Timeline for Does the word "newbie" have a negative connotation?
Current License: CC BY-SA 3.0
8 events
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| Jan 20, 2013 at 13:04 | history | edited | Dominic Cronin | CC BY-SA 3.0 |
Toned down the reference to origins on Usenet.
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| Jan 20, 2013 at 13:01 | comment | added | Dominic Cronin | @MarkBeadles - I should be more precise. Indeed, such an obvious formation will undoubtedly have been in use long before modern times, but it's use in the contexts we usually now associate it with seems very likely to come from Usenet. The Jargon File traces it to talk.bizarre, but gives the etymology as [very common; orig. from British public-school and military slang variant of ‘new boy’]. I'll edit my answer. | |
| Jan 20, 2013 at 9:04 | comment | added | J.R. | @KristinaLopez: I'd agree with Dominic on this one. Sure, those books wouldn't cause someone to jump up and down shouting, "I'm a dummy," but one could still argue that the negative connotations of the word are largely removed each time someone buys one of those books (which seems to be rather often, judging by the success of the series). Words with generally negative slants can be made less negative in the context of humble, self-deprecating but good-natured humor. I don't think Dominic was saying that the negativity of the word has been erased, just that it's not necessarily always negative. | |
| Jan 20, 2013 at 2:06 | comment | added | Kristina Lopez | @MarkBeadles, that's what I love about this site, I always get fresh perspective. You're probably right! | |
| Jan 20, 2013 at 2:03 | comment | added | Mark Beadles | @KristinaLopez Indeed; also, there are probably more people in the English-speaking word who are not familiar with those book than those who are. | |
| Jan 20, 2013 at 1:50 | comment | added | Kristina Lopez | Despite the popularity of the "Dummies" book series, I would still not say it's given the term a positive slant. Yes, people buy and use the books but they're not jumping up and down shouting, "I'm a dummy!" :-) | |
| Jan 20, 2013 at 1:09 | comment | added | Mark Beadles | Newbie's origin is long before the Usenet, tracing back at least to 1969. | |
| Jan 19, 2013 at 22:35 | history | answered | Dominic Cronin | CC BY-SA 3.0 |