People of different generations or periods in history have different moral, ethical, or social standards or customs governing the way they speak, act, and interact. A: "Watching the horrible, blatant racism in old movies can be pretty startling." B: "different times, different manners, huh?" I can still remember when you'd be a pariah if you had a child out of wedlock, but these days it's nearly more common than not. different times, different manners, I suppose.