Talk:Google (verb)

Old Book named Google
I need help here. few years ago while looking through old books in a book store i came across a book that displayed some fantasy whimsical creatures, [for example like that bird in pixar movie Up] the book was called something like the world of google or the mystical island of google like that. it was a legitimate book, and not some self published stuff and it was at least 50 years old. yes! and I didn't buy it some how but now i get people thinking the search engine as the first usage of the word Google. so I need some digging from you fellow web dwellers in this regard. I thank you for your time but it is justly needed. 203.101.169.25 (talk) 17:14, 17 November 2012 (UTC)

Infinite number?
I believe that google is a neologism for the word infinity, as the search engine is a tool for searching an infinate number of websites!
 * There are not an infinite number of websites, for that would require an infinite storage capacity on which to store them, which is impossible. ;) -- Grunt 23:45, 2004 Jun 21 (UTC)

The trademark "Google" was inspired partly by the preexisting word "googol", meaning a particular really big number (but not infinity). Grunt&mdash; Just because there aren't an infinite number of websites, doesn't mean Google can't be a tool for searching an infinite number of websites! ;-) &mdash;ajo, 15 Mar 2005

Just a random fact, a googol equals 10^100. There's also a googolplex, which is 10^googol. Just random fact.ß 15:26, 22 December 2005 (UTC)

The name was no doubt based on googol. However, there was a rumour (or urban myth) that Google meant to register googol.com but misspelled it on the registration form, which I find highly unlikely and I think Google denied. &mdash;Joe Llywelyn Griffith Blakesley talk contrib 16:30, 3 April 2006 (UTC)

copyvio
The image accompanying this article (User:Taisen put it up) is vaguely familiar, but I forget exactly which Web site it's from. It's definitely a copyvio, unless the creator put it in the public domain. Besides, I don't see why it's in this article at all. Definitely not NPOV. &mdash;ajo

added by stuartc1=hotmail.com (
@) == My understanding of the true meaning of google is this: google simply refers to the number 1^100 (1 with 1 hundred zero's after it). But perhaps this meaning is an interpretation of a larger or infinate number. Anyway, I beleive the word google should be defined as the true meaning (refering to numbers) firstly and the search engine secondly (if at all).


 * It is the variant spelling googol which refers to the large number 10100. That has it's own article. The word Google refers solely to the search engine (and associated company) although the disambiguation page does point to googol in case readers are mistaken. -- UkPaolo 22:09, 27 May 2005 (UTC)

1^100 is 1, dude. ;) You want 10^100, as UkPaolo said.

Changed the STFG paragraph
I changed the STFG paragraph that talked about the meaning of STFG (an initialism that contains the word fucking) to a See also reference to make this page more in line with Wikipedia's ideas on swearing. I feel that the definition of STFG is superfluous to the content of the article, but that it deserves reference in the article nonetheless. (And of course the word fucking has a place in the actual STFG article.)

Also, the STFG paragraph wrongly referred to STFG as an acronym, when it is better described as an initialism.
 * It isn't really important; however, as this article seems to be about usage of google as a common noun not just a verb (so it really needs moving), this seems pertinent here (as STFG really doesn't sound like it deserves it's own encyclopedia article&mdash;but maybe an entry on wiktionary). Anyway, I've moved it back into the text and mentioned a similar expression.
 * Also where is this policy against swearing? I'm pretty sure we don't have one. Obviously we wouldn't use swearing or other (subjective/pragmatic terms) in an article except when quoting someone (or referring to a word or phrase as here) because it would not be NPOV or encyclopedic.
 * Joe Llywelyn Griffith Blakesley talk contrib 16:30, 3 April 2006 (UTC)

Antonym of to google or ego surfing
I can't think of the term for someone who attempts to avoid his or her own name from appearing in google. Perhaps a verb. It should appear here as an antonym.

Pop Culture
Is there any desire to create a "Sightings in Culture" section for this page? I just caught Elisabeth Röhm's character mention it in the Law & Order episode "Cry Wolf" which originally aired 11/17/2004


 * As this article seems to be about usage of google as a common noun, examples of usage (esp. notable) would seem to be a good idea as well as maybe any usage statistics (from a corpus or something). Joe Llywelyn Griffith Blakesley talk contrib 16:31, 3 April 2006 (UTC)
 * Anyone else want to chime in on this? It's appearing more and more on television. Thoughtfix 21:21, 28 April 2006 (UTC)

Kilo and Kibi
The derivative term kilogoogle (i.e. 1000, or maybe 1024, search engine hits) is also in use, but megagoogles are rarely heard of.

There is no doubt that "kilogoogle" only means 1000 search engine hits. If it was 1024, it would be kibigoogle. That's what the SI units say. I'm changing this to "(i.e. 1000 search engine hits)".

Icelandic?
A user with a rather dubious editing record added an entry for "to google" in Icelandic. Anyone know how to check? LouScheffer 05:08, 2 May 2006 (UTC)

Icelandic?
I'm icelandic and I have never heard "goozgaru or gozgaroo". It sounds a bit similar to giskaru which means to guess but i can't relate it to any other word. Að gúgla, which is just an icelandic spelling of "to google" is not uncommon in iceland though.

Dictionaries
It should be shown the inclusion of "to google" into the Oxford English Dictionary (as a draft, currently) and the Webster one (as of this mounth, 11th edition). Better someone with a better English skill than me ;) -- rgawenda 14:39, 7 July 2006 (UTC)


 * Article has been touched up a bit, and a healthy amount of references have been added, for both the Merriam-Webster & Oxford English Dictionary additions. I also cleaned up some of the language here and there as well. Dr. Cash 00:04, 8 July 2006 (UTC)


 * Added the Macquarie Dictionary inclusion, which was a year before Oxford or Webster. 203.7.140.3 (talk) 02:55, 7 January 2009 (UTC)

Google as a noun?

 * The word google can also be used as a noun, meaning "search engine hit." The derivative term kilogoogle (i.e. 1000 search engine hits) is also in use, but megagoogles are rarely heard of. As such, a certain search term might score 58 kilogoogles.

I removed the above text regarding the word google's usage as a noun. I don't think in most use it is really used that way, and it's not in the dictionary as a noun (unless you count the alternative spelling 'googol'). But 'google' is now in the dictionary as a verb,... Dr. Cash 23:38, 7 July 2006 (UTC)

Pontiac
GM has a regional ad where I live that ends with "But don't take our word for it. Google Pontiac and discover for yourself." It's like this one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtCJvxuIYDk&search=google%20pontiac

I thought this was kind of interesting, and maybe useful if the article needs a citation that google as a verb is well understood. --Kinst 17:52, 23 July 2006 (UTC)

The derivation of the word Google
The thing about how Google derives from a misspelling of googol pertains to the search engine, not the verb, so I took it out.

Usage with animate vs. inanimate nouns
Shouldn't we mention that to google foo is usually only used where foo is an animate noun (and usually suggests trawling through results for info.); whereas, to google for foo is more usual with inanimate nouns.

Perhaps there should be different sections for the different senses (e.g.: My neologism finally googles., I better google my new boyfriend., I don't know; google for it.).

Joe Llywelyn Griffith Blakesley talk contrib

To google or not to google?
http://konvergenz.kaywa.com/p315.html (german) http://news.independent.co.uk/business/news/article1218805.ece (english) Sachen gibts.. ;-) --Zubi 12:27, 14 August 2006 (UTC)

Google is not a verb.
Google is not a verb. I'm never going to use it. It's a massive corporation for crying out loud. 'Nuff said. --onenemesis 12:36, 22 August 2006 (EST)
 * Kleenex is not a noun. Xerox is not a verb. Oh, wait... —Cuivi é nen 19:12, 10 October 2006 (UTC)

to google
I've added a line mentioning the use of 'to google' to refer to bowling a googly, as otherwise there is the impression that the verb 'google' refers only to internet searches. —Preceding unsigned comment added by ReadingOldBoy (talk • contribs)

Verbs aren’t capitalized
Wiki Wikardo 17:11, 17 December 2006 (UTC)

This is partly the point? That the generic use of Google means that it is beginning to see use uncapitalized. This should be mentioned too.

Markowe 13:02, 24 February 2007 (UTC)

Generic uses - sightings
Also suggest references to the generic use of "Google" such as is being discouraged by Google. There are several both in Wikipedia and Wiktionary, e.g.


 * googlewhack (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Googlewhack)
 * Fridge-googling (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fridge-googling)

etc.


 * googlebomb googlebomb
 * fridge-googling fridge-googling

These could be included as references at the end, or parenthesized after the "cease and desist" part. I will add something to this effect at some point and see what people think.

Markowe 13:01, 24 February 2007 (UTC)

Corporate info box?!
Huh? What is the corporate info box doing on the Google (verb) page? Surely this is available at the main Google page and has no reason to be here... I'm certainly not deleting it, don't want to be taken for a vandal, but seems a bit weird to me... Markowe 20:36, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

Agreed. Makes no sense to put corporate info on a "verb" page. I am taking it out. If someone disagrees, please clarify here. taa (talk) 02:13, 23 January 2008 (UTC)

Yahoo
Why is there not a Yahoo_(verb) page? Isn't Yahoo almost as popular a search engine as Google? Don't many Internet browsers come with Yahoo Toolbar? - 75.133.80.180 (talk) 19:42, 13 December 2008 (UTC)
 * Can you show an instance of the word "yahoo" being used as a verb colloquially? Or of it being listed in a dictionary as a verb?  I've never heard anyone say "to yahoo" something; in fact more likely someone will say they googled something (but used Yahoo or any other popular search engine). 217.166.94.1 (talk) 13:24, 24 August 2009 (UTC)

Google means?
Google is one of the most popular brands on the Internet and this was proved by the numerous surveys conducted by the research companies. Because it is so famous, most of the Internet users are frequently talking about it just like about a person. But have you ever asked yourselves what Google means or at least where the Google term comes from? Well, Dictionary.com, one of the most popular web-based dictionaries defines Google as "a trademark used for an Internet search engine. This trademark often occurs in print as a verb, sometimes in lowercase."

But still no definition of the world. According to the Google guys, the company's name comes from the word 'googol' which is actually a number invented by Milton Sirotta. Probably the Google name is related to the number of the results provided by the search technology which is usually huge.

"The name 'Google' is a play on the word 'googol,' coined by Milton Sirotta, nephew of American mathematician Edward Kasner. A 'googol' refers to the number represented by a 1 followed by 100 zeros. It's a very large number. In fact, there isn't a googol of anything in the universe -- not stars, not dust particles, not atoms. Google's use of the term reflects our mission to organize the world's immense (seemingly infinite) amount of information and make it universally accessible and useful," Google tried to explain the origins of the company's name.

Because it is a company name, Google is a noun. Logically. However, slowly but sure, it evolves and tends to become a verb as numerous users refer to the act of searching the Internet as "googling". For example, I heard some friends saying "I'm going to Google it," meaning that they will search the Internet using the Google search engine —Preceding unsigned comment added by 61.12.7.71 (talk) 15:19, 14 March 2010 (UTC)

"googled". It's use as a verb:
While most sources seem to list the use of the word "googled" as originating with the emergence of the search engine, this is far from correct. It can be found in Vladimir Nabokov's novel, "Ada, or Ardor", Copyright 1969, Chapter 13, p.86. "Ada mounted it, uttered a yelp of pain, almost fell off, googled, recovered - and the rear tire burst with a comic bang." —Preceding unsigned comment added by 207.81.194.178 (talk) 19:38, 28 December 2010 (UTC)


 * Interesting. Do you know what it meant in that context?  Perhaps it was a typo for goggle?
 * P.S. Does anyone know if there has been any discussions of (single word) synonyms for "google"?  Personally I think if Google are so keen for us not to use their name to mean "to carry out a Worldwide Web search for", they should at least suggest some alternatives.  Open4D (talk) 12:40, 1 September 2011 (UTC)
 * Maybe use the term "to search," which seems like the logical choice?
 * Dear 173.74.17.8, no. The term "to search" is self-evidently not synonymous with "to carry out a Worldwide Web search for".  If I told you I was going to "search for cheese", would you expect me to head for a computer or a fridge?  And if you are suggesting dropping the preposition, as a kludge to give the word search that specific meaning, in my opinion that's even worse than using a company-specific word like "google".  (e.g. "I searched cheese." versus "I googled cheese.") Open4D (talk) 11:41, 10 November 2012 (UTC)
 * If you want early uses there is James Joyce Finnegans Wake 1939 FW231.12:8 "by googling Lovvey" and FW620.22:1 "One chap googling the holyboy’s thingabib" 194.207.86.26 (talk) 21:11, 7 June 2019 (UTC)

Also: the short humorous essay The Joy of Single Blessedness in the book Single Blessedness and Other Observations by American humorist George Ade, published in 1922 contains the sentence "Charley Fresh -- who regards himself as the irresistible captivator -- googles his way among the girls for six nights a week and is known as a 'lady's man.'" — Preceding unsigned comment added by MarvinWWW (talk • contribs) 19:53, 3 May 2023 (UTC)

Legal Risk
Is there any publicly available legal analysis that could enrich this entry by expatiating on the risk, if any, to Google's trademark of the use of 'google' or 'Google' as a verb? Is there any economic literature on the counterweighting economic benefit that Google (and associated commercial entities) receive from any widespread and popular use of the word in this form. Does the legal risk outweigh the economic benefit? 159.253.51.6 (talk) 20:17, 17 October 2016 (UTC)

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