17 Phrases That Meant Something Else in 1970
Language evolves faster than fashion trends, and nowhere is this more obvious than when you look back at how we used certain phrases fifty years ago. Words that seem perfectly normal today had completely different meanings in 1970, while some common expressions then would leave modern listeners scratching their heads.
The shift in meaning often reflects broader cultural changes, technological advances, or simply the natural drift of language over time. Here are 17 phrases that meant something entirely different in 1970.
Tablet
Back in 1970, a tablet was something you swallowed when you had a headache or needed vitamins. The most high-tech tablet anyone knew about was probably an Alka-Seltzer dropping into a glass of water.
Nobody could have imagined holding a flat computer screen in their hands, swiping through apps while lounging on the couch.
Going Viral
In 1970, going viral meant you were getting sick, and it wasn’t something anyone wanted to experience. People would call in sick to work saying they ‘went viral’ with the flu or a cold.
The idea that something could spread rapidly through society in a good way was decades away from being coined.
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Web
A web was what spiders made in the corner of your garage, and getting caught in one was just an annoying part of cleaning out storage spaces. The most complicated web anyone dealt with was probably the one blocking their path to the lawnmower.
The concept of a worldwide network connecting millions of computers was pure science fiction.
Mouse
A mouse was a small rodent that sent people jumping onto chairs and calling exterminators. The computer mouse existed in research labs by 1970, but it wouldn’t become a household item for another decade or more.
Most people’s only interaction with a mouse involved traps and cheese.
Streaming
Streaming referred to water flowing continuously, like a babbling brook or a garden hose left running. You might have talked about sunlight streaming through your kitchen window on a bright morning.
The idea of streaming movies or music through the air would have sounded like something from ‘The Jetsons.’
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Cloud
Clouds were fluffy white things in the sky that brought rain or provided shade on sunny days. Meteorologists talked about cloud formations, and poets wrote about clouds drifting across the horizon.
Storing your photos and documents ‘in the cloud’ would have sounded like you’d lost your mind completely.
Surfing
Surfing meant grabbing a board and riding ocean waves, period. It was something people did in California and Hawaii, and maybe a few other coastal spots if they were lucky enough to live near decent waves.
The idea of ‘surfing’ through channels or websites was still years away from being invented.
Bluetooth
Bluetooth was just a weird name for a medieval Danish king that most people learned about in history class and promptly forgot. Harald Bluetooth ruled Denmark in the 10th century, but nobody in 1970 would have connected his name to wireless technology.
The closest thing to wireless communication was a walkie-talkie with a range of a few city blocks.
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Spam
Spam was that mysterious canned meat product that showed up in grocery stores and military rations. Some people loved it fried with eggs, while others wondered what exactly went into making it.
The idea that spam would become synonymous with unwanted electronic messages was impossible to imagine.
Troll
A troll lived under bridges in fairy tales and caused trouble for anyone trying to cross. They were mythical creatures that belonged in children’s books and Scandinavian folklore.
Internet trolls who deliberately stirred up trouble in online communities were decades away from existing.
Cookies
Cookies were something your grandmother baked, and they came out of the oven smelling like heaven. You stored them in jars or tins, and the biggest decision was whether to have chocolate chip or oatmeal raisin.
The idea that websites would store little pieces of data called cookies on your computer was incomprehensible.
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Avatar
An avatar was a Hindu concept referring to the earthly incarnation of a deity, something you might learn about in a world religions class. It was a serious spiritual concept that had nothing to do with representing yourself online.
The closest thing to an avatar in popular culture was probably a character in a mythology book.
Friend
Being friends with someone meant you actually knew them, spent time together, and probably lived within a reasonable distance of each other. You had maybe a few dozen close friends throughout your entire life, and keeping in touch required phone calls or letters.
The idea of having hundreds of ‘friends’ you’d never met in person was absurd.
Profile
A profile was either the side view of someone’s face or a detailed article about a person in a magazine. Police kept profiles on criminals, and newspapers ran profiles on interesting public figures.
Creating an online profile to represent yourself to strangers would have seemed like an odd way to spend your time.
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Status
Your status referred to your position in society, your job title, or maybe your relationship situation. It was something that changed slowly over time, if at all, and wasn’t something you announced to the world regularly.
The idea of updating your status multiple times a day would have seemed both exhausting and pointless.
Meme
A meme was an academic term coined by biologist Richard Dawkins in 1976 to describe how cultural information spreads, but in 1970 it didn’t exist at all. The concept of ideas spreading like genes through populations was still brewing in scientific circles.
Funny pictures with text that spread across the internet were impossible to imagine.
Viral Video
Video itself was still pretty new technology in 1970, mostly limited to television studios and a few wealthy early adopters with bulky equipment. The idea that ordinary people would create short videos that millions of others would watch was like something from a futuristic movie.
Most people were still getting used to color television.
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Language Keeps Moving Forward
The transformation of these phrases shows how quickly language adapts to new realities and technologies. What seemed permanent and unchanging in 1970 became obsolete or evolved into something completely different within a few decades.
Many of the words we use casually today would have been completely meaningless to someone from fifty years ago, while common expressions then now sound quaint or outdated. This constant evolution of language reflects our changing world, and it makes you wonder what phrases we use today will seem completely bizarre to people in 2075.
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