ST Alpha - "Factoid = Something that sounds like a fact but isn't true. " (Reading a Post)

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In response to "Random factoid: The plane type I have flown on the most times continues to be the MD-80, despite American retiring the last one in 2019." by ty97

Factoid = Something that sounds like a fact but isn't true.

Posted by Krusty (aka Krustylu) Oct 23 '24, 13:22

Norman Mailer coined the word.

Responses:

Oxford said "assumed as true" and might be, or might not be. Popularly considered true. - Andie Oct 23, 13:26
(or is it!) -- nm - Reagen Oct 23, 13:25 2
- Heh. :-) -- nm - Krusty Oct 23, 13:27
- :-D -- nm - mud Oct 23, 13:27
Huh. I thought a factoid was just a small insignificant fact -- nm - ty97 Oct 23, 13:23 11
- Many, many people do as well. -- nm - Krusty Oct 23, 13:24 10
  - Are you telling me that factoid, in and of itself, became a factoid? -- nm - Qale Oct 23, 13:33
  - And at this point it seems have taken on that meaning of a small or trivial fact. I think it's probably lost its original meaning at this point. -- nm - Krusty Oct 23, 13:26 8
    - Just like 'bemused'. Everyone uses it for mildly amused, or confusingly amused. But the original meaning was just bewildered. - Andie Oct 23, 13:28 5
      - Nonplussed now means unimpressed -- (edited) - znufrii Oct 23, 14:49
      - I find it interesting how words change over the years and at times can have their meaning flipped from the original intention. -- nm - Krusty Oct 23, 14:08 2
        
        "nice" was a polite way of calling someone dumb! -- nm - Reagen Oct 23, 14:13 1
        
        Not cool. -- nm - Krusty Oct 23, 14:20
      - I've always thought if I'm bemused it's on the WTF side of things -- nm - JD Oct 23, 13:33
    - humanoids aren't small insignificant humans, but I agree the definition of factoid has probably morphed in regular usage -- nm - Dano Oct 23, 13:27 1
      - Good example! -- nm - Krusty Oct 23, 13:35

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Factoid = Something that sounds like a fact but isn't true.

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