2946: Blurb Jan 14, 2025

The term 'blurb' might seem like it’s been around forever, but it’s actually a made-up word with an intriguing origin story. It was coined in 1907 by a writer named Gelett Burgess, who used it as a playful term for a brief promotional description found on book covers. Burgess famously used the word to describe a glowing endorsement from a fictional character on a book jacket. The term quickly caught on and became part of the publishing lexicon. Over time, 'blurb' expanded beyond literature to encompass any concise, persuasive text used to advertise or describe something, from products to movies. Despite its quirky start, it’s now a standard part of the language, proving that even made-up words can carve out a lasting place in our everyday vocabulary.