Talk:fad
Latest comment: 8 years ago by Stephen G. Brown in topic Etymology?
Etymology?[edit]
I noticed that the Etymology section begins: "Of English dialectal origin. Further origin obscure."
Is it at least possible that the word is simply the acronym of what it often means, "For A Day"?
-- Glenn L (talk) 03:03, 12 May 2016 (UTC)
- No, the kind of acronym that you suggest is a very recent thing, arising out of the use of texting on cellphones that provide only a 10-key telephone type of keyboard, which encourages uses of all ages and levels of education to try to make up acronyms, abbreviations, and other shortcuts because of the awkwardness of the keyboard. The origin of the word fad is not known for certain, but it might have been shortened from fiddle-faddle, or it could be from French fadaise (“trifle, nonsense”), from Latin fatuus (“stupid”). —Stephen (Talk) 16:26, 12 May 2016 (UTC)