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Original poster

What words have changed common meaning?

186 replies

theelectricnorth · 08/12/2023 22:40

I am currently watching White Christmas, and it has got me thinking about words that have changed what people would first think of when they hear it, compared to what they would have thought 50+ years ago (or any time really).

For example, according to merriam-webster dictionary, 'gay' means:

  1. Of, relating to, or characterised by sexual or romantic attraction to people of one's same sex
  2. Happily excited

Now, most people I know, these days, will automatically relate 'gay' to definition number 1, however this wasn't the case x many years ago. So, I was wondering, what other words do you know that have changed 'main' definition over time?

(The part of the film that got my brain going in case anyone was wondering... Judy and Phil were talking about engagement:
Judy: Of course, it's got to be a man.
Phil: That's an absolute must.
Judy: No, no, no. I mean a mature man. You know, one with talent and experience. One that's witty, gay, charming, attractive.)

OP posts:
UsingChangeofName · 08/12/2023 23:01

Things like 'sick' and 'bad' being reversed to now mean really good.

cardibach · 08/12/2023 23:02

Nice.
It’s gone from a very precise meaning to pretty much meaningless

YireosDodeAver · 08/12/2023 23:03

Sense and Sensibility meant very different things when Jane Austen used the words as a novel title than they mean today.

Noseyoldcow · 08/12/2023 23:04

Well, there's the Fairytale of New York song, where one calls the other a faggot. Which when I was growing up meant a misery guts of either sex. But is now a rude word for a homosexual.

PelvicFloorClenchReminder · 08/12/2023 23:05

Sorry used to mean 'sorry' but now it apparently means 'get the fuck out of my way, I'm coming through'.

No idea what happened to 'excuse me please'.

Notcookie · 08/12/2023 23:06

Women?

Katy231 · 08/12/2023 23:07

This reply has been deleted

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runwithme · 08/12/2023 23:12

Literally.
Like

Lovingitallnow · 08/12/2023 23:13

Literally
Condescension
Cool

ErrolTheDragon · 08/12/2023 23:14

Literally... which can now either mean literally or figuratively for emphasis Hmm

Nonplussed increasingly being misused to mean 'not bothered' rather than its correct meaning.

notprincehamlet · 08/12/2023 23:15

Literally

tillytoodles1 · 08/12/2023 23:21

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PollyannaWhittier · 08/12/2023 23:23

Mortified used to mean very embarrassed or ashamed, but I frequently see it being used now to mean horrified or disgusted. I'm not sure if that's a change of meaning or just a large number of people misusing a word Confused

PGmicstand · 08/12/2023 23:25

Obviously- now often used when whatever it is is not at all obvious
Literally- to mean figuratively
Obsessed - to mean 'a bit interested in'

"Obviously, Im literally obsessed with this colour of lipgloss" where the product has just been launched.

FoxyLocksie · 08/12/2023 23:27

PollyannaWhittier · 08/12/2023 23:23

Mortified used to mean very embarrassed or ashamed, but I frequently see it being used now to mean horrified or disgusted. I'm not sure if that's a change of meaning or just a large number of people misusing a word Confused

Mortified still means embarrassed or ashamed, as far as I am aware.

GarlicMaybeNot · 08/12/2023 23:31

Suffer used to mean "allow" or "tolerate", as in suffer little children to come unto me.

Oddly, sufferance used to mean "suffering" as in undergoing something awful, but now just means "tolerance".

One of my bugbears is transparent. It still means "can be seen through", as in almost invisible, but also means "very visible". In computing it's an interface that hides the workings; accounting transparency supposedly shows the workings. In most corporate speech, transparency means whatever the speaker hopes you'll think it means.

Going alongside woman, we have inclusive! Now seems to mean "excludes people or things we don't like".

I love this topic! Can't wait to see others' replies 🙂

Dilbertian · 08/12/2023 23:33

Prove used to mean test, not confirm.

GarlicMaybeNot · 08/12/2023 23:36

PollyannaWhittier · 08/12/2023 23:23

Mortified used to mean very embarrassed or ashamed, but I frequently see it being used now to mean horrified or disgusted. I'm not sure if that's a change of meaning or just a large number of people misusing a word Confused

Agree. Also, to mortify originally meant to beat, whip, crush - that's why the bowl that comes with your pestle is called a mortar, and priests who whip themselves still call it mortification.

So I guess that changed to "feeling mortified" as a hyperbolic expression of shame or embarrassment - now, as you say, it's often used instead of "horrified".

Davros · 08/12/2023 23:37

Fantastic. It didn't used to mean excellent/good, it meant incomprehensible or very unusual/way out.
Decimated. People now seem to think it means virtually destroyed but it means reduced by 10%.

WhatNoUsername · 08/12/2023 23:42

YireosDodeAver · 08/12/2023 23:03

Sense and Sensibility meant very different things when Jane Austen used the words as a novel title than they mean today.

What did they mean?

determinedtomakethiswork · 08/12/2023 23:56

Notcookie · 08/12/2023 23:06

Women?

Yes, how the hell could we have known that that would mean anyone who thought they were a woman?

ANightingale · 09/12/2023 00:21

If you said someone was 'narcissistic' it used to mean they were vain and ij love with themselves. Now, it would be assumed you were referring to a specific personality disorder incorporating a raft of other traits.

Aaron95 · 09/12/2023 00:22

Noseyoldcow · 08/12/2023 23:04

Well, there's the Fairytale of New York song, where one calls the other a faggot. Which when I was growing up meant a misery guts of either sex. But is now a rude word for a homosexual.

Interesting. I had not heard the first definition. Growing up it would have meant the food which is like a giant meatball. Nowadays it still does but the homosexual slur is probably more commonplace.

Oakbeam · 09/12/2023 00:29

cardibach · 08/12/2023 23:02

Nice.
It’s gone from a very precise meaning to pretty much meaningless

I agree, but it happened a long time ago.

The use of it was banned in my school English lessons 50 years ago.

Alalalalalongalalalalalonglonglilong · 09/12/2023 00:31

Noseyoldcow · 08/12/2023 23:04

Well, there's the Fairytale of New York song, where one calls the other a faggot. Which when I was growing up meant a misery guts of either sex. But is now a rude word for a homosexual.

Yes same for me, but it was very much a bad word like calling someone a fucker.

Slut meant someone dirty or slovenly..also used in this song.

What my Dad says when he calls the cat makes me cringe now!!

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