The word phubbing and its related derivations first appeared in 2012, formed from a blend of the noun phone and verb snub meaning 'to insult someone by ignoring them'. What's perhaps more interesting, however, is the backstory to the word's creation. In May 2012, a team of specialists including a lexicographer, cruciverbalist (=crossword writer) and several authors gathered at Sydney University in order to brainstorm a new word referring to the phenomenon of impolitely ignoring someone when using a mobile phone (among the discarded suggestions by the way were nubbing, fumping and tele-snub –phubbing definitely seems like the best of the bunch!).