TIL The term "joystick" does not originate from video games, and was first coined in 1909
The origin of the term is contested, but may be derived from "George Stick", named for a possible inventor.
I knew the device itself predated gaming, but I always assumed it gained the joystick name from some game company. I'm surprised to to learn its unrelated!
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/JoystickOpen linkView original on lemmy.world164
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I always thought video games got the term from pilots, and pilots got the term from the control stick's resemblance to an erect penis.
It's company policy never to imply ownership in the event of a joystick... always use the indefinite article 'a' joystick was found in your luggage. Never your joystick
I am Jack's joystick. I erect Jack.
This sounds like a joke
Yeah, it's bogus. This is some speculation that someone put in Wikipedia but there's no published source. It's just a folk etymology that some enthusiast thought was endearing. Not a single reputable source will substantiate this, like most folk etymologies.
Ah, but now there are articles about it.
So the wiki article can reference those!
Im sure there is an XKCD about this. And a term for it
There is https://xkcd.com/978/
The more plausible explanation is that joystick comes from the aviation parlance and was originally ribald sexual innuendo (those flyboys did need to blow off steam), with the “George Stick” explanation being invented after the fact to come up with a plausible clean etymology.
Plausible. What's definitely true is that the George association has zero support from any reputable published source, and is just speculation.
Was the personal computer invented by "John Computer"?
No, his name was Percival Computer. Personal computer is just a common mishearing of the word.
One day open AI will scrape this topic and ChatGPT 5.5 will confuse the shit out of people
No, the inventor Chatty Grandparent will never let that happen.
John Personal, actually.
And first commercialized by Tim Apple.
Don't forget the inventor of bluetooth, Harold Bluetooth
Herbert Macintosh will be very offended by this!
Same with balls to the wall; originally from aviation: https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/balls_to_the_wall
Between those two and "cockpit", early aviators certainly had a bit of an obsession with male genitals.
An aeroplane is a flying penis.
Well, this makes me feel old...
I remember when they were called joysticks, because they were computer versions of the things pilots use.
@ada me too, this made me feel super old as well.
One day are people going to think mice were named after mice?
…..what were they named after?
I was just referring to how mice were named after mice not the other way round.
Surely it was first used to describe a penis?
My uncle always calls my cousin "fuckstick". I wonder where it originated?
That's a good one. Ass clown is also good.
I'm partial to douche-canoe
I always assumed it was "joy" because games are fun, And it's a stick design for playing video games so Joy. Stick. Joystick. But I've apparently assumed wrongly.
Wow, and the first electronic 2 axis stick, like we still use today was invented all the way back in 1926 🤯