New Home Vocabulary

There are words that have developed around the home that just didn't exist a few short decades ago.

Whether related to home tech ("WiFi"), cleaning ("antibacterial"), or sustainability ("recycling bin"), some words were never a part of daily life until relatively recently...

What new "home words" have you noticed around your house? They might be terms that weren't used when you were growing up, that confuse your parents or grandparents, or that are new to you from your children. Please share in the comments below!

Image: One for the Table

Comments (6)

I don't know if this counts, but the terminology for master bedroom has changed over time.
The term went from master bedroom to master suite to owner's suite.
When my Mother saw that last term in a home-for-sale description she asked if that's where representatives from the bank stayed because they're the ones that really own the house!

posted by wenjotwo on July 31st 2009 at 3:14pm
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Great Room (What's so great about it?)
Home Office (So which is it?)
Home Theatre (Again - Which is it?)
Bonus Room (What's it actually for?)
Thread Count (Who actually sat there and counted them?)
Dishwasher (It used to be a job for someone - Now it's an appliance...)
Swiffer (Is it a Verb or a Noun???)
Engineered Wood (I thought wood just Grew?)
Hepa Filter (What the heck is a Hepa?)
Homeowner's Association
Adjustable-Rate Mortgage / Interest-Only Mortgage
Game Console / Nintendo / Playstation / Wii
Skype
i(Anything)
Blog
Twitter (Isn't that what birds do?)

posted by bepsf on July 31st 2009 at 3:41pm
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I hate the term "bonus room." It's such a bogus realtor thing. Bonus room? You mean it's free? I don't have to pay for it? And once you've moved in and put your sewing machine in there, are you going to parade your guests in and say, "And this is our bonus room!"? I think not.

I always like "spare room" better, even though technically it's not any better.

posted by FrontPorchPirate on July 31st 2009 at 6:03pm
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HEPA= high efficiency particulate air

posted by Palmetto on July 31st 2009 at 6:26pm
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twitter- thats a new one for me too! I also hear the word organic all the time too. So much has changed from the 70's

posted by jen of the north on July 31st 2009 at 8:10pm
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Not limited to the home but...

Ear buds. Why? It sounds like something yucky that you would have a dermatologist remove.

posted by Slim on August 1st 2009 at 2:32pm
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