This is a thread intended to accumulate antique words and phrases that seemed useful a long time ago.
You might think of it as a sub-category of The Jokes Thread.
Here are my start-up contributions.

Finger Hum: A form of signal generator used to test audio amplifiers. This version only had one frequency, but it was inexpensive enough that every technician had at least one in his tool kit.

Letting the Vacuum Out: Breaking off the glass seal at the rear of a CRT before shipping it to the rebuilding factory. Some rebuilders required the dead CRTs to be shipped in this condition, some refused to accept dead CRTs without the vacuum being intact.

Diddle Stick: A plastic tool with a hexagonal end, used to detune IF amplifiers in vacuum tube TVs.

I will edit this post, if and when I remember things to contribute.

 

Punctuation - The use of spacing, conventional signs, and certain typographical devices as aids to the understanding and correct reading, both silently and aloud, of handwritten and printed texts.
Not used by most young people these days.....

 

Condenser instead of capacitor

 

Condenser instead of capacitor

Oddly it never went out of use in the automotive world!
Max.

 

Oddly it never went out of use in the automotive world!
Max.

But the condensers themselves are obsolete (in cars, not in all engines)

 

Distributor points
Tune-up
(working on my car today)

 

Don't forget valves vs tubes.

puffs meaning pico farads.

 

University:

Formerly a place of higher learning in preparation for a lifetime professional career.

Now an opportunity to air grievances over a period 4 years or more in preparation for living in mom's and/or dad's basement while working a minimum wage job.

 

Hams use them alot. My favorites are

XYL - ex young lady (i.e. your wife)
harmonics - rugrats (i.e. your kids)

 

LOL used to mean "little old lady"
Ask any doctor. Any older doctor.

 

Hello,

How about this list:
http://ac6v.com/jargon.htm

Bertus

 

As a morse code operator in the services there were standard communication Q codes, one (unofficial) often used was QLF?
Are you keying with left foot?!
Max.

 

Hello Max,

Here is an extensive list of Q-codes:
http://www.kloth.net/radio/qcodes.php

And the Q-codes for fun:
http://www.zerobeat.net/drakelist/missingq.html

Bertus

 

Hello Max,

Here is an extensive list of Q-codes:

Bertus

QLF is conspicuously missing..hmmm
Max.

 

Hello,

It is in the second link I added.

Bertus

 

Hello,

It is in the second link.

Bertus

Thats cheating!
Max.

 

How about "Channel Knob" Funny story: I was watching The Simpsons, when Homer asked Bart to change the channel. Bart grabs a pair of pliers to use to change the channel. I fell off the sofa laughing, because we had to use pliers when our channel knob broke.

 

How about "Channel Knob" .

Channel Knob is about the same category as Rotary Phone.
Max.

 

Don't forget valves vs tubes.

puffs meaning pico farads.

The next-door-neighbor who helped me a lot as a kid with electronics always used the term puffs, took me back seeing that.

 

But the condensers themselves are obsolete (in cars, not in all engines)

I meant to indicate that that the term was used in auto use starting around 1910 and used it in automobiles up to around 20yrs ago, . when the general electrical/electronic world had renamed it for over 50 years at that time.
Max.