Vol. 10 · Portmanteaus ·Late 20th century ·1909
Spork
spoon fork
- Meaning
- A utensil combining a spoon's bowl with fork tines.
- Source words
- spoon + fork
- Coined by
- unknown (US patent)
- Year
- 1909
Background
The first US patent for a spoon-fork dates to 1874; the name "spork" is trademarked separately multiple times between 1909 and 1970. No single coiner owns it.
Late 20th century
Marketing, media, and the early internet. Infomercial, emoticon, workaholic — the coinages name phenomena of mass media and white-collar life. Several predate the decades they're associated with.
Two words, one coinage.
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