Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News Editorials & Other Articles General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

Baitball Blogger

(52,730 posts)
4. Warp speed
Fri Mar 3, 2017, 02:19 PM
Mar 2017

Warp speed is an example of a phrase that entered the public consciousness through science fiction and eventually gained enough popularity to end up in the dictionary. The expression was popularized on the science-fiction show Star Trek in the 1960s. On the show, warp speed referred to a specific concept, namely the idea of faster-than-light travel. Within a relatively short period of time, Star Trek gained a devoted and intense following. Fans were soon discussing the fictional concepts of the show, including warp speed, with great enthusiasm. Eventually, the term warp speed was adopted by the general population. In the process, however, it lost its specific fictional meaning and came to mean simply "the highest possible speed."

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/warp%20speed

Recommendations

0 members have recommended this reply (displayed in chronological order):

This message was self-deleted by its author Iggo Mar 2017 #1
Better if I just recuse myself from this discussion...lol. Iggo Mar 2017 #2
Who invented, "Cyberspace." Baitball Blogger Mar 2017 #3
Warp speed Baitball Blogger Mar 2017 #4
Grok... ms liberty Mar 2017 #5
Good one! Baitball Blogger Mar 2017 #6
Thanks! For some reason, I blanked on the book title... ms liberty Mar 2017 #7
Big Brother Is Watching You. Aristus Mar 2017 #8
I see people using "cromulent" on a pretty regular basis cemaphonic Mar 2017 #9
I have hopes that one of my own neologisms for... 3catwoman3 Mar 2017 #28
I'm pretty sure Lewis Carroll's Jabberwocky gave us 'Chortle' Ron Obvious Mar 2017 #10
He also created 'portmanteau' cemaphonic Mar 2017 #12
"Yahoo" Floyd R. Turbo Mar 2017 #11
An especially pertinent entry, seeing as how the Yahoos have taken over. eppur_se_muova Mar 2017 #31
What the Frack? fNord Mar 2017 #13
Festivus - for the rest of us :) patricia92243 Mar 2017 #14
Make it so, Number 1 benld74 Mar 2017 #15
Catch-22, Newspeak, Tanstaafl, Robot...to name a few... First Speaker Mar 2017 #16
"tanstaafl" was an engineering term first... malthaussen Mar 2017 #21
Thanks...I thought Heinlein coined Tanstaafl in *Moon is a Harsh Mistress*... First Speaker Mar 2017 #25
D'oh! SticksnStones Mar 2017 #17
I do believe the All-Time Champeen is one William Shakespeare: WinkyDink Mar 2017 #18
I'm thinking that a midsummer's night dream is more fantasy than science fiction. Baitball Blogger Mar 2017 #19
Yep, you did! :-) WinkyDink Mar 2017 #32
William who...? First Speaker Mar 2017 #26
How about words created by EC Segar (creator of Popeye)? FSogol Mar 2017 #20
Derivation of "jeep" is clouded... malthaussen Mar 2017 #22
MacGyver malthaussen Mar 2017 #23
Oh, yes. MacGyver is also a verb. Baitball Blogger Mar 2017 #24
If you Google the words that Shakespeare invented which we still use today elehhhhna Mar 2017 #27
I know, it's terrible, he's full of cliches. n/t malthaussen Mar 2017 #30
See: Post #18. WinkyDink Mar 2017 #33
Beam me up, Scotty. 3catwoman3 Mar 2017 #29
Latest Discussions»The DU Lounge»What words began in ficti...»Reply #4