Talk:widget

Common usage may be derived from usage in IT interface design

I thought it was worth mentioning the reference to widget in everyday speech may refer to the use of the word within the context of the design of computer interfaces.

It's also the case that the word widget could be used to refer to products created by a process of manufacturing, for sale by a business.. — This unsigned comment was added by 68.84.144.94 (talk) at 01:03, 8 September 2005‎ (UTC).

Isn't this what the definition[1] says? --Stranger 01:43, 8 September 2005 (UTC)

The Online Etymology Dictionary has a different word origin

www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=widget has:

widget (n.) "gadget, small manufactured item," c.1920, American English, probably an alteration of gadget, perhaps based on which it.

That doesn't mean the Wiktionary etymology is incorrect; actually, both might be correct. However, it does make me curious as to where the Wiktionary version came from. I don't know if anything needs to be changed, so I'll just leave this note here. Thanks in advance and sorry I can't do more! --Geekdiva (talk) 22:06, 8 November 2012 (UTC)

John Camden Hotten's Slang Dictionary (1873) has "wejee, a chimney-pot. Often applied to any clever invention, as, 'That's a regular wejee.'" Immediately made me think of widget, though I suppose it's coincidence! Equinox ◑ 21:43, 31 March 2021 (UTC)