These words have taken on new meanings thanks to the Internet (1)
Technology and social media are adding new words and acronyms to the English language faster than you can type “OMG” and certainly faster than dictionaries can keep up. In fact, recently, to the delight of Scrabblers everywhere, a whopping 5,000 words were added to “The Official Scrabble Players Dictionary.” Many were tech-inspired words such as “selfie,” “hashtag” and “texter” words you can now officially use to stump fellow spellers when they whip out the word “Quixotry” on a coveted “triple word score” space.
And it’s not just new words, the Internet is completely changing the definition of old words, too. Twenty years ago mentioning you “wrote on someone’s wall” might have gotten you in trouble for vandalism. Similarly, admitting you just Googled yourself might have resulted in some funny looks.
Here are glossary of familiar words with updated meanings.
1. “Poke”
What it used to mean: An irritating gesture children use on parents to motion in the grocery store for treats they want; the go-to move when waking up a sleeping person; a painful experience in your eye.
In a sentence: Ouch, I just poked myself in the eye!
What it means now: A Facebook feature used to send virtual pushes, prods, or jabs to someone in your social circle, often reserved for significant others, best friends, and true weirdos. Best practices include unfriending if this happens to you and it’s not meant as a joke.
In a sentence: This rando just poked me on Facebook, I’m definitely not poking him back.
2. “Stumble”
What it used to mean: To trip, slip, blunder, or to walk unsteadily, often in the dark. Usually results in embarrassing stories.
In a sentence: In the middle of the night, I stumbled to grab a glass of water.
What it means now: The act of having webpages tailored to your interests sent to you to in a seemingly random, and often fortuitous, way via the Stumble Upon bookmarklet, so you can pretend to be surprised when you see things you enjoy.
In a sentence: Stumble to next site about marine biology?
3. “Feed”
What it used to mean: To give someone food, or the food that you give another person or animal. Can also be used when referencing putting money into a machine or meter.
In a sentence: Tweety is hungry, he needs some bird feed.
What it means now: A place where everyone you’ve ever met posts pictures of their lunches, their babies, and their engagement rings and everything.
In a sentence: I have to block everyone on my feed that’s into taking gym selfies.
4. “Friend”
What it used to mean: A buddy, pal, or confidant that exists in the real, threedimensional world of your life. One who you often meet up with, call, and share secrets with.
In a sentence: I’ve known my best friend since kindergarten; we do everything together.
What it means now: The act of adding someone you met at a bar or went to high school with to your online social circle so they can see pictures of your lunch, babies and engagement ring.
In a sentence: John was flirting with me at the reunion, should I friend him?
5. “Tweet”
What it used to mean: The sound a bird makes. The origin of the name of the beloved Warner Bros.’ character Tweety Bird.
In a sentence: “Tweet, tweet, tweet, tweet,” – a bird
What it means now: Posting brief, 140-character “updates” or “opinions” to Twitter, all carefully written to fit into your perfectly crafted social media personality. Often include abbrevs, links and all-caps.
In a sentence: Oh my gosh, I tweeted about “Guardians of the Galaxy” and Chris Pratt just tweeted back at me!
6. “Tag”
What it used to mean: The game you would play through your neighborhood or during elementary school recess when you were a kid; something you put on a gift to show who it is going to. In a sentence: Tag, you’re it! What it means now: Naming names, when it comes to who’s who in a photograph of an event posted online to Facebook, so that person becomes attached to that visual identity forever and ever.
In a sentence: Please don’t tag me in any pictures from my birthday party.