Words You Use All the Time Just Turned 50

Half a century ago, "couch potato" was a brand new term—and so were a lot of other words you probably use without thinking. As Mental Floss reports, 1976 appears to have been a surprisingly fertile year for the English language, with terms emerging that now feel utterly ordinary. It rounds up 20 words and expressions turning 50 in 2026, with Reader's Digest and Stacker flagging some other now-popular words as well. Here are 15 that stood out to us.

1. 800-pound gorilla
2. Athleisure
3. Body piercing
4. Couch potato
5. Crunch time
6. Digital camera
7. Exit poll
8. French press
9. Idiotproof
10. Meme
11. Skeevy
12. Skill set
13. Trail mix
14. Wannabe
15. Wuss