That is a great question. The use of the word spudger became mainstream, or kind or mainstream, in geek circles. The geek circles were filled with people who love to repair or modify their iPhones, iPads, computers and other cool Apple devices. Before the spudger, sledge hammers and putty knives were used instead. :-)

Here you can see two examples of spudgers. We here at InstallUniversity prefer the Black Stick. Used by Apple and with multipurpose ends. Both types are sold in the online store.