Like Cool

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Text on Button LIKE COOL!
Image Description

A man and woman sitting back-to-back with red text on a blue and red background. 

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The use of the word "cool" as we've come to know it came to be thanks to the jazz scene of the 1940s. This use is often credited to jazz saxophonist, Lester Young. It became a part of the mainstream around the 1950s as it gained popularity with American teenagers. 

Sources

Zimmer, B. (2010, May 28). Cool. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/30/magazine/30FOB-onlanguage-t.html

Catalog ID HU0153

Leftover Lover

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Text on Button the LEFTOVER lover
Image Description

Large white text on a red background. 

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“Leftover lover” can mean different things depending on the context. In the context of food culture, the term “leftover” was first used in the early 20th century when refrigeration became more common in households, and referred to food that could be kept and consumed at a later time or date. One might enjoy leftover food because of how the flavors can be enhanced overnight due to chemical reactions that take place after cooking and may identify as a “leftover lover.”

In the context of dating culture, a “leftover lover” might be a single “older” person getting reacquainted with the dating landscape, if they even left it to begin with, and might also be referred to as a hopeless romantic. According to a study published by AARP, 50% of adults over 50 are single and actively dating. This can sometimes be regarded with a negative connotation, as in China when the term “leftover women” is used to describe unmarried women who are over 25 years old and therefore considered undesirable by society. Dating can be challenging for older people due to these judgments that people have about aging, as well as insecurities and additional responsibilities such as children. A lot of people find online dating to be an easier way to meet new people, and apps aimed specifically at singles over 50, such as OurTime and SilverSingles, are available as digital dating options.

Sources

Grimm, M. (2020, February 7). A woman’s guide to dating leftover lovers. Mimosas & Fries. https://mimosasandfries.com/a-womans-guide-to-dating-leftover-lovers/

Hood, A. L., & Bacher, R. (2023, February 08). 16 dating apps and websites for over-50 singles. AARP. https://www.aarp.org/home-family/personal-technology/info-2021/online-dating-apps.html

Lanquist, L. (2016, April 8). What it means to be a ‘leftover woman’ in China, shown in a moving video. SELF. https://www.self.com/story/what-it-means-to-be-a-leftover-woman-in-china-shown-in-a-moving-video

Petrzela, N. M. (2018, November 20). The curious history of leftovers. History. https://www.history.com/news/the-curious-history-of-leftovers

Catalog ID IB0366

I'm Outta Tune

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Text on Button I'm Outta Tune
Image Description

Black text on a yellow prism backgrund. 

Back Paper / Back Info

BADGE-A-MINIT
LASALLE ILL.61301

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Catalog ID IB0378

I am A Grump

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Text on Button Watch it! I am a GRUMP This entitles me to take a stand for or against anything or anybody.
Image Description

Black text on a white background. 

Curl Text Wm.PECK SALES CO. N.Y.C. 17, N.Y.
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Catalog ID IB0381

Have A Fun Day Blue

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Text on Button HAVE A Fun Day!
Image Description

Black smiley face with white text inside of a big grin on a blue background.

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The is a variation of the classic yellow smiley face which is comprised of a yellow circle, two black dots for eyes and a black arc ending in serifs for a mouth. It  was designed in 1963 by by commercial artist, Harvey Ross Ball. Ball was commissioned by The State Mutual Life Insurance Company to create a happy face to raise the morale of their employees. His version was created in 10 minutes. The design was printed onto more than 50 million buttons. Neither Ball nor the company copyrighted this smiley, so it was continually used by other businesses in their promotions. 


The design and concept is quite simple and was definitely used before Ball’s 1963 version. However his has become the most iconic. Variations have been used for advertising campaigns and in popular culture ever since.

Catalog ID SM0019

Official Good Egg

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Text on Button OFFICIAL GOOD EGG
Image Description

Illustration of a white egg with a smile, closed eyes, and a golden halo floating above the top of the egg. Black stenciled font text lies in the top center portion of the button. The illustration and text lies on a multi-colored striped background.  

Back Paper / Back Info

(stamped in the metal)
$1.00
MADE IN U.S.A.
©1979
HALLMARK CARDS

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"Good egg" and "bad egg" are common phrases to describe a person with appealing or unappealing characters. According to The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, the word egg came to reference a person because the oval shape of an egg resembles the human head. In American English, a good egg was originally an agricultural term dating back to Civil War times. It was an inversion of a bad egg which could not be marketed. Since then, "good egg" has come to mention a person with good character. The image of this button, manufactured by hallmark, is a humorous take-off on the concept of "good egg". The halo on top of the egg implies the heavenly character of the egg/person, whereas image of egg with horns and tails often refers to bad egg because it resembles the image of the devil. 

Catalog ID IB0261

Go Fly A Kite

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Text on Button GO FLY A KITE
Image Description

Text that is red on top and green on bottom with a background that is green on top and red on the bottom. 

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'Go fly a kite' is an idiom or phrase that is used to tell someone to go away because they are annoying or they have done or said something irritating. The phrase is no longer commonly used. The phrase arose in the 1940s where it was popular on shows and other forms of entertainment for a few decades. The phrase may have originated from its literal meaning. If person were to go fly a kite, they would have to walk away to do so. 

Sources

Farlex. (2015). Go fly a kite! In The Free Dictionary's Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/Go+fly+a+kite!

What does go fly a kite mean? (n.d.). Writing Explained. https://writingexplained.org/idiom-dictionary/go-fly-a-kite

 

Catalog ID IB0359