Recency illusion

Examples

• "Singular they": the use of "they," "them," or "their" to reference a singular antecedent without specific gender, as in "someone said they liked the play." Although this usage is often cited as a modern invention, it is quite old. The usage is found, for example, in Shakespeare.
• The phrase "between you and I", often viewed today as a hypercorrection, which could also be found occasionally in Early Modern English.
• The intensifier "really," as in "it was a really wonderful experience," and the moderating adverb "pretty," as in "it was a pretty exciting experience." Many people have the impression that these usages are somewhat slang-like, and have developed relatively recently. They go back to at least the 18th century, and are commonly found in the works and letters of such writers as Benjamin Franklin.
• "Literally" being used figuratively as an intensifier is often viewed as a recent change, but in fact usage dates back to the 1760s.
• "Aks" as a production of African American English only. Use of "aks" in place of "ask" dates back to the works of Chaucer in Middle English, though typically in this context spelled "ax".
• The word "recency" itself. It is commonly used in consumer marketing and many think it was coined for that purpose. But its first known use was in 1612.