Etymology

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Today it means: A central issue, concern or characteristic, especially one that motivates people to make a choice; sometimes also one that people seek to delay taking sides on. Full definition →

First used 1940s
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The story

Registered as a trademark by American sales trainer Jack Lacy in 1956, first used in the 1940s.

First known use, by meaning

  • from 1940s The principal desire that a salesman needs to "hit" in order to make a sale.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.