Computers

Remember when computers were seen only in futuristic sci fi movies? Wow, do things change. They are now an essential part of our daily lives. We cannot live without them. It is amazing how our language has evolved through the years due to this phenomena. Not too many years ago, a window was simply something in a structure that allowed us to look out into the world. And ram… was the cousin of the goat, Meg was the name of the girl in the first row in math class, and a gig is what we called a late night job or how entertainers referred to their work place. Megabytes was what happened when a dog attacked or a teething child decided to use you as a teething ring.

A hard drive referred to a road trip that was hazardous due to weather conditions. Memory was something that you lost with age. A CD was an investment sold by banks that we shopped around for the highest paying interest. Floppy were the ears on your dog, and a few other things. We compressed our garbage and unzipped our coats… not a file.

Application was for employment and program was what we watched on TV. The old keyboard referred to a piano or typewriter, and a curser was someone who used profanity. A mouse pad was the little hole in the wall that Tom and Jerry called home. Log on always concerned wood and fire, and a bathroom toilet was all I ever knew to backup. Cut required scissors, paste was used to attach pictures in art projects, and a web always involved a spider. Oh yes… a virus was the flu!

As my Father-in-law used to say, “Times change, things change.”

Source: K. P. Guessen