Old Fresno Slang Sayings
Old Fresno Slang Sayings
When I was growing up in the 60's, I remember some funny slang that we used to use. Of course current times dictate that we be politically correct and my reference to them here is not meant to offend. Here are some I remember:
1. Fresno Indian: Someone of Armenian descent (of whom we love and respect).
2. Kelso Kid: A person who was mentally challenged (taken from the special needs school located in the Kelso district).
3. West Side: The bad part of town (because it was economically challenged).
1. Fresno Indian: Someone of Armenian descent (of whom we love and respect).
2. Kelso Kid: A person who was mentally challenged (taken from the special needs school located in the Kelso district).
3. West Side: The bad part of town (because it was economically challenged).
Re: Old Fresno Slang Sayings
Six months since this was posted and zero comments so far? What? Nobody out there wants to open up this smelly can of worms? As much as we all enjoy sharing memories of growing up in Fresberg, it appears there are some things we’d rather forget … like all the mean-spirited racist, sexist, and otherwise prejudicial names so many of us used to call each other. We all know deep down inside that although back then such names might not have been considered politically incorrect, they were nonetheless morally incorrect (that is, just plain wrong) and I think it’s fair to say that most of us were habitual offenders.
Re: Old Fresno Slang Sayings
When I was little, my parents would refer to the young hooligan kids as F-14ers. I still don't know what that means :)
Re: Old Fresno Slang Sayings
I remember the F-14ers here in Fresno. They were (are?) an early gang, sorta like the forunners to the bulldogs. There is a show called gangland on Cable that talked about the gangs in Fresno and gave a good history of the F=14ers. I also remember, with shame, that in my neighborhood there was a developmentally disabled kid living just a couple of houses down from me. My friends would laugh and point and call him "kelso". Anyone who was slow or different was called "kelso". Not right today, but it was a different time back in the 60's.
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Re: Old Fresno Slang Sayings
It’s not that we don’t remember that old slang. It was just a different time back then. Words like retard, kelso, beaner, spic, n*gger, white-paddy, okie. Those were part of everyday speech.. sometimes said in anger.. sometime in jest, mostly without a thought. Watch old reruns of Archie Bunker to see how different the times were. We said things casually then that most of us couldn’t force out of our mouth in public these days.
Those lost words represent a piece of Lost Fresno, probably good that many were ‘lost’.. but somewhere along the line we also kind of lost our sense of humor about ourselves, our differences and our quirks. So it goes. I haven’t got much to add to the original post, but it did get me thinking and remembering.
Those lost words represent a piece of Lost Fresno, probably good that many were ‘lost’.. but somewhere along the line we also kind of lost our sense of humor about ourselves, our differences and our quirks. So it goes. I haven’t got much to add to the original post, but it did get me thinking and remembering.
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Re: Old Fresno Slang Sayings
Believe it was old juvenile hall code for Felony, under age 14. Not positive on that. Used to see it tagged everywhere.
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Re: Old Fresno Slang Sayings
I was always under the impression that F-14 stood for f=familia 14 directed you to the 14th letter of the alphabet n=nuestra..that's what i remember from way back then
Re: Old Fresno Slang Sayings
The F means Fresno and the number 14 is in reference to the 14th letter of the alphabet, which is, the letter N. N stands for Northern or Nuestra Familia. From what I remember, back in the mid-late 80's there were other street gangs like The Midnite Cruisers, The Little Cruisers, and The Latin Dukes. My cousin was in the Dukes. I believe they all evolved into what is now known as The Fresno Bulldogs. I've also heard that there were bulldogs as early as the eighties. Not definite on that one. My personal story w/ F14: when I was little (around age 7 or 8) I used to think when you turned 14 you became one.
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Re: Old Fresno Slang Sayings
The one thing I remember about slang in Fresno, while in college, is that pretty girls were call 'hammers'. I don't know where that came from, but it was SO funny. Now there is a girl named Savanna Guthrie on NBC news, and I call her 'Savanna the Hamma'. I think she is gorgeous.
Re: Old Fresno Slang Sayings
My first fight was in the 5th grade. Someone called me a Fresno Indian. I didnt like being called that so I started a fight. Being an Armenian in the 60's to the very early 70's wasnt easy. Some of the names used big nose, hairly legs. The later hurt me so bad that I got my moms razor and managed to mutilate my legs. I was 9 years old. The ladt time anyone made fun of me I was 14 years old. A boy saw a group school picture of me and told his friends " Damn look at her now.. shes half nose but shes half woman too. Sometimes its not fun to remember certain things like bei g bullied.
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