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If you've ever wondered what other cool things made their splashy debut besides you on your birthday, Merriam-Webster has you covered.
The authority on English words rolled out a new "Time Traveler" feature on their website that reveals what words first appeared in print on the year of your birth.
Ever wonder which words first appeared in print the year you were born? Come time travel with us. https://t.co/qe6hRdOlgl— Merriam-Webster (@Merriam-Webster) 1540476165.0
The feature is easy to use. Just click over to the Merriam-Webster website and enter the year of interest.
A vast cornucopia of words populate – some familiar, some foreign - and it becomes a fascinating way to unexpectedly expand your vocabulary.
Some discoveries may surprise you. For instance, the words "blogger" and "texting" existed longer than you would think. They both became prominent as far back as 1999.
Did you know that "chat room" and "crackhead" debuted the same year? It was in 1986.
And "Mickey Mouse" officially entered our vernacular in the same year as "nazi" did in 1930.
Twitter shared their hilarious responses to their search.
@MerriamWebster alternative medicine, beer pong, blaxploitation, eco-conscious, feel-good, Ultimate Frisbee...oh ye… https://t.co/LExJduJ7x0— Sabrina Corlette (@Sabrina Corlette) 1540491567.0
@SabrinaCorlette @MerriamWebster Yeah! 1972 was the year ‘woke’ was coined too!— Mossbird (@Mossbird) 1540535734.0
@MerriamWebster 1951: 3-D, après-ski, audiophile, birth control pill, brass collar Democrat, cable television, carb… https://t.co/5Huz9b6HOy— Leroy Macduff (@Leroy Macduff) 1540491148.0
@odinbc @MerriamWebster Hotel wasn't a word until '51? That's crazy.— bri rakotz 🦄 (@bri rakotz 🦄) 1540527815.0
dumpster diving, lap dancing, seasonal affective disorder https://t.co/FNNeCSC1xN— Tejal Rao (@Tejal Rao) 1540492691.0
@tejalrao I see you, fellow vintage millennial circa 1983 👋🏻— Emily Wight (@Emily Wight) 1540524675.0
1981 – "buffalo wing" (🙌) and a metric ton of tech terms: ➡️ app ➡️ autocorrect ➡️ cable modem ➡️ disk image ➡️ don… https://t.co/ok0CkTu925— T. Greg Doucette (@T. Greg Doucette) 1540477185.0
Lots of "I'm surprised it was that early" for mine. Cable modems and high def didn't become a common thing until co… https://t.co/mHTER3STEs— T. Greg Doucette (@T. Greg Doucette) 1540477609.0
One user had a question about the frequency at which new words emerged. Was there a patten?
@MerriamWebster There are very few new words in the past 5 or so years compared to the '80s and '90s. Did the rules for inclusion change?— Brandon Hardin (@Brandon Hardin) 1540480757.0
@bhhardin It's more indicative of how long it takes for words to meet the inclusion criteria. A decade or two from… https://t.co/tnPpolwGqv— Merriam-Webster (@Merriam-Webster) 1540480965.0
The joy of discovery continues.
@Michael__Benson @ryan180becker @MerriamWebster Our year is super fun. https://t.co/wdtvUHniDY— The Autopsy of PenguinKaty 💀 (@The Autopsy of PenguinKaty 💀) 1540530359.0
@MerriamWebster this explains so much https://t.co/UPKTs3bc4Z— Mike Skellington (@Mike Skellington) 1540478496.0
@MerriamWebster Wow I’m the same age as the escape key, the couch potato, and the G-spot.— Naoise Mac Sweeney (@Naoise Mac Sweeney) 1540503765.0
@MerriamWebster omfg my twitter birth year mirriam webster it is so appropriate tbh https://t.co/sBS626JV2g— darth™ (@darth™) 1540478133.0
@darth @MerriamWebster Someone born in 2007 is old enough to tweet and read. Yikes 😐— Brian Rodman (@Brian Rodman) 1540480396.0
Not everyone was amused with the results shared with their birth year.
@MerriamWebster Thanks for nothing, 1978... https://t.co/oR945GrIxx— Emily Spookhausen 🦇🎃👻 (@Emily Spookhausen 🦇🎃👻) 1540479274.0
@MerriamWebster What a cheerful fucking year https://t.co/4Luyyr87mN— Ann Colwell (@Ann Colwell) 1540480861.0
Others saw the results making a lot of sense.
@MerriamWebster Ah yes, I am the year of both “latte” and “cyberporn,” sounds right— Shane (@Shane) 1540478940.0
@MerriamWebster Well then... https://t.co/RqxcJNOm5r— Eric Magette (@Eric Magette) 1540485223.0
beta test, CD-ROM, cell phone, cyberpunk, high-def, information superhighway, mouse pad, point-and-click, preinstal… https://t.co/yMVTkjcwki— zoe kazan (@zoe kazan) 1540478753.0
What joys will you find in your search? Go back in time and prepare to get 'woke.'
H/T - MerriamWebster, Twitter, Mashable, News18