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

3

But I’ve never seen antimacassar written down and had no idea it was spelled like that. And I also think you’d have to be over a certain age to know it. Also think it is regional because only my family from one county had them, none in my county did but visiting their homes is why I learned the word iyswim.

@Ijustknowitstimetogo

I’ve heard of both and know what a criminal fence is but wasn’t sure if an antimacassar was the cover on the back of a chair or a prayer cushion in a church for kneeling on. I get those two confused.

The kneeler in church is a hassock.

3

Not sure when I last used either word in conversation though.

1. Could it be an age thing?

3

3

3

3

4

3

3

Criminal fence? Don't you mean criminal offence?

3

3 - both.

3

3

@Spidey66

Criminal fence? Don't you mean criminal offence?

Fence - as in someone who buys stolen goods. Watch a few episode of Minder, it comes up regularly.

3

However find this thread odd because i know what they mean (I read a lot) but have never used either of those words in conversation. Do people even use antimacassers these days?

1 - but I do watch a lot of 70s and 80s TV series such as Minder.

Never heard of the second one.

1. Antimacassar only from books though, I don’t think I’ve ever heard it said ...

3 - but I think knowing 'antimacassar' is probably more a function of age than location.

3

Only the other day I thought, "I need antimacassars if I'm going to keep using this hair gel."

3 - although I'm not sure I've ever used antimacassar in conversation. I also know andirons and casters - from old relatives in old-fashioned houses (I'm 35). And there's a poem called Land of Counterpane by Robert Louis Stevenson about a child playing with toy soldiers while ill in bed, my mum used to read it when I was little.

3