Azizi, you said 'For instance, was "beestay" originally "como la vista"?'
What does that mean, please.

As for Cooties or Nits, well they may seem a non-threatening part of everyday life now but they were a matter of deep shame and dread in my youth (among parents as well as children). Do you remember "Nitty Norah" or as the teachers called her the "Head Nurse".