Recently, I wrote a post about Polymaths, and in my research, I learned that the word “polymath” was first used in print in 1603 by Johann von Wowern, a Hamburg philosopher. As a writer, that fun factoid sparked my curiosity about the birth of the printed word. As research goes, one click leads to another. That’s when I discovered the Merriam-Webster Time Traveler, which tells you when a word was first used in print. But I also love its other feature, the “Select a Year” button, where you can enter any year and see what words were published that year.
In the interest of curiosity and humor, I had to enter the year I was born [1961], and here is a short list of a few of my favorite words, A to Z.
- after-party
- a-ok
- bionic
- bitstream
- chocoholic
- circular dichroism
- extratextual
- fiber-optic
- i/o device
- incentivize
- macro lens
- mind-altering
- no-holds-barred
- photorealism
- powerslide
- reality check
- rock star
- solar panel
- sst (supersonic transport)
- surf and turf
- transformational grammar
- vector graphics
- wazoo
- zedonk*
So, there you have it. These are just a few of my favorites from that year’s two hundred or so listed on Merriam-Webster’s page. You might skim their list and choose a few of your own. I was surprised to see so many commonly used words published back then that I presumed to have been printed more recently, especially words like Solar Panel, Supersonic Transport, and Fiber Optic, and other words I supposed to be much older, like Chocoholic and Wazoo (who knew?).
Some words jumped out at me in a big way, like Photorealism and Vector Graphics, because they are so relatable to what I do. My automotive and motorcycle paintings and some fine art nudes on canvas tend to be photorealistic. As a digital designer, I’ve been creating vector graphics since the late nineteen-eighties and I still enjoy logo design and exploring Adobe Illustrator.
*My favorite new word from 1961 is ZEDONK. I had never heard of a Zedonk but have since learned it is a hybrid between a zebra and a donkey, sometimes called a ZONKEY. Oh, the things we learn by accident.
I think an author would have a blast with the Merriam-Webster Time Traveler, where they could pick any year and get instant access to a story by just connecting the words from a particular timeline. And it’s so easy to use; even a Zedonk can do it. As a writer, I’m so excited that I’m hooked out of the wazoo for a no-holds-barred after-party mind-altering powerslide (whatever that is), but first, some chocolate.
Cheers!
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A.D. is an artist who started drawing at a young age. Throughout his life, he has worked with different creative tools in traditional and digital art and design. His art and writings have been showcased in various publications such as Airbrush Action Magazine, Airbrush Magazine, American Art Collector, Art & Beyond, Dream To Launch, Easyriders, Las Vegas City Life, Las Vegas Weekly, L’Vegue, ModelsMania, Quick Throttle, and The Ultimate Airbrush Handbook.
