How old is the word "upskirting"?

In the comments section of this question the subject derailed slightly: is the word upskirting dependent on today's technology or is it older?


The word upskirt to refer to photographs taken up women's skirts was coined no later than 1995.

The Internet domain upskirts.com was registered on 1995-10-13, and upskirt.com followed shortly after on 1996-06-10.

The term upskirt predates smart phones or other cell phones with cameras. A Washington Post article reprinted in the June 8, 1998, Amarillo (TX) Daily News warns:

In what they describe as a growing trend, police are beginning to catch video voyeurs trying to shoot private parts in public places. These men are aiming the latest compact camcorders up women’s skirts in crowded stores and shopping malls, parks and fairs - and often posting the pictures on the Internet.

. . . [P]olice arrested a 21-year-old man who was holding a palm-size video camera under a woman’s dress. . . [P]olice nabbed a 19-year-old man toting a bulky VHS video camera. He was angling for similar shots in the china department. . .

What began as a small photo gallery on the Internet a couple of years ago has rapidly expanded to more than 40 such “Upskirt” sites. . .

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The first example of upskirting quoted by the OED is from 1998. And it would appear that it does not predate digital photography.

The habit or practice of taking upskirt photographs or videos. See upskirt adj. and n.

1998 Re: Lets start Interesting Post in alt.native (Usenet newsgroup) 12 Sept. Thus begins the fine distinctions of ‘privacy’ rights in public places, of which the issue of ‘upskirting’ is just one.

2000 Atlanta Jrnl. & Constit. (Nexis) 10 Oct. a12 Beginning today, Ohio law increases the penalties for secretly taking pictures up a woman's skirt.., called ‘upskirting’.

2005 West Australian (Perth) (Nexis) 17 Feb. 38 He would hide the camera inside a backpack..and..film up his victims' skirts (known as upskirting).

2012 C. Quigley & D. Pollock What on Earth are you Wearing? (new ed.) 97/1 When my mum was at school, they wouldn't let the boys wear patent-leather shoes because they thought they would use them to look up girls' skirts. I guess this was the beta version of upskirting.

2017 Times (Nexis) 15 Aug. (Times 2 section) 7 The offence of voyeurism doesn't cover upskirting.