You've got two years on me.
The reason I asked, and not to dredge this issue up again, is because this is the second time someone has made reference to the meaning of terms/concepts/relationships in "earlier times," and in both cases, I find myself in agreement.
Survival of the fittest, from my recollection, was virtually interchangeable with natural selection, since at the very least, they both described a conclusion of the same event in practical terms.
Primordial soup, if memory serves me correctly, was the other time someone brought this issue up, and again, I have to agree that it was taught as being inferred by the theory. Certainly, there was no effort, or campaign like there is today, to disassociate the two...or in the case of the former term, to distinguish the differences, if any....and I'd be willing to bet that the vast majority of people who grew up circa 1960's probably have similar recollections.
Anyway, that's why I asked, and thanks for the response.
When I was taught the origin of life (beyond what my YEC family taught me) it was touched on very briefly and as a supposition with supporting data from evolution. Unfortunately most pre-university level teachers are not scientists and tend to use the 'common' definitions of terms used in science. I think that back then real scientists were not too concerned with what terminology was used by the common populace; there was a 'separation' between real life and research that was seldom crossed.
The current concern by scientists in terminology has been triggered by the vocal attacks on science by various religious groups (primarily lead directly or indirectly by Phillip Johnson). Because the misuse of terms seemingly gives the detractors of science a bit of an edge when communicating to those unaware of or unconcerned with science, the science community has been forced to awaken from their complacent slumber. The correct terminology should have been in every class that desired to teach science from the very beginning.
And of course language evolves constantly which is why dictionaries scramble to keep up and include multiple definitions for many words.