to think I have strange vocab

[pinkhappy]

I recently moved to a new city. I had some new friends round and discovered that not one of them had heard of a (criminal) fence. This is a word that everyone I knew before would have known.

Then I was listening to the radio and they used the word antimacassar which I had never heard of. Turns out everyone in my new city knows it.

So, a poll. Do you know

1. what a (criminal) fence is only

2. what an antimacassar is only

3. both

4. neither

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1. Normal words.

People don't generally use antimacassers in the home anymore, although they still appear in 1st class areas in transport occasionally. The idea is to keep the upholstery free of head/hand grease.

Only knew fence but just googled the other and I have them on one of my sofas. Learnt a new thing today

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2

I wouldn't use fence - seems another old fashioned word. Parents would say Del Boy

3

1. But I do like doing crosswords!

Both

I'm intrigued by your theory that vocabulary is dictated by where you live, do you get a dictionary if you move into certain areas and a brain wipe when you move out of the area with the wider vocab dwellers?

@Rhubarbcrumblerules

Only knew fence but just googled the other and I have them on one of my sofas. Learnt a new thing today

If you had to replace it, before today what would you have Googled? 😊

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3

Don't think I've ever heard anyone use either of them, only in books

do you know what a counterpane is?

I know what that is, read it somewhere but would always use the more common word.

@pinkhappy

Don’t aeroplanes (and trains) all have antimacassars still?

And yes I meant a fence as in someone a criminal sells stolen goods to who then sells it on.

Why or how would you need to say the word out loud though or discuss it with anyone else to know that others don't know the word?

The fence one I get more if you know any criminal types!

1. But macassar oil went out of fashion years ago. There are many alternatives nowadays for men to gel their hair to make it smooth and shiny that they don't need to put messy oil on their hair that gets all over the furniture.

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3 but unlikely to use either in conversation, recently explained antimacassar to DD in reference to my gran.

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1. But I tend to play a theif in many RPG games and it's a common game mechanic to have to find a fence to sell stolen goods.

Might also be a generational thing? I'd be interested to hear people's rough ages to see how that ties into it.

3 though I've not had much cause to use the word fence in that context nor rest my oiled head on an antimacassar 😂 I'm sure they may be called something else on planes these days but unsure what.

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