We need a new word for between middle aged and old

[PersonalBest]

I'm 60, obviously not middle aged. I don't feel old though. My mother is old, she's 91. Geriatrics has come up with the term "old old" (I think!) because people are living so long. But I think there's a gap now, for those of us who are in-between old and middle aged. Am I young old? Pre old? Post middle aged? Any ideas? A lot of people will say I'm just old, get on with it. Well, I'm not accepting it sorry!

Im 56. I consider myself middle aged. I'm hardly one foot in the grave. I run a business, I go to festivals and gigs. I have a busy life and still feel the same as I did in my 30s. Look at women like Zoe ball and davina mccall. They are both in their prime as are many other women approaching 60.

I’m 59 and have only quite recently begun to accept that I’m middle aged, nevermind having to move onto elderly.

Can we just be Gen-X? I quite like that.

You see, that’s how crap I am, I’m NOT 59, I’m 58.

Old means old. It doesn't mean unfit, unemployable or unattractive. You can fit, employable and attractive at 60. But, if you're 60, you're old.

I read the Italian press a lot and it makes me laugh that everyone under 40 is a ragazzo/ragazza (boy/girl) and everyone over 60 is an anziano/anziana (old person). Between 40 and 60 you are simply a man or woman.

Might have already been said, but Vintage is a nice word.
I would be happy to be called a woman of vintage.

Middle age is 35-70 [gravel]
Young is 0-35
Elderly 70--105

You seem to have a very negative opinion on the abilities of older/old/elderly people and the value of their own lives, as well as the contributions that they make to those of others.

Old categorically does not equal useless and ready to die.

David Attenborough is still travelling the world and making in-depth documentaries. Dame Joan Bakewell is highly intelligent, 'with it' and active in broadcasting and media. Dick Van Dyke danced in a huge international hit pop music video last year.

Very notable and much-loved people; but they're still all undeniably old.

I'm 62 and consider myself to be an older woman - not old, but older than colleagues and many in my friendship group. It acknowledges increasing age, but does not imply aged.

Molderly?

so, 35-70 range gives a median of 50, hence a life-expectancy of 100?

I like the term 'elder' but I feel you need to be early 70s at least to qualify for that?

Some of the opinions on here with negative assumptions about what 'old' means are reminding me of the people who use the phrase 'like a girl' as a lazy and prejudiced shorthand for hopeless, weak, pathetic and inferior.

I find it very sad.

Exactly. Seems to me that people want a new word because the word "old" has negative connotations for them.

I’m 60. Don’t feel old at all. Going back generations, lots of ancestors lived into their 90s and even reached 100 in one case, in the early 19th century (working class people). Bodes well, I hope!

We’re retiring soon and looking forward to hopefully many, many years of life, activity and adventures that weren’t possible when the kids were young.

Not me (couple of years off 60). I just don’t feel it describes who I am. Tbf I think that’s mainly because people used to generally look and act old at an earlier age.

I genuinely think the length of time people stay young, and subsequently middle aged, has increased. To me ‘old’ suggests 70+. I know this isn’t the general MN view and I’m likely to get roasted for saying that, but that’s my view.

Actually from previous threads your view is very much the accepted Mumsnet view.

What does it mean to you to "look and act old"? Because if it means anything other than "be alive and be over 60" then you're attributing additional values to the word, yourself.

When you are 69 you may change your mind.😏

Past it? Decrepit?

I'm 53 btw and feel both of those things!

I am almost so 40 I would classify myself as middle age at technically at the halfway point or at least near it. I would classify anyone under 35 as young and anything over 50 as old.

Bloody hell....decrepit is a horrible word, and it's sad you feel that way.

It’s entirely possible! 🙂

Good grief.

Mold😂

I'm 56 and don't feel.middle aged any more...if I am I'd live to 112, which is unlikely.

But yeah, I'm not old either!

I've taken to thinking of myself as late middle age, which I imagine will continue till I'm late 60s or hit 70.