# obfuscated?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obfuscated/151504
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [January 30, 2003, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obfuscated/151504 "2003-01-30T02:56:04Z")
**Posts on this page:** 7
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@owlofcreamcheese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/owlofcreamcheese)
#### Post date: [January 30, 2003, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obfuscated/151504/1 "2003-01-30T02:56:04Z")
its not a new word or anything, why is it so popular to use right now? it seems like its a word that everyone in the last month or two has been useing, on the internet especially.
I mean, why did it suddenly become a run of the mill every day word all of a sudden? it never used to be, but now, it seems every thread contains at least one use of that word.
as far as I can tell it originated from slashdot, someone used a ten cent word and everyone followed along, because it makes them sound smart.
or am I insaine? has everyone always been useing this word and I just never nodiced before? it REALLY seems like this word is being used at least a billion times more commonly in the last month or two than it normally is.
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### Author:  [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)
#### Post date: [January 30, 2003, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obfuscated/151504/2 "2003-01-30T06:08:42Z")
I searched Google groups (advanced search) for the number of instances of “obfuscated” for the first 29 days of January for the last few years. Results:
2003-435
2002-592
2001-484
2000-331
1999-334
At first glance, it appears as if the use of the word is now decreasing, but these data need to be corrected for the varying rate of newsgroup posts. The remainder of the proof is left to the student as an exercise.
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### Author:  [@saoirse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saoirse)
#### Post date: [January 30, 2003, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obfuscated/151504/3 "2003-01-30T06:31:12Z")
I’ve been noticing an increase in 10\_\_¢, and even 50¢, words over the past few years. I’ve been waiting for a DSL connection to research it more thoroughly. “Obviate” is actually the word I noticed.
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### Author:  [@Cillasi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cillasi)
#### Post date: [January 30, 2003, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obfuscated/151504/4 "2003-01-30T06:46:22Z")
It’s all OJ Simpson’s fault!!! Without OJ, the average joe would never have ever started watching Court TV and would’ve never come in contact with all those 50¢ words! \
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### Author:  [@slortar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slortar)
#### Post date: [January 30, 2003, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obfuscated/151504/5 "2003-01-30T14:49:17Z")
It’s because I’ve been wearing a t-shirt with the phrase “Eschew obfuscation” on it for the last several years. Whoohoo! I’m the Johnny Appleseed of obfuscation!
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### Author:  [@Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bippy_the_Beardless)
#### Post date: [January 30, 2003, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obfuscated/151504/6 "2003-01-30T17:01:15Z")
I think it’s appearence in the Role Playing game “Vampire” helped with popularity. It’s great that the word obfuscate is so obfuscated. Also the obfuscated C code competition may have made the word known to many geeks.
Cheers, Bippy
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### Author:  [@scout1222](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scout1222)
#### Post date: [January 30, 2003, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obfuscated/151504/7 "2003-01-30T18:24:23Z")
Another anecdotal: The Car Talk guys tend to use the word in reference to their puzzlers.
The more people that hear it used, the more they might use it themselves.