[Arryn]

With regards to 'nerfing', this word has entered the English vernacular as common slang for the "act of softening up" or "making safer", and as computer gaming slang for "lowering difficulty" or "having complex features removed" aka "dumbing down", and also for "making weaker" (as in "the creature's attack/skill was nerfed"). All of which are derived from the original nerf toys designed to be (relatively) safe for young children.