Last week at my book club, I mentioned that I needed to “tape” the next episode of our favorite series.
The room went quiet for a moment before my friend’s daughter, who was visiting, gently corrected me: “You mean record it, right?”
She was trying to be helpful, but that moment stuck with me.
As someone who spent thirty years teaching high school English, I’ve always prided myself on keeping my language current.
But somewhere along the way, certain phrases got stuck in my vocabulary like old gum on a shoe.
The truth is, language evolves faster than we realize.
What sounded perfectly normal when I was teaching in the ’90s can now mark you as someone who hasn’t quite caught up with the times.
While there’s nothing wrong with being sixty-something (I wear my age proudly!), using outdated phrases can create an unnecessary barrier between us and younger generations.
After that book club moment, I started paying attention to the phrases my peers and I use that might be dating us.
Here are eight that instantly give away our generational status:
1) “I’ll tape that show.”
This one’s my personal favorite blunder: We haven’t actually used tape to record anything in years, yet many of us still say we’re going to “tape” something.
The younger folks say “record” or “DVR it” or simply “save it for later.”
I caught myself saying this to my grandson recently when talking about a nature documentary.
He looked at me like I’d suggested we chisel the show onto stone tablets.
The funny thing is, I know better.
I use streaming services, I can navigate my smart TV, but that old phrase just slips out sometimes.
It’s like muscle memory for the mouth.
2) “Let me get my reading glasses…”
While this phrase isn’t technically wrong, it immediately ages you.
Younger people who need reading assistance tend to say “Let me grab my glasses” or simply put them on without announcement.
The specific callout to “reading glasses” feels like something from another era.
I noticed this when volunteering at the literacy center.
The younger volunteers would just slip on their glasses when needed, while those of us over 60 would make a whole production of searching for our “reading glasses.”
3) “I’ll carbon copy you.”
Oh, this one really shows our age! Even saying “CC you” on an email feels outdated now.
The younger generation says “I’ll loop you in” or “I’ll add you to the thread.”
During my last years of teaching, I’d tell students I’d CC their parents on important emails.
They’d look puzzled until I explained what carbon copies were.
Now, I realize I was basically giving them a history lesson every time I mentioned email.
4) “Let me print that out…”
The automatic impulse to print everything is such a giveaway.
Whether it’s directions, recipes, or important documents, our generation loves our paper trails.
Meanwhile, everyone else just saves things to their phone or cloud.
I used to print out every recipe I wanted to try.
My kitchen drawer was stuffed with papers.
Now, my daughter-in-law shows me recipes on her tablet while we cook together, and honestly, it works just fine.
But breaking that print-everything habit? That’s been harder than learning to use Instagram!
5) “What’s your telephone number?”
Nobody says “telephone number” anymore because it’s just “number” or “digits” or “contact info.”
Adding “telephone” in front makes it sound like we’re still amazed these devices exist.
This really hit home when I was filling out forms at my grandson’s school for emergency contacts.
I asked for everyone’s “telephone numbers” and the young teacher smiled that patient smile I recognize from my own teaching days.
The one that says, “I’m going to be polite but you sound ancient.”
6) “I saw it on the computer.”
This phrase instantly reveals that we still think of “the computer” as a specific device rather than just another way to access information.
Younger people say “I saw it online” or name the specific platform.
After retirement, I started my blog about personal development and had to train myself to stop saying “on the computer.”
Everything’s online now, whether you’re using a phone, tablet, or yes, an actual computer.
Yet, for those of us who remember when computers were these mysterious boxes that took up entire desks, the phrase sticks.
7) “The young people.”
Nothing ages you faster than referring to anyone under 40 as “the young people.”
It’s like wearing a sign that says “I’m officially old.”
The preferred terms now are “millennials,” “Gen Z,” or just referring to people by their actual age groups.
I caught myself doing this constantly when I first retired.
“The young people at the coffee shop,” or “the young people in my yoga class.”
My sons finally staged an intervention.
Now, I try to be more specific, though sometimes “that twenty-something barista” is the best I can manage.
8) “Back in my day…”
This might be the ultimate age revealer because the moment these four words leave your mouth, you’ve essentially announced your senior status.
Even when we’re making valid comparisons, this phrase immediately puts up a generational wall.
I’ve replaced it with phrases like “I remember when” or “It’s interesting how things have changed.”
Same message, less dust on it.
Though, I’ll admit, sometimes when my grandkids complain about slow WiFi, “back in my day” wants to burst out of my mouth like a sneeze.
Finding the balance
Here’s what I’ve learned: Updating our language is about staying connected and relevant in conversations.
After decades of teaching teenagers, I know that language is always evolving.
The slang my students used in the ’80s would sound ridiculous now, but basic communication should transcend generations, and these little phrases we cling to can sometimes get in the way.
So, I’m working on it.
Not perfectly, but consistently.
Whether I’m writing my blog, talking to my grandkids, or meeting new people at book club, I want my ideas to be heard instead of my age.
What outdated phrases have you caught yourself using? Well, we’re all guilty of at least one or two!
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Explore our first video: The Brain Beneath Our Feet — a short-film by shaman Rudá Iandê that challenges where we believe intelligence comes from.
Instead of looking to the stars or machines, Rudá invites us to consider that the first great mind on Earth may have existed without a brain at all… and that the oldest form of thought might be living beneath our feet.
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