Year

Word

Etymology/
cultural
importance

184
2

under
groun
d
railroa
d

Because
railroads
were the
new fastest
mode of
transportati
on, this
came to
represent
the speedy
and
effective
ways that
slaves were
rescued
from the
South and
made their
way North.
Railroad
language
continued
to include
passengers
(escaped
slaves),
stations
(hiding
places),
and
conductors
(those
helping the
slaves to
freedom).

OED:
First
occu
rrenc
e
1845

Google
Books: First

Google
Books:
History

COHA:
First

COHA:
Histor
y

1831
The
commissio
n shall do
all of the
following:
(a) Review,
plan, and
implement
a master
plan to
promote
and
preserve
the history
of the
freedom
trail
and under
ground
railroad in
this state.
https://boo
ks.google.c
om/ngrams
/graph?
content=un
derground
+railroad&
year_start=
1800&year
_end=2000
&corpus=1
5&smoothi
ng=3&shar
e=&direct_
url=t1%3B
%2Cunderg
round
%20railroa
d%3B
%2Cc0

Increase
in the
1830s
and
1840s,
spikes
here and
there,
especially
in the
1960s.

1845
public
manner in
which
some of
our
western
friends
have
conducted
what they
call the
undergrou
nd
railroad,
but which I
think, by
their open
declaratio
ns, has
been
made
http://corp
us.byu.edu
/coha/?
c=coha&q
=4174094
0

Mostly
in
1860s1890s,
again
in
1960s,
and
recentl
y

186
3

AWOL

Came from
soldiers in
the Civil
War who
left their
post, not
total
deserters
but those
gone for a
relatively
short
time. It
increased
in
popularity
in the
World Wars
and can
now even
apply to
being gone
from
civilian
responsibili
ties.

1894

188
4

hambu
rger

Came from
Hamburg,
Germany,
where
Americans
learned to
grind up
beef before
making it
into a patty

1889
(ham
burg
er
stea
k at
first)

1862
Civil War
Men in
Ranks:
Leniency
with AWOL
soldiers
(some
earlier
mentions of
AWOL, but
usually in a
transcript
coding,
history of
the
telegraph,
etc. where
it has a
different
meaning)
https://boo
ks.google.c
om/ngrams
/graph?
content=A
WOL&year_
start=1800
&year_end
=2000&cor
pus=15&s
moothing=
3&share=&
direct_url=t
1%3B
%2CAWOL
%3B%2Cc0
1879
(had to
search
hamburge
r steak to
avoid all
proper
names
Hamburge
r) He

Small
amount in
1860s,
increase
in World
Wars, big
increase
in 1950s,
dip in
1960s,
increase
since

1943
lured by
tales of
gold
treasure to
desert
their vital
war task
and
go AWOL
on
prospectin
g
expedition
s
http://corp
us.byu.edu
/coha/?
c=coha&q
=4174105
8

Mostly
in
1940s
to
1970s,
again
in
1990s
and
2000s.

Very little
mention
in late
1800s,
slight
increase
in early
1900s,
large
increase

1912 I
can only
dimly
conjecture
Peter's
dismay if
he were
asked to
pass the
Hamburge

Increa
se
since
1910s,
greate
st
increa
se
since
1970s.

or steak.
The er
suffix came
from
German,
where the
language
adds er to
signify that
something
or someone
is from a
certain
place.
Variations
and
prefixes
added to
hamburger
or just
burger
made the
all-popular
burger
which took
little
relation to
Hamburg.

190
5

jellybe
an

The
combinatio
n of a
gooey
Turkish
delight with
a hard shell

1905

gave her
cornedbeef and
caramels
and Hamb
urger
steak and
Roman
punch and
springchicken
and
sauerkraut
and
kangaroo
chops and
Brussels
sprouts and
vanilla icecream and
one or two
other
things.
https://boo
ks.google.c
om/ngrams
/graph?
content=ha
mburger&y
ear_start=1
800&year_
end=2000
&corpus=1
5&smoothi
ng=3&shar
e=&direct_
url=t1%3B
%2Chambu
rger%3B
%2Cc0
1909
(earliest
references
are to
describe
people)
The hot-

in late
1900s
(since
1960s)

r steak to
Mr.
Wilkinson
http://corp
us.byu.edu
/coha/?
c=coha&q
=4174110
7

Some
appearan
ces in
early
1900s,
huge rise
in 1970s,

1937
Missed
him! "
reported a
jellybean
perched
on the rim

Mostly
in
1940s,
but
small
increa
ses

(the way
the French
coated
almonds in
sugar) to
make a
small
candy,
given as a
gift to Civil
War
soldiers
and later in
Easter
baskets.

192
6

Bible
belt

We labeled
the country
by what
the regions
produced
(such as
the wheat
belt of
Ohio). A
Baltimore

1926

housed jell
ybean of
the city
street is
bad
enough but
he does not
compare in
general
objectionab
leness with
the college
product for
the latter
represents
a lot of
wasted
parental
money and
aspiration.
https://boo
ks.google.c
om/ngrams
/graph?
content=jel
lybean&ye
ar_start=1
800&year_
end=2000
&corpus=1
5&smoothi
ng=3&shar
e=&direct_
url=t1%3B
%2Cjellybe
an%3B
%2Cc0
1906 To
shock Aunt
Jane or Mrs.
Grundy,
Babbitt
with his
stuffed
shirt, the
Methodists
and

80s, and
90s.

of the rear
seat,
riding
backwards
.
http://corp
us.byu.edu
/coha/?
c=coha&q
=4174116
8

since
1960s.
Usuall
y
descri
bing a
person

Significan
t rise in
the
1920s,
another
rise in the
1940s,
general
evening
out the

1930
against
the
unarmed
boundary
of revered
memory,
as a proof
to the
Bible Belt

Beginn
ing in
1930s,
growin
g by
2000s.

194
7

babysit

satirist, H.
L.
Mencken,
wrote of
the Bible
and
Lynching
Belt in
Mississippi.
The label
for the
Southern
and middle
states that
took the
Bible
literally and
seriously
stuck, and
we still use
it more or
less
positively,
depending
on the
authors
intentions.
Before
suburbia
became
big, most
parents
had
servants or
family or
neighbors
living with
or near
them
whom they
could trust
to watch
the
children for
a night out.
With the
separated

1946
(bab
ysit)

Baptists of
the Bible
Belt,
politicians,
especially
the
reigning
President, ..
.
https://boo
ks.google.c
om/ngrams
/graph?
content=Bi
ble+belt&y
ear_start=1
800&year_
end=2000
&corpus=1
5&smoothi
ng=3&shar
e=&direct_
url=t1%3B
%2CBible
%20belt
%3B%2Cc0

rest of
the time
(though
on a
current
rise)

that
enforceme
nt is on
the way.
http://corp
us.byu.edu
/coha/?
c=coha&q
=4174341
6

1941 As
a service to
the
community
,a
neighborho
od
association
maintains a
list of
individuals
who are
available
to babysit.
Parents in
need of a
sitter
contact the
association
and are

Slow
increase
in 1940s
and 50s,
huge
increase
in 1970s,
80s, and
early 90s.
Declining
in 1990s.

1968
when one
called to
ask one of
their teenage
daughters
to
babysit.
http://corp
us.byu.edu
/coha/?
c=coha&q
=4174346
6

Startin
g in
1960s,
much
more
comm
on by
2000s.

residences
of
suburbia,
watching
children for
others
became a
business.

196
8

aerobi
cs

Came from
exercises
designed
by Major
Kenneth
Cooper of
the US Air
Force for
astronauts,
aerobics
became
popularized
after the
major
published a
book on
the
exercises,
and even
more so
after
actress
Jane Fonda
created a

1968

provided
with a list
of names
and
telephone
numbers.
https://boo
ks.google.c
om/ngrams
/graph?
content=ba
bysit&year_
start=1800
&year_end
=2000&cor
pus=15&s
moothing=
3&share=&
direct_url=t
1%3B
%2Cbabysi
t%3B
%2Cc0
1960 Dr.
Kenneth
Cooper,
author of
"Aerobics"
was in St.
Louis
several
times last
Fall,
encouragin
g us to take
up jogging
for our
health.
(many
early
instances
even in
1830s of
aerobic in
aerobic
vs.
anaerobic

Increasin
g in
1960s,
large
increase
since
1980s.

1973
That
doesn't
count the
Spa, the
gym,
aerobics,
dancing
lessons, or
the
clothes
and
shoes.
http://corp
us.byu.edu
/coha/?
c=coha&q
=4174347
6

Startin
g with
one in
1970s,
signifi
cantly
more
by
2000s.

workout
video for
aerobics.
The
exercises
became
wildly
popular
because
they could
be taught
in groups
at the gym
or
completed
at home to
an
accompany
ing video
tape.

organisms
)
https://boo
ks.google.c
om/ngrams
/graph?
content=ae
robics&yea
r_start=18
00&year_e
nd=2000&
corpus=15
&smoothin
g=3&share
=&direct_u
rl=t1%3B
%2Caerobi
cs%3B
%2Cc0