Etymology

internym

I1N1T1E1R1N1Y4M3

Today it means: A phrase or epithet, particularly one intended to be witty, inserted in quotation marks between one's first and last names—or elsewhere by or in one's name, if this is not possible—at the end of a post. Full definition →

First used 1997
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The story

From inter- + -nym. Coined by Madeleine Page in the Internet newsgroup alt.folklore.urban.

First known use, by meaning

  • from 1997 A phrase or epithet, particularly one intended to be witty, inserted in quotation marks between one's first and last names—or elsewhere by or in one's name, if this is not possible—at the end of a post.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.