) n. an
empty dish washing liquid container used for a makeshift water
cannon.
So-big (Dad) fig.
term to describe how tall a young child thinks he
is.
Sogie Aggy (Mary Ann, Joe,
Donna) pn. a play name given to Joe as a
kid.
Souphound (Dad) n.
any dog that is not Sparky; any dog that barks. (See also
Mutt).
Sparky (all) pn.
the main family dog that never barked unless there was
lightning in the area or unless someone stepped on her
tail.
Spike & Mort (all)
pn. two worthless family cats, one of which (Spike)
mysteriously disappeared one day.
Spinner (all) n. a
Wheel Thing with two boards mounted on top for people to ride on
ala a merry-go-round. (See also Wheel Thing).
Spirit (all) n.
chest nipple.
Spool (all) n. A
telephone cable spool or drum of any size, emptied of its cable,
and used only by kids to stack one on top of the other, making
all sorts of things. (See also Wheel Thing and
Cushions).
Spool Tag (all) n.
one of the two nightly activities by most of the kids in the
non-winter months, the other being softball. (See also
Spool and Wheelthing).
Squirt (Dad) pn.
the affectionate name Dad used for all the kids until they were
about 5.
Stairway (all) n.
this is where you would find things that needed to be taken
upstairs. (See also Bus and Twirp).
Statue (some) n. a
"twirling" game played where someone would twirl one
around and they'd have to stay in one spot like a
statue.
Steering Wheel (younger
ones) n. a lid from a coffee can or an ice cream
pail that one would substitute for a steering wheel when walking
around pretending to be cars.
Stereo (all) n.
the phonograph player or any radio with a record player or a
cassette player. (See also Phonograph).
Stickers (all) n.
those darn pointy things you get from walking through weeds and
thistles.
Stick Road (all)
n. a type of small road connecting a gravel road to a
farmer's field. (See also Go-Kart Track).
Stilts (all) n.
hand-made wooden walking sticks.
Stink (all) v.
fart, to pass gas, as in Mike saying, "Mom, David made stink
on my head." (See also Body Burp).
Stinker (Dad, Mom)
pn. the affectionate name Dad used for the younger kids
until they were about 3.
Stinkweed (Dad)
pn. the affectionate name Dad used for the older kids
until they were about 3.
Stinky Ka-feesch (all)
fig. used when imitating Dad's reference to
someone's stinky feet; Dad was actually saying "stinky
die fuess".
Stopey (Mary Ann, Joe,
Donna) pn. a play name given to Donna as a
kid.
String (all) n. a
type of light switch used in upstairs bedrooms.
Stripe (brothers)
n. usually found on the inside back of the old tidy
whities.
Stuck Together (Dad)
adj. the reason Dad and the older ones always grabbed two
or three cookies at once. (See also Cookies).
Sucker (all) n. a
lollipop.
Supper (all) n. a
meal eaten everyday in the evening at around 6 pm, not to be
confused with a dinner. (See also Dinner).
Swallow (all) v.
what one always did when they got terribly nervous about
something.
Swat (Dad) v. what
Dad would do to us when we spilled milk, it was a bit more than a
putch, but not quite a slap. (See also Putch).
Swine (Dad) n. a
lousy person, nincompoop.
Switch (Dad) n. a
willow training tool used to help one learn how to ride a
bicycle.
Tattle (Dad) v.
constant complaining to Mom or Dad about someone to the point
where it got to be annoying.
Tch tch tch tch tch (Dad,
Jeff) fig. uttterance made when one goofs or when
surprised by news. (See also Auchh).
Tddhh (Dad, Donna)
fig. always heard no less than seven times at each
utterance by Dad; always uttered only once followed by gol
by Donna.
Teasing (all) v. a
daily event, picking on someone so as to really frustrate them,
but of course in a playful way. (See also
Mocking).
Teeter Totter (all)
n. our name for the see-saw.
That's My Car (younger
ones) n. a game played by the younger kids. Sitting
on top of the chicken coop roof, each one would take turns
calling out there car as it went by on Highway 23.
Throw Up (all) n.
the dried vomit you'd see on the floor or on your shirt. (See
also Pail).
Tin Can (all) n.
always found covering a tractor exhaust pipe.
Ting (all) n. a
certain body part of the male anatomy.
Tire Swing Tag (all)
n. a very fun game played with a rope, tire, and
Wheelthings. (See also Wheelthing).
Top Drawer (brothers)
n. only us boys know what that those words
mean.
Tower (all) n.
three Wheel Things stacked upon each other. (See also Wheel
Thing).
Toybox (brothers)
n. a place one went to secretly view the television when
an "adult movie" was on. (See also Adult
Movie).
Train (all) n. all
the young ones holding the shirt tail of the person in front of
them and walking through every room in the house.
Trash Burner (all)
n. huge outdoor incinerator for throwing all kinds of air
pollution causing materials into.
Trike (all) n. a
three-wheeled toy used by teenagers to stand on the back of and
ride on garage roofs.
Twirp (Mary Ann)
n. word used by Mary Ann to describe Jeff, Dale and Gary
while playing in the stairway and not moving out of her way fast
enough. (See also Bus and Stairway).
Upstairs Gang, The (Dad)
n. Mary Ann through Dennis; the upstairs was almost like
our hideout ala The Hole-in-the-Wall Gang of the Wild West
era or something.
Washing Machine (all)
n. an ashtray for Dad's cigarette butts, can also be
used for washing clothes.
Web Footed Friends
(Frank) fig. Uncle Frank's little jingle
we'd often hear him sing. "Be kind to your web footed
friends.." (See also Little Gray
Pony).
Weeding (all) v.
working in the garden that would make your stomach turn by just
the thought of it!
Wellgee (Mary Ann)
pn. a nickname given to Mike, derived from what he'd
exclaim after falling from the wagon or trike. (See also
Trike).
Well Honestly (Dad)
expr. said by Dad when things just weren't as they
should be.
Wellsiree (Dad)
expr. used as an expression of amazement or
dumbfoundedness while listening to a relative or son
speak.
Wheel Thing (all)
n. A telephone cable spool or drum of any size, emptied of
its cable, and used only by kids to stack one on top of the
other, making all sorts of things. (See also Spool and
Cushions).
Whipper Snapper (Dad)
n. used by Dad to refer to any kid under the age of
twelve. (See also Pip Squeak).
Winch Wipers (all)
n. a mechanical cleaning device designed to clear rain,
snow, sleet or mist from the windshield of a car.
Woebegone (Margie)
adj. a word used by Margie to try to stump Joe, which had
him going, "Whoa, be gone from here with that
word!"
Wood Ticks (all)
n. those buggers were pretty hard to find and when we did
find them, their danged heads were almost impossible to remove,
even with alcohol. (See also Slugs).
