# Words that have suddenly become very popular **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 5, 2020, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-have-suddenly-become-very-popular/848962 "2020-03-05T13:38:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2020, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-have-suddenly-become-very-popular/848962/101 "2020-03-12T15:09:59Z")
Putting aside the verb form, The “versus” morphing into “verse” but remaining a preposition is odd to me. When I was growing up, all the sports announcements clearly said “versus” with the full two syllables. And that’s how we learned it as children, from TV announcers. I don’t understand why people would change “Dallas versus Chicago” to “Dallas verse Chicago.” What gives? ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2020, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-have-suddenly-become-very-popular/848962/102 "2020-03-12T16:48:56Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > I agree, but my example is when “verse” is used as a verb. > > “I’m going to verse you in backgammon.” > mmm Interesting mistake. Seems like the kids are interpreting “Joe versus Mary” as Joe does something (“verses”) Mary, so naturally you’d say “I’m going to verse you.” If I’m not mistaken, that’s called a “back-formation” (like when people created the verb “burgle” from the mistaken belief that a “burglar” (“burgler”) was someone who “burgles”). ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2020, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-have-suddenly-become-very-popular/848962/103 "2020-03-12T18:37:23Z")
New usage that I’m already sick of: > [@](#): > > Such and such is _fire_. (Side note: It _really_ irks me that the networks that show _Law & Order_ reruns have as the balance of their schedule shows which I would rather burn my house down than watch and that they _endlessly_ promote them while I’m just trying to get my weekly dosage of [double tone].) ---
**Author:** ![GargoyleWB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gargoylewb/32/199_2.png) [@GargoyleWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GargoyleWB)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2020, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-have-suddenly-become-very-popular/848962/104 "2020-03-12T22:20:57Z")
Has bespoke been mentioned? Because bespoke annoys me. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2020, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-have-suddenly-become-very-popular/848962/105 "2020-03-12T23:01:35Z")
“Shit” as an adjective. As in “that’s a shit idea” instead of “that’s a shitty idea.” ---
**Author:** ![Clipper222](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/97f17d/32.png) [@Clipper222](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clipper222)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2020, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-have-suddenly-become-very-popular/848962/106 "2020-03-13T07:44:32Z")
I would bet the farm that too much credit is being given to the “verse” speakers. What they’re really saying is, “Jaden vs.'d Asher.” They’re turning the abbreviated form of “versus” into a verb. I hate the way “literally” is carelessly and erroneously applied to every mundane and inappropriate expression these days. I would like to start a movement to replace “literally” with “verily.” ---
**Author:** ![Dereknocue67](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6de8d8/32.png) [@Dereknocue67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dereknocue67)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2020, 8:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-have-suddenly-become-very-popular/848962/107 "2020-03-13T08:07:24Z")
Trumping: Meaning - Untrue statement - As in, “Stop Trumping me.” ---
**Author:** ![LLCoolL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/llcooll/32/3596_2.png) [@LLCoolL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LLCoolL)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2020, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-have-suddenly-become-very-popular/848962/108 "2020-03-13T13:33:37Z")
> [@Dahnlor](#): > > I’ve noticed people using the word “gaslighting” an awful lot in the last couple of years or so. Agreed. It’s not just you! Probably… ---
**Author:** ![LLCoolL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/llcooll/32/3596_2.png) [@LLCoolL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LLCoolL)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2020, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-have-suddenly-become-very-popular/848962/109 "2020-03-13T13:38:03Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > … > “I fuck with that” meaning anything from “I don’t mind doing that sometimes” to “That’s one of my favorite things to do.” Hmm, never heard that one before. Oh, great, now I’m going to start hearing it everywhere! Thanks a lot! ---
**Author:** ![LLCoolL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/llcooll/32/3596_2.png) [@LLCoolL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LLCoolL)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2020, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-have-suddenly-become-very-popular/848962/110 "2020-03-13T13:44:29Z")
> [@notfrommensa](#): > > “Absolutely” as an answer to a Yes/No Question. Or “No question about it”. Especially among coaches. Sigh… ---
**Author:** ![BwanaBob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bwanabob/32/2985_2.png) [@BwanaBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BwanaBob)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2020, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-have-suddenly-become-very-popular/848962/111 "2020-03-13T13:47:09Z")
It’s an example of common-folk trying to adapt lingo from an industry/way of life they are not part of; I hate it with a passion. ---
**Author:** ![The\_wind\_of\_my\_soul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@The\_wind\_of\_my\_soul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_wind_of_my_soul)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2020, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-have-suddenly-become-very-popular/848962/112 "2020-03-13T13:51:34Z")
[Today years old](https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=all&geo=US&q=today%20years%20old). As in, “How old were you when you realized that \_\_\_\_\_? I was today years old.” ETA: It’s a phrase, not a single word, but I thought it fit the spirit of this thread. ---
**Author:** ![BwanaBob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bwanabob/32/2985_2.png) [@BwanaBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BwanaBob)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2020, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-have-suddenly-become-very-popular/848962/113 "2020-03-13T13:54:42Z")
> [@BeagleJesus](#): > > Obsessed with giving people consequences? Wow, what an interesting take away from 2 little sentences. > > For the record, I have infinitely more respect for people who take ownership of their words and deeds and don’t try to use weaselly little tactics to backtrack and reframe their behavior after they have noticed that others have taken a dim view. As far as I’m concerned “misspoke” is the word most often used today when one is attempting to retcon a verbal fuck up and I hate how readily we all are to accept it’s use. > > I can forgive people who own up to their mistakes and attempt to make amends but I have a much harder time forgiving people who try to weasel out of their blunders. In my opinion, if a person can’t be bothered to own up to their mistakes or lacks the courage of their convictions then they should just sit down and shut the hell up and stop bothering the rest of us. To me “misspoke” means you garbled a phrase, or used a spoonerism (look it up), not "I said something wrong or inappropriate. The concept of saying “I fucked up” or “I really shouldn’t have said that, I was wrong”, has gone out the window. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2020, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-have-suddenly-become-very-popular/848962/114 "2020-03-13T13:57:02Z")
> [@california\_jobcase](#): > > Fealty was used in Game of Thrones a good bit. > > Has anyone else noticed the sudden use of gifted instead of given? Yes, I have noticed people using gifted more, and it strikes me as a both natural and efficient change in the language. GIVE is somewhat ambiguous in that it does not necessarily imply a change of ownership, merely of custody. GIFT, always implying change of ownership, is more clear. ---
**Author:** ![BwanaBob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bwanabob/32/2985_2.png) [@BwanaBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BwanaBob)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2020, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-have-suddenly-become-very-popular/848962/115 "2020-03-13T13:58:56Z")
> [@BwanaBob](#): > > It’s an example of common-folk trying to adapt lingo from an industry/way of life they are not part of; I hate it with a passion. Bah! Edit window closed. Another one that bugs the shit out of me is when people who are not in law enforcement use police talk or prison talk. I will punch you if you use the word “perp”, or refer to someone in charge as “boss” if they are not your actual boss. ---
**Author:** ![zimaane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a3d4f5/32.png) [@zimaane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zimaane)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2020, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-have-suddenly-become-very-popular/848962/116 "2020-03-13T14:05:48Z")
Another thing that has been common in the last decade or so is making a statement by asking a rhetorical question and then answering it: “Could our defense have played better today? Absolutely” Maybe I am just being a curmudgeon, but do I find this annoying and pretentious? Yes, definitely ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2020, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-have-suddenly-become-very-popular/848962/117 "2020-03-13T14:10:12Z")
> [@BwanaBob](#): > > Bah! Edit window closed. Another one that bugs the shit out of me is when people who are not in law enforcement use police talk or prison talk. I will punch you if you use the word “perp”, or refer to someone in charge as “boss” if they are not your actual boss. That seems like an excellent strategy to get yourself placed in a police or prison situation. And “boss” as a fairly meaningless term of address or affection isn’t all that new. We did it all the time in the job I had in my 20s, although just as often it was “Boss-man”. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2020, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-have-suddenly-become-very-popular/848962/118 "2020-03-13T14:48:08Z")
> [@BwanaBob](#): > > Bah! Edit window closed. Another one that bugs the shit out of me is when people who are not in law enforcement use police talk or prison talk. I will punch you if you use the word “perp”, or refer to someone in charge as “boss” if they are not your actual boss. There are entire cultures in which “boss” is the standard way to address a stranger and that’s not a new thing. ---
**Author:** ![jerez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c68b51/32.png) [@jerez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jerez)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2020, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-have-suddenly-become-very-popular/848962/119 "2020-03-13T17:50:47Z")
I remember **sibling(s)** and **to mock** being used in the early 70s. **Proactive** is one that I first heard about 10 years ago and seemed trendy to me at the time. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2020, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-have-suddenly-become-very-popular/848962/120 "2020-03-13T21:53:58Z")
> [@Clipper222](#): > > I would bet the farm that too much credit is being given to the “verse” speakers. What they’re really saying is, “Jaden vs.'d Asher.” They’re turning the abbreviated form of “versus” into a verb. I think you’re halfway there – any time I heard somebody say “Jaden verse Asher” I assume they don’t know what vs. really stands for, or are just slurring it badly. My contribution: “ask” as a noun, in place of the perfectly good “request”. I swear it’s becoming more common to hear “bravery” instead of the perfectly good and more mellifluous “courage”. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-have-suddenly-become-very-popular/848962.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-have-suddenly-become-very-popular/848962.md?page=7)