5 ms·

is it me or has the word "grift" seen a large uptick in the last few years. I used to really like this word now I see it all over the place, I wouldn't call an

is it me or has the word "grift" seen a large uptick in the last few years. I used to really like this word now I see it all over the place, I wouldn't call anything what Gavin did a grift ... or a small time swindle.

asdfasgasdgasdg 5y ago
There has definitely been an uptick. You see it quite a bit in lefty and progressive media -- and I say this as a frequent consumer of such media. It seems like the term has lost a lot of its meaning and has become a synonym for "person I don't like." You especially often see it applied to someone from the other political side of the aisle who joined the media after leaving politics.
Tenoke 5y ago
According to Google Trends there's been a rise in the usage in 2020 (similar to 2005) that's leveled off now. Similar for grifter but a lesser rise especially compared to a bigger one in 2010. https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=all&q=grifter https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=all&q=grifter
- gruez 5y ago
  Isn't google trends the wrong tool to use for this, since it only represents search traffic? If you want to compare usages in written works you'd need to use ngram viewer or something.
tomlong 5y ago
Looks to have been a recent uptick if you put any store in Google Trends: https://trends.google.co.uk/trends/explore?date=all&q=grift,grifter https://trends.google.co.uk/trends/explore?date=all&q=grift,...
lalaland1125 5y ago
The rise of YouTube and Patreon has made grifting a more profitable and common phenomenon.
- ghaff 5y ago
  How are YouTube and Patreon grifting? People watching someone's videos and someone making optional donations because they like some creative seems more or less the opposite of "grifting."
  - lalaland1125 5y ago
    They aren't necessarily grifting, but they give a platform for grifters. That's not necessarily a bad thing. A more open media environment is worth the cost of a few bad actors.
    - ghaff 5y ago
      I mean, telephones are a platform for grifters.
      - sudosysgen 5y ago
        They are, just not as profitable as YouTube and Patreon.

asdfasgasdgasdg 5y ago

There has definitely been an uptick. You see it quite a bit in lefty and progressive media -- and I say this as a frequent consumer of such media. It seems like the term has lost a lot of its meaning and has become a synonym for "person I don't like." You especially often see it applied to someone from the other political side of the aisle who joined the media after leaving politics.

Tenoke 5y ago

According to Google Trends there's been a rise in the usage in 2020 (similar to 2005) that's leveled off now. Similar for grifter but a lesser rise especially compared to a bigger one in 2010. https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=all&q=grifter https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=all&q=grifter

gruez 5y ago
Isn't google trends the wrong tool to use for this, since it only represents search traffic? If you want to compare usages in written works you'd need to use ngram viewer or something.

tomlong 5y ago

Looks to have been a recent uptick if you put any store in Google Trends: https://trends.google.co.uk/trends/explore?date=all&q=grift,grifter https://trends.google.co.uk/trends/explore?date=all&q=grift,...

lalaland1125 5y ago

The rise of YouTube and Patreon has made grifting a more profitable and common phenomenon.

ghaff 5y ago
How are YouTube and Patreon grifting? People watching someone's videos and someone making optional donations because they like some creative seems more or less the opposite of "grifting."
- lalaland1125 5y ago
  They aren't necessarily grifting, but they give a platform for grifters. That's not necessarily a bad thing. A more open media environment is worth the cost of a few bad actors.
  - ghaff 5y ago
    I mean, telephones are a platform for grifters.
    - sudosysgen 5y ago
      They are, just not as profitable as YouTube and Patreon.