Old words in a new world

My partner and I were recently discussing how people continue to use words and phrases that no longer apply to the context they're used in. For example, I know a lot of people who would say something like 'I saw a film on the weekend', even though most movies use digital cameras instead of film these days. 

We were driving to the shopping centre at the time of this discussion and another example we thought of was 'wind down the window'. Newer cars have electric controls to press instead of a manual window winder.

There's something charming about using old words to continue describing things that have outgrown the meaning of the words we use. Or maybe I'm just nostalgic. I'm sure there's a term for words like this but admittedly I do not know it.

Can you think of any examples?

-Bonnee

Happy New Year: Australiana

Happy New Year to one and all!

Now this is going to be a bit different from my usual blog entries... But as a writer, I love words. Big words, little words, serious words and funny words. I also love it when you can twist words. So here's a little video I'd like to share with you, filled to the brim with Aussie humour... Keep an eye on the pictures, they might help you out a bit.

Is it scary to all of you non-Australian people that I understood the majority of what just happened? Fair dinkum, I understood a lot of that.

Happy 2013 from Australia.
- Bonnee.

Wonderful Words - Cellar Door

Cellar door is often used as an example of a phrase in the English language which sounds beautiful, with no regards to it's actual meaning. I'm not completely sure why this is, but I agree that the phrase does sound lovely. It's something about the way it rolls of the tongue.

But why this phrase, of all phrases?

What makes these two words so phonetically pleasing when they are put together and spoken?

I first heard this phrase when I watched the movie Donnie Darko. It is an excellent movie and please do watch it if you ever get the chance. I didn't understand what the characters were on about when I first watched it. My initial thoughts were, "How random can you get?" and I probably disagreed with it being a beautiful phrase at the time.

What are your thoughts on these words?

Is 'cellar door' beautiful to you? And if so, why?

- Bonnee