The word supersize is of course formed from the prefix super-, originating from Latin and meaning ‘above, beyond’. Established use of this prefix simply represents the concept of being large in quantity, as for example in supercontinent, superabundant, or superior in quality, e.g. superbike, supercar. However, in the latter half of the twentieth century, productive use of super- increasingly encompassed the idea of inequality and excess, e.g. superpowers had an arguably disproportionate amount of influence relative to other countries, and a supermodel earned an excessive amount of money. Late twentieth century terms like super-rich (‘wealthiest’) reflect these increasingly disapproving overtones and provide the model for the more recent supersize.