# What Other Words Have Lost Their Original Meanings? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 11, 2002, 8:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-other-words-have-lost-their-original-meanings/113414 "2002-06-11T08:14:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 9
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2026, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-other-words-have-lost-their-original-meanings/113414/161 "2026-03-26T05:41:41Z")
Yep. Me! Since I’m often on a work-supplied computer, I’m careful about what I actually type. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2026, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-other-words-have-lost-their-original-meanings/113414/162 "2026-04-01T00:20:00Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > I’ve never understood what “dip” means. Anyone care to elucidate? I forgot to mention, a “dip” can be a pickpocket, like the Artful Dodger. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2026, 11:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-other-words-have-lost-their-original-meanings/113414/163 "2026-04-01T11:14:15Z")
Well, yes, I know that. But obviously it isn’t the sense being used in the cartoon. ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2026, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-other-words-have-lost-their-original-meanings/113414/164 "2026-04-21T22:29:24Z")
I just thought of **lousy**. Originally it meant infested with lice. It lost that meaning centuries ago and now simply means “bad”. I’m honestly surprised that one hasn’t been mentioned in this thread yet. Yes, I did do a search. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2026, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-other-words-have-lost-their-original-meanings/113414/165 "2026-04-22T01:18:03Z")
Though it retains the “infested by lice” meaning in the phrase “lousy with.” ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2026, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-other-words-have-lost-their-original-meanings/113414/166 "2026-05-04T16:13:13Z")
Electrocuted - a portmanteau of electricity and execution, originally meant death in the electric chair. Now means any electric shock, however mild or serious. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2026, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-other-words-have-lost-their-original-meanings/113414/167 "2026-05-04T16:20:19Z")
Not to be confused with elocution. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2026, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-other-words-have-lost-their-original-meanings/113414/168 "2026-05-04T16:27:18Z")
There’s another thread for that sort of thing. ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2026, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-other-words-have-lost-their-original-meanings/113414/169 "2026-05-04T16:29:35Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > Electrocuted - a portmanteau of electricity and execution, originally meant death in the electric chair. Now means any electric shock, however mild or serious. Incorrectly, in my opinion. The proper term is for receiving an electric shock not resulting in death is “shocked.” “Electrocuted”, just like “drowned”, means death. “Electrocuted” did expand beyond execution to include accidents, but it still means an electric shock resulting in death, in my opinion. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2026, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-other-words-have-lost-their-original-meanings/113414/170 "2026-05-15T20:43:41Z")
“McMansion” originally meant to cookie-cutter subdivsion homes. It morphed over time to overly large homes build on relatively small lots. ---
**Author:** ![zimaane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a3d4f5/32.png) [@zimaane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zimaane)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2026, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-other-words-have-lost-their-original-meanings/113414/171 "2026-06-24T17:02:10Z")
An interesting one I just learned about is ‘gossip’. In the Middle Ages it was godsibb, and it meant godparent. (God meant God, and sibb meant any close relative. Sibb died out, and was revived in 1903 by the scientist Karl Pearson to create “sibling”.) The godsibb meaning shifted from “godparent” to “close relation” to “someone who talks about you” and then to the talk itself. Of course, English being English, the verb “to gossip” also appeared. Gossip as a verb was apparently first used in writing by Shakespeare. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2026, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-other-words-have-lost-their-original-meanings/113414/172 "2026-06-24T17:07:59Z")
Everything was first used in writing in Shakespeare. Well, not quite everything, but a heck of a lot. I had no idea that “sibling” was so recent, though. It’s such a useful concept that one would think it demands a word. ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2026, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-other-words-have-lost-their-original-meanings/113414/173 "2026-06-24T17:20:05Z")
“Bespoke” used to mean “made specifically for one customer.” (“My taylor makes my suits bespoke.”) Now, at least the way it’s used in advertising, it just means “high quality.” (“Check out our bespoke selection of beach towels.”) “Curated” used to mean “well cared for.” (“At least two dozen Picassos are curated at a museum in Chicago.”) Now, at least the way it’s used in advertising, it just means … well it doesn’t really seem to mean anything. (“Check out our curated wine list.”) ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2026, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-other-words-have-lost-their-original-meanings/113414/174 "2026-06-24T17:43:32Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > _Everything_ was first used in writing in Shakespeare. > > Well, not quite everything, but a heck of a lot. But not nearly as many words as is commonly believed. Shakespeare is often credited with coining many thousands of words, but this is certainly an overstatement. The myth first arose a couple of hundred years after his death when dictionaries were compiled that cited the first use of a given word _that the dictionary writer could attest to_. See [here](https://michigantoday.umich.edu/2009/10/09/a7543/). > [@Richard W. Bailey in Michigan Today](#): > > #### _What’s the basis for claiming that Shakespeare was so inventive?_ > > It comes from dictionaries. Samuel Johnson (in 1755) quoted Shakespeare more than any other author: 7,549 times. Of course most of these words are quite ordinary and were well-established before Shakespeare was born. When the _Oxford English Dictionary_ (1882-1933) came along there was Bartlett’s concordance to Shakespeare, an index to all but the most minor words in the plays and poems. So the _OED_ quoted Shakespeare 33,207 times. Many of these, too, were familiar and ordinary words. In just 2,192 entries does Shakespeare appear as the earliest example, a long way from 20,000. Even 2,000 words may be an exaggeration, because there are two other effects going on. First off, Shakespeare’s works survive, whereas the works and writings of many lesser-known authors and playwrights have not. So there is survivorship bias. Secondly, Shakespeare became revered in the centuries after his death, and so indexes and quotation guides were prepared of his works, making it easy to trace a given word to one of his writings, even if it wasn’t the first use. Even more detail here: > **[No, Shakespeare didn’t invent those words](https://www.deadlanguagesociety.com/p/how-many-words-did-shakespeare-invent)** > > Bias, evidence, and the Oxford English Dictionary P.S. If you are interested in linguistics and the history of English, [Dead Language Society](https://www.deadlanguagesociety.com/) is fantastic. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2026, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-other-words-have-lost-their-original-meanings/113414/175 "2026-06-24T17:55:00Z")
So far as I can tell, “bespoke” still means that, and any advertisement that uses it otherwise is just plain wrong. “Curated” still has its meaning, though. It’s not about being well cared-for; it’s about being selected. The curator of a museum carefully selects which pieces will go on display. And presumably, the head sommelier at a restaurant carefully selects which wines the restaurant will serve. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2026, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-other-words-have-lost-their-original-meanings/113414/176 "2026-06-24T18:03:44Z")
How about, “girl” meant a child, or young person. It still means that, however the person in question is supposed to be female. So has the original meaning been lost, or just specialized? ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2026, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-other-words-have-lost-their-original-meanings/113414/177 "2026-06-24T18:18:01Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > “Bespoke” used to mean “made specifically for one customer.” (“My taylor makes my suits bespoke.”) Now, at least the way it’s used in advertising, it just means “high quality.” (“Check out our bespoke selection of beach towels.”) Bespoke _still_ means made for one person. It’s more likely that ad is just using it wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2026, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-other-words-have-lost-their-original-meanings/113414/178 "2026-06-24T18:29:33Z")
Well, sorry, but just ain’t the way language works. While not common, I found a few press accounts where in the past couple of years it was to used to mean something to the effect of ‘special’ or ‘high quality.’ Not common now, but like it or not, words evolve and change meanings, which sort of ties in with the title of this thread, although ‘bespoke’ hasn’t lost any meaning, and this newish usage is uncommon enough that it hasn’t impressed any lexicographers. Yet. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2026, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-other-words-have-lost-their-original-meanings/113414/179 "2026-06-24T18:33:32Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > “Curated” still has its meaning, though. It’s not about being well cared-for; it’s about being selected. The curator of a museum carefully selects which pieces will go on display. And presumably, the head sommelier at a restaurant carefully selects which wines the restaurant will serve. A sort of circular definition: A curator is a person in charge of well cared for things, and therefore what a curator selects or is in charge of is a well cared for thing. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2026, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-other-words-have-lost-their-original-meanings/113414/180 "2026-06-24T18:36:04Z")
> [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](#): > > words evolve and change meanings That is true, but for that to work the “evolved” meaning must be understood by more than one marketing droid. Unless you are saying that someone going for, say, a bespoke suit would be satisfied by anything less than a custom tailored article of clothing. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-other-words-have-lost-their-original-meanings/113414.md?page=8) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-other-words-have-lost-their-original-meanings/113414.md?page=10)