‘SNL’ Created One of the Most Famous Insults Ever, but Hardly Anyone Realizes It

You’ve probably used it a hundred times, maybe to describe a friend or co-worker who always kills the vibe with something negative, or someone who finds the dark side of even the best news. You may have even been called one yourself after saying something that ruins the mood. “Don’t be such a Debbie Downer.”The phrase is so ingrained in everyday conversation that most people assume it’s always existed. But before 2004, it didn’t. While the word “downer” had been around for decades, the full phrase “Debbie Downer” didn’t exist until Saturday Night Live coined it in a sketch that would go on to change pop culture and language forever.