If I Only Had the Words

SUCH a great tool discovered in an unlikely place: Time Travel!

Specifically Time Traveler from the Merriam-Webster Dictionary. (This is something I could never have anticipated typing, but there we are.)

The Time Traveler website linked above does one thing and one thing only: It shows when words were first used in print, grouped by the year they appeared.

It's super simple to use. Just type a year in the dropdown box located smack in the middle of the top of the page (it defaults to 2021).

Words will then populate the year-specific sections on the web page. These are arranged in alphabetical order, which I find makes for easy browsing.

One of the things I noticed while playing with the site is that the number of words per year increased as you work your way back in time. 1993, shown below, is the year that web page, website, and wet willy were first in print. Coincidence? You tell me.

My conclusion to the shorter lists found under the headings of the past 25 years is that 'print' has shrunk massively now that 'web pages' are here. NEW used to mean you read it in the newspaper, Reader's Digest, Scientific American... you get the drift. Now information/disinformation/news is everywhere online, and many newspapers have closed.

Prompt Time

• Use the Merriam-Webster Time Traveler site to see the words that first appeared in print during the year you first appeared on Earth.
• Use at least FIVE of the words to create content (can be poem or prose) that will inherently echo the zeitgeist of that time.
• Bonus prompt-within-a-prompt: combine two years if YOUR year was especially science-y and the words suck.
• Disregard the rules prompt-within-a-prompt: have fun and just chose whatever year you want.
• Rule that I think is essential but you do you, Boo: include the year in the subtitle of your piece.
• Now, I think that your piece should be posted in the Writer's Vocal Community, but I will not die on that hill. Post it where it makes the most sense.
• Create as many pieces as you like. There is no maximum quantity, officially, but if you post most than 3 a day I will roll my eyes at it and sigh in your general direction. (Moderation is a precious jewel.)
• Please come back and share a link to your piece in the comments.
• Feel free to include a link to this prompt.

Disclaimer: This is a prompt, not an Official Vocal media Challenge. For that reason there is no monetary reward, nor is there a medal. Fame is not implied. User experience may vary. Fun is hoped for, but may not materialize.

I hope that you'll leave some feedback about your expereince, and look forward to seeing what you create.