7 Gen X Sayings That Just Don’t Make Sense in Today’s World

Generation X grew up in a world vastly different from today’s digital landscape. Born between 1965 and 1980, Gen Xers used phrases that reflected their pre-internet reality. As technology and culture have evolved, many of their common sayings have become hilariously obsolete. Let’s look at seven Gen X expressions that leave today’s kids scratching their heads.

1. “Be Kind, Rewind”

VHS tapes ruled home entertainment in the 80s and 90s. Before returning a rented movie, you had to manually rewind the tape – a courtesy to the next viewer. Video store walls featured signs with this reminder.

Kids today stream everything instantly. The concept of physically rewinding media is as foreign as rotary phones. Mention this phrase to a teenager and prepare for blank stares or laughter.

Even nostalgic adults who remember Blockbuster nights might struggle to explain why rewinding was once so important to video etiquette.

2. “Hang Up The Phone”

Before smartphones, phones had physical receivers you hung on a base when done, and that simple act gave us a phrase that lasted generations.

Modern smartphones have no hanging mechanism – we tap a red button instead. Gen Z might understand the phrase conceptually, but they’ve never experienced the satisfaction of slamming down a receiver after an argument.

The physical act of hanging up has disappeared along with phone booths and dial tones, making this common Gen X phrase increasingly obsolete in our tap-to-end-call world.

3. “Roll Down The Window”

In older cars, you’d roll down the window by turning a hand crank several times, making it a hands-on job.

Most vehicles today have power windows activated by buttons. The rotating motion is completely gone, yet the phrase persists.

When Gen Xers tell their kids to “roll down the window,” they’re using language from a mechanical era. Today’s children might understand the request but find the terminology puzzling since nothing actually rolls anymore.

4. “Tape A Show”

Recording television once required physical VCR tapes and careful timing. Gen Xers would “tape” their favorite shows by programming VCRs with specific start and stop times, often resulting in missed recordings or cut-off endings.

DVRs and streaming services have completely transformed how we consume media. Shows are automatically saved to digital libraries with no physical media involved.

The concept of recording has survived, but the verb “taping” makes little sense when nothing is actually being captured on magnetic tape anymore.

5. “Dial A Number”

Rotary phones required users to physically dial each digit by rotating a mechanical wheel. Your finger would pull the dial around to each number and release it, creating the term “dialing.”

Today’s touchscreens and digital keypads have no rotating components. We tap, press, or select contacts from lists – no dialing motion exists.

The word persists in our language despite the complete disappearance of the physical action it describes. Young people understand the concept but have never experienced the satisfying mechanical rotation of an actual dial.

6. “Changing The Channel”

Changing channels was once a tactile dance, a twist and a tap right on the television, until the remote control transformed the ritual into a simple wave of your hand—same show, different moves.

Streaming services have revolutionized viewing habits. We no longer flip through channels sequentially – we browse libraries, select specific shows, and create personalized watchlists.

When someone says they’re “changing the channel,” they’re using language from an era of linear programming that’s increasingly foreign to younger viewers who’ve grown up with on-demand content.

7. “You Sound Like A Broken Record”

Before digital music, vinyl records would get stuck in grooves when damaged. The needle would play the same section repeatedly, creating an annoying repetitive sound.

This physical phenomenon inspired a common phrase for someone who keeps repeating themselves. While the expression remains widely understood, the actual experience of hearing a record skip is increasingly rare.

Today’s digital music doesn’t “break” in the same way. Files might glitch or buffer, but they don’t create the distinctive repetitive loop that gave birth to this classic Gen X saying.