A fad is something, usually an activity or style, that becomes extremely popular. However, it does not remain popular for very long. If somebody says “It’s just a fad,” they think that something’s popularity will not last long. Fads commonly emerge around the holiday season with consumer items.
In most contexts, we can use the term ‘craze‘ with the same meaning as ‘fad.’ A trend, however, has a much longer lifespan. A trend can continue being popular for years and even decades.
The term may also refer to an arbitrary like or dislike, as in “It’s a sort of fad hers to only eat fish.”
This article focuses on the meaning of the term when it refers to something that becomes extremely popular. Specifically, something that becomes very popular for a short time.
A faddist is somebody who tends to follow fads, such as unusual diets or beliefs.
Etymology of fad
Etymology is the study of where words come from and how their meanings have evolved or changed over time.
Etymologists believe that the term emerged in the English language in 1834. In the nineteenth century, it meant ‘hobby, pet project.’
According to etymoline.com, nobody is certain where the word came from. Some people suggest that it could be a shortened form of Fiddle-Faddle. Others, however, point to the French word Fadaise, which means “trifle, nonsense.”
The French word came from the Latin word Fatuus, which means ‘stupid.’
In 1881, the English term also meant “fashion, craze.” According to a definition by Century Dictionary in the 19th-century, it meant “trivial fancy adopted and pursued for a time with irrational zeal. ”
A fad fades away
Fads are behaviors, styles, objects, or activities that suddenly become extremely popular but then fade away. They emerge suddenly, spread rapidly, but do not last long.
Fads include hairstyles, clothing styles, diets, toys, and many other things.
The twist
From 1959 to the early 1960s, ‘the twist’ was extremely popular. The twist was a rock-and-roll dance that became popular all over the world. However, by the end of the 1960s, its popularity had dwindled significantly.
Other twentieth-century fads include the Macarena (another dance), Yo-Yos, and Hula Hoops. In the 1990s Beannie Babies became extremely popular.
LBOs
Leveraged buy-outs (LBOs) became a fad in the 1980s. The term LBO refers to one company buying another but needing to borrow lots of money to do it.
In the 1980s, LBOs became a popular way for companies to take over rivals, suppliers, and other related businesses. However, by the late 1990s, LBOs became considerably less popular.
Video – fad vs. trend
In this video, Colleen Dilenschneider explains the difference between a fad and a trend.