10 Words That Only Exist Because Of Wrestling

By Liam Johnson /

2. Kayfabe

One of pro-wrestling's most infamous terms, it is believed to have originated from the pig Latin for "be fake", but originally said backwards (bee fayke - kay-feeb), although there is still some debate about the authenticity of that report. Kayfabe is a curious term unbeknown to most the breathing world and is regarded as a pro-wrestling exclusive definition of the maintaining of the fourth wall and suspending disbelief. First used during the carny era of the 40s and 50s, it's a term that has become increasingly obsolete in its meaning as the WWE has progressed further and further into the so-called "Reality Era". Nowadays, it's used as a nod to tradition and the times of wrestling yester-year gone by. In the broader world, similar terms such as masquerade and the Bertolt Brecht 'verfremdungseffekt' relate to a similar meaning of the establishing and subsequent breaking of that same fourth wall but as far as 'Kayfabe' is concerned, it promises to remain a wrestling exclusive variation on that same idea.