“Anachronism (noun): A chronological error; a person, thing, word, or idiom inappropriate to the time of a literary work, especially something placed or assumed too early; specific temporal or historical error. Adj. anachronistic, anachronic, anachronous, anachronical; adv. Anachronistically, anachronically, anachronously. Also: METACHRONISM.
‘Of course, the deep south holds on by main strength to it regional expressions, just as it holds and treasures some other anachronisms, but no region can hold out for long against the highway, the high-tension line, and the national television.” John Steinbeck Travels with Charley'”
Excerpted from: Grambs, David. The Random House Dictionary for Writers and Readers. New York: Random House, 1990.