Tip of the Day: Insights on Popular Phrases With Google Books Ngram Viewer

Want to get insights on when popular terms or phrases become more popular and hence published or searched for in Google Search? John Dvorak recommends Google Books Ngram Viewer. It goes back to the 1800’s!

John Dvorak: This has been mentioned on the show before, but I’m going to make it an official tip because it’s so much fun to play with. It’s particularly interesting when looking at certain terms, especially those related to gender ideology, gender studies, and similar topics.

The tool is called Google Books Ngram Viewer. I think I mentioned it on the show about ten years ago, but I’ve never given it as an official tip. I use it a lot to see when certain terms first appeared and started being used in books.

For example, if you search for gender studies, you’ll see that this phrase didn’t exist until about 1980. Or, if there’s a term you keep hearing, like RSV or something else, and you’re wondering why you never heard it as a kid, you can check. Often, you’ll find that it didn’t exist back then, which is why it sounds new.

I find this to be a very useful tool for analysis, but it’s also fun! Try looking up a word like gay and see how its usage has changed over time. It’s a fascinating way to track the history of language.

[No Agenda #1738]