Use the arrow keys to move between letters. Press Enter or Space on the first letter of a word, then again on the last letter. Press Escape to cancel.
A few of the words
- DANDY
- As a compliment meaning "excellent," dandy was already in wide use by the early 1800s — long before it became a style label for fashionable men-about-town.Find this word in the grid to read its note.
- CAPITAL
- Using "capital" to mean first-rate was a firm favorite in 19th-century English — you'll find it sprinkled throughout the pages of Charles Dickens.Find this word in the grid to read its note.
- CORKING
- "Corking" — meaning splendid or first-class — likely grew from the idea of a fine wine sealed with a good cork, worth the highest praise.Find this word in the grid to read its note.
- WIZARD
- In mid-20th-century slang, especially across the Atlantic, "wizard" meant something brilliantly impressive — nothing to do with magic, everything to do with admiration.Find this word in the grid to read its note.
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More about this theme & how to playold-fashioned words word search · free, large-print, no sign-up · vintage vocabulary puzzle · yesteryear sayings
Old-Fashioned Words: a free large-print word search
Old-fashioned words word search, free and large-print — rediscover the breezy charm of swell, dapper, and nifty.
About Old-Fashioned Words
Before "awesome" ruled every compliment, a whole wardrobe of words dressed up everyday praise. Something fine was swell or peachy; a sharp-dressed man was dapper or snazzy; a piece of good news was simply grand. These words carried real warmth — unhurried, picture-perfect, and full of personality.
How to play
- 1Find a word from the list.Press the first letter and drag to the last — across, down or diagonally, forwards or back. Or tap the first letter, then the last.
- 2It stays marked.Found words get a soft teal line through them, on the grid and in the list.
- 3Make it comfortable.Use the A / A+ / A++ size control any time, or pinch the grid for a closer look.
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