twitch athlete

[Gordon, Matthew J.]

Video gamers often use 'twitch' to describe games that require fast reflexes and precise timing such as the first person shooters that Fatality 1 makes a living playing. 


-----Original Message-----
From: American Dialect Society on behalf of RonButters at AOL.COM
Sent: Sat 2/24/2007 11:45 AM
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Subject:      twitch athlete
 
In the issue of 2-12-07, TIME refers to a prominent video-games professional
(who calls himself "Fala1ty Kiaeneto" [with a "1" where one normally would
write "i") as a "twich athlete." This term is not familiar to me, and a Google
check indicates that it is most often used in combination with "fast" (or,
occsionally, "slow"), but I didn't find it used by itself.

Anyone know about the age of this term, its etymology, and the evolution of
its meaning?


**************************************
 AOL now offers free email to
everyone.  Find out more about what's free from AOL at http://www.aol.com.

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org