New Words

I read something yesterday about how new words make their way from the fringes to mainstream usage, and then finally into dictionaries. For example, in 2020, the Merriam-Webster dictionary added hundreds of neologisms to its store of defined words, including crowdfunding, cancel culture, and wet market.

I wondered: What words came into the common vernacular in 1950, the year I was born? I did a quick search, and found many. Most of them made sense to me, considering how I imagined the US to be then. But some surprised me. I would have guessed that they were first recorded either before or after 1950.

For example:

1. action figure – I would have guessed “after.”
2. antimatter – I would have guessed “before.”
3. ballistic missile – I would have guessed “after.”
4. BLT – I would have guessed “before.”
5. brainwashing – I would have guessed “before.”
6. cardiac arrest – I would have guessed “before.”
7. carpal tunnel syndrome – I would have guessed “after.”
8. deep fat fryer – I had no idea.