"Old time" and "old timey" are terms used to describe stereotyped images and representations of the late 19th and early 20th centuries in the United States, generally not more than a generation before or after the start of the 20th century. The term "old timeyness" is used more rarely. All these terms may also be used in a more general sense, in which case, they are synonymous with "" or "antique".
Connotation
Old timeyness is sometimes considered campy and put forth as a sort of "ultra-corniness". At other rare times, it is used to invoke an era of integrity and quality that stands in opposition to inferior "newfangled" ways of doing things.
Distinctions
While they refer to the same era, "old time" has a different connotation than the term fin de siècle. The latter evokes images of sophistication to the point of decadence, a connotation opposite to that suggested by "old timeyness". Old timeyness overlaps somewhat with aspects of popular culture intended to evoke Victoriana or the Old West. Often, however, the three are distinguishable. Evocations of Victoriana typically highlight class differences, featuring aristocrats and gentry who are dandified or eccentric, in contrast to working class and poor folk who are Dickensian or exaggeratedly rustic in their costume and manner. Old West themes differ from old timey themes in that they emphasize elements such as cowboys, firearms, horses, and drawled speech. However, aspects of Old West city or town life can overlap with old timeyness.
Clothing
The archetypical old timey costume includes vertically-striped fabric, boaters, a vest, and sleeve garters of the type worn in the later half of the 19th century and still sometimes worn by poker dealers today. This clothing, often accessorized by a handlebar mustache and/or a certain style of dainty cane of bamboo or rattan with a curved handle, appears with some frequency in popular culture, especially in the cartoons and advertising mentioned below. Clothing with upper class associations, such as top hats, monocles and spats, while entirely appropriate to the time period represented by old timeyness, are mostly excluded from the old timeyness discussed here. This highlights the distinction between the associations of old timeyness and the sophisticated associations of fin de siècle.
Examples
Old timey references include the following:
Television
The Simpsons has made many references to things that are old timey, such as patent medicine, barbershop quartet and antique bicycles. Box socials have been mentioned more than once. Grandpa Simpson often includes old timey concepts in his rants. Mr. Burns often makes old timey references as well. The B-Sharps, a barbershop quartet featured in the episode "Homer's Barbershop Quartet" and referenced subsequently, dressed in stereotypical old time attire.
Conan O'Brien often referenced old timeyness on Late Night with Conan O'Brien, saying that he felt like he should be twirling his handlebar mustache, holding an oversized mug of root beer, etc. He also joked about wearing an old timey horizontally-striped bathing suit that covers everything above his shins and forearms. O'Brien's "Old Timey baseball sketch" has been talked about by other comedians.
The Beatles used old timey imagery during at least two periods in their career. They wore Edwardian jackets during their early period, such as when they appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1964. Three years later, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band presented a flood of old timeyness ranging from vintage marching band uniforms to music hall-style song introductions.
Paul McCartney has often returned to old timeyness in his post-Beatles career. One example is the music video for Say Say Say in which he and Michael Jackson pose as snake oil salesmen.
A&W Root Beer used a similar ad branding strategy in the 1970s, including the phrase "A&W old time root beer, yes sir!" Advertisements featured a man with a straw pork pie hat, handlebar mustache, and suspenders holding an oversized mug. More recently, A&W has begun marketing cream soda in old timey bottles.
Ground Round also used old timeyness in advertising during the 1970s and 1980s, decorating its restaurants accordingly and providing free bowls of dry roasted peanuts for customers. Some locations had booths where patrons could view silent movies.
