tl;dr: Comparing the 1953 General Service List to its 2023 update reveals that ~600 essential English words were dropped and ~1,100 added, with concrete, tangible vocabulary (apple, fork, wheat, bake) largely replaced by abstract terms tied to institutions and systems (mortgage, legislation, analysis). The share of highly concrete words fell from 21% to 14%, while adverbs qualifying degree and certainty (approximately, definitely, relatively) proliferated. The author argues this shift mirrors the move from manual to white-collar life, reflecting a world less about physical surroundings and more about navigating abstract systems.