Buzz
The English language today is full of contemporary terms and abbreviations that didn't exist a century ago—or even 50 years ago. Some of these terms emerged due to technological advancements, while others are products of trends in pop culture. Yet, some of the expressions we use daily are far older than you might think.
10. OK
There are various theories about the origin of 'OK,' but the most widely accepted explanation is that it began as a humorous editorial shorthand in 1839. Back then, it was common to give your articles a trendy vibe by using quirky abbreviations like 's.p.' for 'small potatoes.' Frequently, these abbreviations had unconventional spellings. For instance, 'O.w.' meant 'oll write,' and 'o.k.' stood for 'oll korrect.'
While most abbreviations eventually faded into obscurity, 'OK' remained. The reason? It is believed that Martin Van Buren’s supporters began using the term during the 1840 election when they formed the 'OK Club.' The word was thought to represent Van Buren's nickname, 'Old Kinderhook.'
However, after the club clashed with supporters of William Henry Harrison, the term 'OK' turned into a popular insult. It came to symbolize phrases like 'out of karacter,' 'orful katastrophe,' or 'orfully confused,' among others.
From that point on, 'OK' continued to be used because it became a practical abbreviation for telegraph communication.
9. OMG
The first documented use of 'OMG' dates back to 1917, found in a letter written by Admiral John Arbuthnot Fisher to Winston Churchill.
In this renowned letter, Fisher expresses his frustration with the British navy’s situation during the war, concluding his message with a humorous remark: 'I hear that a new order of Knighthood is on the tapis—O.M.G. (Oh! My! God!)—Shower it on the Admiralty!!' It’s worth noting that Fisher was 76 years old when he wrote this letter.
The connection between Fisher and Churchill was a complicated one. In 1911, Churchill persuaded Fisher to come out of retirement to lead the Royal Navy. However, Fisher retired once more in 1915 due to the failed Gallipoli Campaign. Despite this, their relationship remained cordial, allowing for such playful exchanges.
8. F—k
One of the most entertaining theories about the origin of the word 'f—k' is the myth that the king of England once issued a decree instructing people to 'Fornicate Under Command of the King,' abbreviated as 'F—K.' In truth, however, the word 'f—k' comes from Germanic roots and is related to Dutch, Swedish, and German words meaning 'to strike' or 'to move back and forth.'
The first recorded instance of the word appears in 1528, written in the margins of a Latin manuscript. Apparently, an anonymous monk, while reading a moral conduct guide called De Officiis, was inspired to scrawl 'O d f—kin Abbot' in the text's margins.
It's clear that 'f—k' was commonly used in everyday language in the 16th century, as it was included in John Florio's 1598 Italian-English dictionary. However, back then, it wasn't used as a curse word; it was merely an impolite term for sexual intercourse. It wasn't until the mid-19th century that 'f—k' evolved into an insult or an expression of intense emotion.
7. Dude
The term 'dude' made its debut in 1883 and is thought to have evolved from the word 'doodle,' specifically from the song 'Yankee Doodle Dandy.'
Originally, the New England 'Yankee Doodle' referred to a rustic country character who put a feather in his hat and called it macaroni, thus comparing himself to the fashionable 'macaroni' men of 18th-century England.
In 1883, this led to the term 'doods' or 'dudes' being used for young, fashionable men in New York City. These 'dudes' were described as 'tight-trousered, brief-coated, eye-glassed, fancy-vested, sharp-toes shod, vapid youth.'
The female equivalent of a 'dude' was referred to as a 'dudine.' How the 1883 version of 'dude' transformed into the 'dude' we know today remains somewhat of a mystery.
6. Xmas
Some argue that abbreviating 'Christmas' as 'Xmas' is nearly a form of sacrilege, as it removes the 'Christ' from 'Christmas' and is often seen as laziness.
However, it’s believed that the 'X' stands for the Greek letter 'Chi,' which is the first letter of the Greek word for Christ.
In fact, evidence suggests that 'Christmas' has been shortened for over 1,000 years, though not in the modern form we use today. For example, in an Anglo-Saxon chronicle from 1021, 'Christmas' was abbreviated as 'XPmas.'
5. Nerd
The term 'nerd' first became a fixture in teen slang during the early 1950s. In 1951, a Newsweek article noted, 'In Detroit, someone who once would have been called a drip or a square is now, regrettably, a nerd.' By 1954, it was officially added to a teen slang guide called Real Gone Lexicon.
The exact origin of the word remains unclear. A popular theory suggests that 'nerd' was coined by Dr. Seuss in his 1950 children's book If I Ran the Zoo. In the story, the narrator says that if he were in charge, he would 'sail to Ka-Troo' and collect 'a Nerkle, a Nerd and a Seersucker, too!'
However, this raises the question of how the word made its way into teen culture. Why was 'nerd' singled out from all the other whimsical terms in the book, and what was the likelihood that teens were reading Dr. Seuss at the time?
There are alternative theories about the origins of 'nerd.' Some suggest it’s a play on the word 'turd' or a shortened form of 'ne’er-do-well,' but etymologists consider these theories unlikely.
4. LOL
The Internet is full of stories where parents or grandparents mistakenly use 'LOL' (believing it stands for 'Lots of Love') in completely inappropriate contexts. Of course, most of us are familiar with the fact that 'LOL' actually means 'laughing out loud' and emerged in the 1980s.
What you might find surprising is that 'LOL' was originally used in the 1960s as medical slang for 'little old lady.' In some instances, it was even expanded to 'LOLINAD,' meaning 'little old lady in no apparent distress.'
During the 1960s and 1970s, NASA's Apollo mission computers were said to use 'LOL memory,' a term coined after the 'little old ladies' who wove the software together using copper wire.
3. Pussy
In modern times, the word 'pussy' is most commonly associated with sexual references. It can describe the female genitalia or, in a derogatory way, be used to insult women. It can also be used as a term for cowardly men, and in rare cases, it can simply refer to a cat.
The exact origin of 'pussy' is unclear. Some experts, such as Bob Garfield and Mike Vuolo, hosts of the Lexicon Valley podcast, suggest that the term first appeared in the late 1500s in the writings of English pamphleteer Philip Stubbs.
Apparently, Stubbs used the term 'pussy' to describe a woman in a nonsexual context. The Oxford English Dictionary supports this and suggests that 'pussy' referred to a girl or woman possessing cat-like traits.
Some argue that words from Old Norse and Old English that are similar to 'pussy' refer to either 'vulva' or 'pocket.' They propose that 'pussy' likely originated from these terms.
Regardless of its origins, it appears that 'pussy' was first used to describe a woman’s vagina in a crude country song from the 1600s.
2. Twerk
Although Miley Cyrus recently popularized 'twerking,' its roots stretch all the way back to 1820. At that time, it was spelled as 'twirk' and was used as a noun to describe a twisting or jerking motion.
By 1848, 'twirk' transformed into a verb. Around fifty years later, its spelling changed slightly, swapping the 'i' for an 'e,' thus becoming 'twerk.'
The transition of 'twerk' from a term for a jerking movement to a specific type of dance move remains a mystery. However, it likely gained traction in the 'Bounce' music scene in 1990s New Orleans. At that time, the word was strongly associated with DJ Jubilee's track 'Do the Jubilee All,' which included the lyrics 'Twerk baby, twerk baby, twerk, twerk, twerk.'
1. Freelance
In modern times, the word 'freelancer' refers to someone working independently. Though it may seem like a contemporary term, it is believed to have emerged between the 14th and 16th centuries.
During that era, medieval mercenary knights with no fixed allegiance would often sell their swordsmanship to the highest bidder, whether that be a prince or a state.
The term was further popularized in 1819 by Sir Walter Scott's historical novel Ivanhoe, where it is used in the line: 'I offered Richard the service of my Free Lances, and he refused them . . . thanks to the bustling times, a man of action will always find employment.'
