Words that are much older than you think -

Words change throughout the years. Language is not a static thing; quite the contrary—it's very much alive. It transforms, adapts, and morphs into new words. Indeed, we have new words in the dictionary all the time. Some of these, however, and despite their popularity in more recent times, are not as recent as some of us might think. In fact, some actually date back hundreds of years!

Intrigued? Then click through and learn more about words that are much older than you think.

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Friend (as a verb) -

To "friend" someone is not just a social media phenomenon. "To make friends" has been described this way ever since the 1400s. An example dating back to 1698 reads, "Reports came that the King would friend Lauderdale."

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Unfriend -

The same goes for "unfriending" someone. This example from 1659 shows us that the word has been around for a long time: "I Hope, Sir, that we are not mutually Un-friended by this Difference which hath happened betwixt us."

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Hang out -

"Hanging out" is nothing new. Charles Dickens mentions it in the 'Pickwick Papers' (1837): "I say, old boy, where do you hang out?"

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Dude -

In 1880's Britain, a "dude" was basically a high-class dandy—a person with a particular appearance and mannerisms.

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Dudery -

"Dudery" is also an old term. An Ohio newspaper from 1941 read: "Spats were a curious aberration. They didn't really look well .. but for many years they were symbols of dudery."

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Babe -

"Babe," as a word used to describe an attractive woman, sounds pretty old school. But we're not talking about the '70s or '80s. Oxford English Dictionary actually gives us an example dating back to 1915: "She’s some babe."

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Puke -

The word "puke" has been around ever since the 16th century. It has had the same meaning ever since: to vomit.

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Frigging -

No "frigging" way this word dates back to the late 1500s and it was about self-pleasure! Though in the 1900s, it started being used as a substitute for a popular swear word.

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Hipster -

Many of us are familiar with the word and its use today. Though "hipster" is not a new term at all. It was used in the 1920s and 1930s to describe those "interested in new and unconventional patterns." An example would be fans of jazz music at the time.

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D'oh -

Homer Simpson's signature expression is older than you might think: the word was actually found in a BBC radio script from 1945.

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OMG -

The first use of "OMG" doesn't come from an old chat room or email. It actually comes from a letter Winston Churchill received from Lord Fisher in 1917, which said "O.M.G. (Oh! My God!)."

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Funky -

Not the music. You know, when something smells funky? "Funk" was slang from the 1600s used to describe a variety of unpleasant smells, including tobacco smoke, cheese, or even ship’s quarters.

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Legit -

The origins of "legit" can be traced back to theater. It was slang for legitimate plays, as opposed to vaudeville or burlesque. The word was then adopted in the 1920s. One would be "on the legit," as opposed to being shady, i.e. being part of the underworld.

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Booze -

We've been describing alcoholic drinks as "booze" ever since the 1850s. Though its roots go back to the Middle English verb "bouse," which meant "to drink excessively" in the 1500s.

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High -

People have been getting "high" since the dawn of time, but the earliest reference to the word itself dates back to 1627, when English poet Thomas May wrote, "He's high with wine."

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Online -

Can you believe people have been "online" ever since at least 1950? Here's an example from a book from 1950 called 'High-Speed Computing Devices.' "The question of whether on-line or off-line operation is more suitable can be determined only by applying the speed requirements to those physical components which are available."

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Fanboy -

A "fanboy" was essentially a sports fan. Back in 1919, a newspaper in Decatur, Illinois, mentioned that "it was a shock to the fan boys when Cincinnati ... beat the Chicago White Sox."

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Fly -

The term "fly" has been around ever since the 1800s. It has been used to describe cool, knowledgeable, fashionable, and overall attractive individuals.

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Tricked out -

"Tricked out" (and other variants, such as "tricked up") has been used as a verb ever since the 1500s. It meant to dress, adorn, or decorate.

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Doable -

A term many of us have used in a work context can be traced back to Bishop Reginald Pecock,  who wrote in 1449 of "a lawe ... which is doable and not oonli knoweable."

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Credit card -

This term's earlier usage can be traced back to 1888. An example from a 1919 advertisement reads: "This new-style credit is used to furnish 1,666 homes a day. Your credit card will come with your catalog."

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Rap -

No, people were not rapping back in 1787, but they were using the word to describe a conversation (as a shortened version of "repartee").

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Ginormous -

This world was made popular in the 2003 movie 'Elf,' though the word can be found in British newspapers from as early as 1942.

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Energy drink -

Red Bull might come to mind, but a drink from 1904, called Vimalt, was advertised as an "energy drink." Fast-forward to 1968, and you have an ad for another drink, which reads: "Stock up with Yoo-Hoo! Either regular Yoo-Hoo CHOCOLATE ENERGY DRINK or SUGAR-FREE YOO-HOO!"

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Outasight -

The first records for "outasight" can be traced back to the 1890s. Those top hats were definitely outasight!

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Not! -

"Not!" is used at the end of a sentence to negate it. Though this is nothing new. In the 1860 novel 'The Mill on the Floss,' we can read: "She would make a sweet, strange, troublesome, adorable wife to some man or other, but he would never have chosen her himself. Did she feel as he did? He hoped she did—not."

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Crib -

"Crib" is often used as slang, but Shakespeare was using it way back in his 1598 play 'Henry IV.' It reads: "Why rather, sleep, liest thou in smoky cribs, Upon uneasy pallets stretching thee ... Than in the perfumed chambers of the great?"

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Hubby -

This way to address one's husband can be found in Edward Ravenscroft’s 1681 play 'The London Cuckolds.'

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Wifey -

And the word "wifey" is also an old one. It can be found in the late 1700s and appears in Robert Burns' poems.

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Wiretap -

The word can be traced back to 1902, ever since the early days of the telephone. And "wire-tapping" is even older! It dates back to the 1870s when it was used in reference to recording telegraph messages illicitly.

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Irregardless -

This word can be traced back to a poem called 'The Old Woman and her Tabby,' printed in the Charleston City Gazette, which reads: "But death, irregardless of tenderest ties, Resolv'd the good Betty, at length, to bereave."

Sources: (Merriam-Webster) (The Guardian) (Mental Floss) (Dictionary.com) (Smithsonian Magazine)

See also: Everyday phrases with surprisingly dark origins

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