So, I’m watching TV last night — shocking revelation, I know — and a commercial for home appliances comes on where a man and woman give their oven a ‘shout out’ for the great work it did on dinner.
Now, besides my obvious concern for the mental health of the couple, I did a double take when they said ‘shout out.’
When did that become such a common term?
It seems to be everywhere now. I hear people on game shows giving ‘shout outs’ to their friends in the audience. The program hosts on QVC let phone callers give ‘shout outs’ to family members watching at home. Disc jockeys do it. Athletes do it. Where did it all begin?
To answer this burning question, I turned to that bastion of information and accuracy, Wikipedia. (So you may want to fact check this blog.)
Turns out the phrase ‘shout out’ dates back to 1990. It was first used in the United States by rap performers and their fans, so it is closely associated with hip-hop culture.
Really — 1990? Has it been that long? I thought ‘shout out’ was just a few years old, and it turns out this piece of slang is getting ready to celebrate its 20th birthday. It’s practically wrinkly.
Well…I guess it has begun. Time is flying by just as my mother said it would. But what can you expect from someone who remembers black-and-white television and a world without microwaves, laptops and GPS.
That’s right. I’ve celebrated my 20th birthday, too.
Another shocking revelation.
