Before 1970, if I were to pass you a note in study hall that read, "Hey, that techie rug rat is going to grow up to be a radical chic wearing hot pants looking for greener pastures because she has her head-in-the-sand." You might be wigged-out, but you would not have read that word anywhere because "wigged-out" and most of the words in that sentence hadn't been written down until 1970! Are you weirded out yet? I am!
According to Merriam-Webster's "Time Traveler" page (you can click the link to check it out), the list above are words that hadn't "passed into the written language" until 1970. I highlighted a few (okay, too many, and not enough) that stood out to me. Take, for instance, "bummed" there wasn't a character in any novel, or that was ever bummed!? Romeo was bummed when he thought Juliet was dead. Shakespeare could have used the word back in the late 1500s. How about "yucky"? Parents have been making children eat their vegetables for centuries; it took until 1970 for "yucky" to appear in print?
Some of the words make sense to me, techie, punk rock, skate park, gigabit. The words were not used until those things were invented, and the timing looks about right; but spork, tiebreak, love handles, and guilt trip? I know the words may have been used in conversation, but they weren't written anywhere until 1970? Tiebreak? The word "tiebreak" was not written in any sports article until 1970; I have a hard time believing that. Also, the spork! It wasn't advertised at all before 1970?
1970 was the year of my birth, and this being my birthMONTH, of course, I looked up the words from that year. It is interesting to see when words were first put to print. Just looking at the group of words can tell you much about what was happening during that time period. It doesn't surprise me that "defriend" was used first in 2004 along with "social media"; however, it is a bit shocking to me that "wet willy" was not in print until 1993.
Air-kiss, playdate, and superstring were written the year I started kindergarten, while e-book, f-bomb, and road rage were put into print the year I graduated high school! Another interesting find cornflower blue (a color I am very fond of) and dopester (not what you think it means) were put to print in 1907, the year my grandmother was born! She died in 2013. 106 years is quite impressive, and much time to see various words come to life in print!
Have some fun, and click the link above. Learn some old and interesting words. Add them to your vocabulary and bring them back to life. Words can be fun, and adding to one's vocabulary is never a bad thing.
Love Lots; Smile Often
MommaHattie