27 Words that Totally Changed Meanings - mental_floss List Show Ep. 521
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- Опубліковано 31 жов 2017
- Why do words change meaning? Whether through misuse or historical circumstances, some words that changed their meaning are easy to understand, and others can barely be explained.
Remember, The List Show is a weekly show where knowledge junkies get their fix of trivia-tastic information. This week, John tells you about some words that have completely shifted meaning over the years!
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"Villain" used to mean a common villager, it changed over time because the high class saw the low class as sneaky and untrustworthy and eventually came to mean bad person. So the more things change...the more they stay the same.
And along that line, "sinister" meant "left-handed." Because many things, including social greetings, melee combat and means of playing games are biased toward right-handed people--who are the majority--people who are left-handed seemed unusual and were difficult to deal with in battle. It's almost as if they were cheating. And so, their actions were considered suspicious . . . "underhanded" . . . sinister . . .
The word pink used to mean small. That is why your smallest finger is called a pinkie. That is also how pink eye got its name, being mostly shut, so it is small. Then there were flowers whose shape resembled such eyes, and so they were called pink eyes. Guess what color those flowers have. Yep, they have the color we now call pink.
therealEmpyre +
and the French word for pink is "rose" also coming from a flower...
"You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means" - Inigo Montoya
pintpullinggeek antifa need to hear this wisdom.
What's the word?
As another poster typed: antifa
I certainly agree with that -- they are the leftist-fascist group that do what brownshirts & other orgs did.
@@Scottit Anti-fascist.
We should all still ask our selves if we really mean to say "basically," "essentially," or "practically" when we feel like saying "literally"
Basically you are right. Somewhat. To sum up I would say you meet tge just of it. It's essence. Or zeitgeist......
Never will I ever use "literally" to mean "figuratively".
After you used “silent majority” I was surprised you didn’t then reveal that “silent majority” used to refer to the dead.
In the 1970's, "Do you want to hookup?" Meant "do you want to meet somewhere? " and that was all.
Except at Studio 54
Jesus said people are sheep for a reason
I remember that. Hookup to go fishing. To do homework ect.
To follow somebody, used to mean to stock them. Swipe a card used to mean to steal a card. Gay usally meant they were happy. Racist now means a white person. Now racist can be used against Any person, who criticizes any religion, other than Christianity. Since their interpretation is wrong according to the dictionary, you could still argue, it has not changed. Many political words have changed as well as technical.
I LITERALLY cannot believe that literally means figuratively (literally speaking).
Even robot brains are capable of total overhaul. And if the factoids section of this video taught you anything it should be that people can believe anything.,
Ordo ex nihilio bih!
It always has ... when used sarcastically. Which has been done for literal centuries.
You change definitions to control the people in a land of law
But if "literally" doesn't mean "literally" anymore how would you say that something is said in a literal sense? That's just stupid.
Scrotie McBoogerball actually/in actuality/actual... maybe? Definitely/definite, for sure, real/realistically/really... lot's to choose from.
+SlenderPsycho Still not as concise as literally.
Crispy Bacon explain?
@@_ch1pset People still use actually incorrectly
Scotie, my first thought, to your question was to say, in a truthful sense. 🤣😂 but I don't think truth means the same thing anymore.
I've always said that any made up word is a real word if the intended meaning of the made up word is understood
Steve Cicchini all words are "made-up"
true....but I mean ones nobody has ever heard before
If a meaning is intended by the speaker, and the intended meaning is understood by the listener, congratulations, it's a word.
Yeah, I used to say that, too.
Well, you're not wrong. For example, Shakespeare created 1500 words. Many of which are very commonplace nowadays...
I literally liked alot that they both explained what the words mean now and what they used to mean! As a non-native English speaker it made me understand so much more! Good job! :)
Doom comes from "Dome" (but pron. "doom") meaning "judgement", such as "domesday" meaning "judgement day"
Actually, many scholars--Besinger is one--believe that it was pronounced like "dome," but usually written without the "e." It's one of those nouns which was converted to verb form by adding the suffix "-jan" (pronounced "yan"). Others were "fod" and "blod" ("food" and "blood" respectively) once you had the verb forms, the y-glide began to affect pronunciation of that back vowel in the root, pulling it forward, and "domjan," "fodjan," and "blodjan" became "demjan," "fedjan," and "bledjan." But once there was a contrast between the vowels of the noun form and the verb form, the affix became redundant, and fell out of use. Eventually, we ended up with the nouns "doom," "food," and "blood" and their verbal counterparts "deem," "feed," and "bleed."
It's so nice to see John so relaxed for a change 😁
This was literally the best video I’ve watched today in a figurative sense.
I like the way you handled the "literally" thing at the end there, because yeah it's stupid that that pseudo-sarcastic use of the word has gone mainstream but at the same time that's how language evolves - if we'd stifled that kind of language change back in the 1500s we'd all still be talking like Shakespeare.
while blockbuster was a term used for a larger bomb, because supposedly the bombs radius was about a city block, the movie term for blockbuster came from when people would line up for movie to sell. If the line extend pass the city block that the theater was in then it was a blockbuster.
Yay for @vlogbrothers John Green back on mental floss. And Thank you for the book!
As a flip-side to "awful', awesome didn't always mean 'really good'. It could mean awe-inspiring in an overwhelmed, terrifying way.
They missed "Random," which is shifting. It used to mean "without pattern, or purpose." Now it includes the meaning "unexpected" ("That was random!" or "Some random guy held the door for me").
A woman told my mom (who works at an apartment) "This is kind of random, but my refrigerator isn't working." How is that random?
Wow. When talking about the speech skills of politicians, you quote a politician's speech, and people think that's biased and irrelevant? Like... it's the most relevant to the topic anything could possibly be.
Welcome to the Internet, where everything is a fucking issue.
Trumptirds are pansies
I am very confused exactly what is happening in the replies: though I just want to say if Drumpf ever took a public speaking class, we need the teacher’s name address and the phone number for the nearest edible arrangements.
IceMetalPunk there were a plethora of examples, but the one he thinks will win him friends is the one chosen. And has the opposite effect. Trump is a low hanging fruit on how he talks. I would have preferred a better example: Obama, either Clinton, Schumer, Romney, McCain-you Know, blowhards who everyone admired how eloquently they speak but are in fact, saying nothing.
Lol, im 49 and couldn't hardly pay attention to him talking. I was to distracted looking at all the toys in the background
Trapped in perpetual adolescence, eh?
This was fun!
What about the word gay
Agatha Putri Widjaya it comes from the french language where "gai" means "jolly" or "joyful".
Also, a cigarette.
Gay was used to mean homosexal before it was used to mean happy.
Really surprised that this was not mentioned, especially considering that this word has drastically changed meaning just within the last 50 years.
More like 80 years. In fact, it started taking on the meaning of "effeminate" in the 1890s.
Nimrod in the UK still means Hunter, mainly because of the Nimrod aircraft.
Scotracer1987 it's Hebrew in origin, but Bugs Bunny used it sarcastically to describe Elmer Fudd and people mistook the tone as an insult.
I'm in the UK too, and only know Nimrod with the meaning of hunter...but although I'm English, I grew up in California and lived there until I was 22 years old without ever hearing it used to mean idiot.
Hello!! Where do they keep their references?? I want to read more about the history of the words in detail. Thanks!!!
Try a good dictionary.
My favourites are horror and terror; they mean roughly the same thing. Horrible and terrible mean roughly the same thing. Horrify and terrify mean roughly the same thing. Horrific and terrific... are opposites. I blame the advertising industry.
You are a GREAT teacher !!!
Condescending has also changed meanings. It used to mean someone of high social standing who, when interacting with someone from a lower rung, didn't treat them as lesser and lowered themselves to the other person.
Very cool, I love learning about words and their origins
The term "ground zero" used to mean the place where a bomb was exploded. Now it means something else and it's used all the time as a center of a place.
That was literally a great video and you are literally my favorite John.
Just out of curiosity, how many Johns do you really know, since this John is your favorite?
The first one sounds like the story of the song “entry of the gladiators”, which went from being heroic and bombastic to funny because its association with clowns.
I think it's so cool how language changes over time, and very strange how some people try to fight it.
bobfox the purpose of language is to communicate thoughts and ideas. Changing the meaning of a word we all agree means one thing changes what people said before. This means you have vandalized their previous statements. A macro version of this is how Nitchze said that anti-Semites should be shot, and his work was taken out of context to justify anti-Semitism. This is also why sarcasm is dangerous given time.
Jacob Staten the thing about Britain and America is that they had a giant ocean separating them until the internet was invented. That's why some of our words and phrases are different. It's like how North Korea and South Korea both speak Korean, yet they speak 2 different Koreans because they're separated. I don't know about you, but if I'm reading Shakespeare I know Shakespeare was alive in the 1500s. Not everything means what it means today. Today, saying "peace be in your breast" is weird. That's what language does.
VJ Stephens as an English speaker I understand what "Peace be in your breast." Means though. Men still anatomically have breasts, a breast bone, etc and it's understood that your breast is where your heart is, which is understood to be a traditional place for the soul/self. I don't mind keeping in mind that we don't use certain words anymore or that technology demands new words. The problem is when we change whole words or meanings. Pennsylvania Dutch has words that are neither English or German. In today's language a "nice guy" is the opposite of what those words mean separately. Grammar and word choice have changed for the better over generations by streamlining, but toying with meaning ironically or sarcastically causes the confusion.
At this point I won't see a true Babble language in my lifetime but I can hope that there will be one some day. I also hope that as few words as possible have their meaning corrupted as possible.
Josh Walker how so? You change a words meaning and you change the meaning and context of any recorded statements committed to record. Everything loses its intended meaning over time unless we all agree that each word means a certain thing in hopes of exchanging information. Allowing it to shift is almost defacing record.
When you say something, but then have to add numerous other sentences so people can understand what you meant that means you failed at using language. You're just spewing vague noise.
That's funny -- if you refer to a movie as a blockbuster, that means it did well, but if you just refer to a movie as a bomb, that means it did poorly, even though a blockbuster *is* a bomb!
My favorite is, "ignorant", it used to mean, someone who deliberately "ignores" things, facts, information that might force them to change their views. One who practices the act of ignoring. Now it means that you do not know something.
A missed opportunity to name the video "27 Words that *Literally* Changed Meanings".
Why did it take me this many years to think about John saying, "-and finally I return to my salon..."? He never leaves the salon. He just pivots in his seat to a slightly different camera angle.
Really liked the video.
Trolling. It used to be a fishing technique, became a synonym for pranking, specially bait-pranking, and now is becoming "online harrassment".
I had a great uncle Nimrod. I wish I could have asked him how he felt about his name.
Also, regarding "literally" - a word that has two opposing definitions is a contranym or an auto-antonym!
pyrotheevilplatypus well, Nimrod is Hebrew for Hunter, so Bugs Bunny calling Elmer Fudd a nimrod is accurate, but the tone is sarcastic. This is why people thought it was an insult.
“... there was a change in Gatsby that was simply confounding. He literally glowed; without a word or a gesture of exultation a new well-being radiated from him and filled the little room.” - F. Scott Fitzgerald
Reminder: The Great Gatsby was published in 1925. The word “literally” has been used to mean “figuratively” for quite some time
The figurative usage hadn't been so common place as it is today for a significant time, though. I don't care what you or anyone says, it was stupid then, and it's stupid now.
WOW, good catch
Mark Maxey I've always read that to be purposefully dramatic. The idea being that the change was so dramatic he actually glowed. In today's usage of literally it doesn't hold the same dramatic weight.
Actually the very idea of using literally for dramatic effect is probably why it ended up this way.
Yes, well, the Great Gatsby is literally one of the most overrated novels of the 20th century in my opinion.
Crispy Bacon And you've never used the word awful to mean something bad.
Is John Greene the coolest guy ever? Can anybody else see themselves having a beer with him and having a helluva fun time?
I was wating for "pathetic"
I got heartburn right around 5:02, for a second I thought John Green from the past was clairvoyant.
I was looking for a discussion of the recent definition changes, like in the last 5 or so years.
I would like to see you in a trivia contest with Sheldon. Flag trivia :)
Who's Sheldon? Surely you don't mean a fictitious character on television. Why would he want to have a trivia contest with a fictional character?
Now rethinking the title of "The Matrix" blows my mind
Wow! I had no idea so many conservatives watched shows featuring John Green.
They're not always conservative. A lot of them "don't affiliate with any party" but are mysteriously defensive when anyone mentions Trump in a negative light.
Team Xtreme I am indendent, however when any politician, and furthermore celebrity, is insulted or berated unreasonably, I call people out on it.. just as I would agree if they had good reasons to call out a politician or celebrity.
I know this video isn’t about pronunciation, but “mischievous” is only three syllables, John! Lots of people like to “make it sound sneakier” by rhyming the word with “devious,” but it really is just “mischiev-ous.”
Hey John, love the new good. Keep up the great job. Was wondering is that a real fireplace or a video of a fireplace?
Aw, I liked the old good.
ETYMOLOGY FTW!!! I loooooove this!!
I was expecting the word CUTE in this list. It used to mean that something looked odd or peculiar.
Just a few decades ago 'virtually' was used to mean "totally" or "completely", but then people started using it to mean "almost totally" or "mostly". Then with advances in computer technology, 'virtual', which had meant "actual" or "real", was used to mean something like "unreal - merely simulated".
I just searched Merriam Webster and their page on "literally" is a fucking mess. Mentions of _"figuratively",_ _"used to emphasize the truth and accuracy of a statement",_ _"a story that is __*__basically true_*_ even if *__not literally true"._* A better word would be "virtually". "Basically true" could not be further from literal. And yet they describe the root word "literally" only as _"free from exaggeration or embellishment: the literal truth",_ "characterised by a concern mainly with facts"._ How can they describe "literally" so differently from its root word "literal"? Their definitions worlds apart!
Have you considered looking at English english meanings vs American english? I'm thinking about "trudge".
I seem to remember reading the etymology of the word "guy" to mean a pirate back in the 14th century before it changed to what we mean today.
I learned to give up on correcting people that "chomping at the bit" is really "champing at the bit", because the word "champing" isn't used anymore, but the word "chomping" I guess kind of is, and it's not like saying "chomping at the bit" instead of "champing at the bit" causes anyone to misunderstand what you mean, because really, one phrase has just replaced the other... The fact that "champing" means straining and "chomping" just means biting doesn't really matter, because people just interpret the imagery of chewing on the bit in your mouth as being a sign of impatience, so it works anyway... Language really does evolve.
27k views and on trending. UA-cam isn't even trying to be inconspicuous anymore
One word I would add is "norm." It used to be a carpenter term that meant "parallel," but now it means "usual" and "typical." The word "normal" is derived from this usage of "norm," but it is only a little over a hundred years old.
The first documented case of the word 'literally' was used to mean 'figuratively'. It was first in print in 1769 in The History of Emily Montague by Frances Brooke.
"He is a fortunate man to be introduced to such a party of fine women at his arrival; it is literally to feed among the lilies."
The definition is just shiting back.
You missed my favourite, turret. This used to mean “turreting”, the up and down design of castle tops to hit behind for archers. Then, then these were put on tall round towers, these towers became known as turrets. In fighting ships in the 1700s, tall towers for guns and archers were placed and these were known as turrets. Then, armoured revolving devices with large guns were fitted in the late 1900s known as turrets. Now, anything that revolves can be known as a turret.
Humbled has been changing recently to my chagrin. I hate when people use humbled to mean “honored.”
That last revelation figuratively hurts my heart.
We must fight 27 with ever good sense we have left!!!!
Yep check out the origin of the word fascinate. Gives a whole new meaning to the term "you fascinate me".
Not to mention seemingly well-educated people like John Green :-) who insert an extra letter/syllable into the word *mischievous* [6:15] turning it into *mischievious* (I even had to fight with the spell-checker to write it LOL)
7:20. No... Just no! Hasn't "inflammable" done enough damage?!
I was surprised when I looked up the etymology of "ornery." It can from "ordinary" which, for a short time became derogatory for base or common. How that ended up as meaning a meddlesome person.... I have no idea.
Northern English guy here, "mug" still means face round here.
"mugging you off" means insulting you too as in... "you gonna do anything about Geoff? He's been mugging you off to your mates behing your back"
assuming this is where "mugshot" came from?
Wow, I really thought the word "Dank" was going to be in this list.
Transcript available on this GREAT stuff?
I always argued that using literally as in literally he was a monster, is sill using the same definition of literally, however we are using it a figurative since. He was literally a monster, figuratively speaking.
The word moot has changed, too.
I always thought that fact is just short for factoid (English is not my first language)
Shpilbass hell, English is my first language and I thought that too
i don't like the use of 'literally' to mean 'figuratively,' but i do sometimes use it to emphasize a point, kind of in place of 'actually' or 'seriously'. examples: "i literally ran to class"; "it literally cost $100".
Since literally means figuratively now, what word can be used to mean literslly (in its original sense)?
No John don't say that, don't elope! I mean, unless you want to..
I had a wedding with all our family and friends, and a big party after with good food and music. Worth every penny, I had so much fun! It was *literally* the best night of my life so far; honestly I didn't expect it to be so awesome, as a guy I was often made to think my wedding would likely be lame and awkward. Not my experience!
Who else has been to Watersmeet, Michigan? Look it up, the high school's mascot is the Nimrod.
Can we start using figuratively to mean literally now? Would make as much sense.
Interesting. The spanish word for matrix is also used occasionally to refer to the womb, especially when talking about performing a hysterectomy.
"Corn" used to mean whatever the dominant grain of a given area was. Now, at least in the US, it exclusively means that stuff that grows on cobs.
Wow, they got famous author of Turtles All The Way Down - John Green for this video. What a scoop for this little channel.
Don't forget that "nice" people are defined as those who are ignorant and/or overly obsessed with precisely following complicated rules or social norms.
I was going to mention that 'nice' used to mean 'stupid" (Shakespeare's "The Taming of the Shrew" for example), so I guess I'll put that here.
At 6:20, he talks about the meaning of "awful." I'm hoping later he will talk about "awesome."
I find it interesting that the two words look like they should be synonyms, but they are now antonyms.
Whoo, there are some interesting ramifications of that definition of "Outlaw."
Agree 100% at 05:34
I nominate "terrific," "fantastic," and "incredible" for the list.
I like the Andre the giant figure in the background
I was expecting "deadline" to show up. It used to be a literal line that if a prisoner crossed they would be shot. (I was using literal in the correct way there by the way)
I wouldn't say the colloquial use of "literally" means figuratively... I would more see it as a way of adding emphasis to statements, whether or not the statements are literal. @ Merriam Webster how do I get in contact with you about this :P
Oh I looked it up and the Merriam-Webster definition is more what I was thinking. I guess I just disagree with Mental Floss's phrasing.
The etymology of matrix is so damn obvious I never noticed it. :o
I always thought it odd that it was better to have some awe than to be full of awe. Too much of a good thing, I suppose.
My favorite example of this, when people tell me words have a set meaning that can't change, is "molest". I always tell them to stop molesting me, then.
#19 We had an inexpensive wedding at an amazing location. I couldn't agree more.
#27 Merriam Webster caved in to hyperbole.I guess they don't have a spine anymore since most people use online dictionaries.
>>>>>>>>>>>>> I don't care what the dictionary says, if you use literally in a figurative sense you are are still wrong.
I've always said that any made up word is a real word if the intended meaning of the made up word is understood
Still, if you say literally without it actual being in a literal sense, I will judge you. And you can not sit with us.
Well, Merriam-Webster may have said you can use literally and figuratively interchangeably, but the granddaddy of them all, Oxford, does not, and I'm with Oxford. Figuratively speaking.
Tâm Linh Việt Nice comment steal, the original word for word is right below yours... posted 13 hours earlier.. dumbass
Regardless of what you think about the mechanics behind word creation and whether using "literally" for emphasis is okay, we *still* need a word that *means* "literally" - it can't just suddenly mean "figuratively" w/o any kind of replacement. Because what are you going to say if you actually mean "literally" and want people to understand w/o having to elaborate every time?
I thought the reason blockbuster was used for films was because of the huge lines outside of cinemas that would stretch around blocks back in the late 70s and 80s. I'm sure someone in Hollywood referred to this block wrapping with the name of an actual bomb for the same reason Hollywood would refer to some women as bombshells.
shout out to elopers! it was /literally/ the best decision we made.
You left one out: "Merriam-Webster" can be used more-or-less interchangeably with the word "wrong."
I mean, seriously, I had to report an incorrect definition for the word meaning "10 meters" on their website.
7:40 all 6 of the world's prescriptivists just came a little
I don't see the problem with the quote, as many do. It was a bit long winded, but you weren't specifically making fun of Trump as a person OR any of his policies, just his unique speech pattern.
riiiiight? I think that's a funny, light-hearted way to poke fun. Since when do we NOT poke fun at the POTUS? did I miss a memo?