A spermologer collects trivia, small articles, or gossip. The term "spermologer" comes from the Greek words "sperma," which means "seed" or "sperm," and "logos," which means "word" or "study." Spermologers were popular in the 16th and 17th centuries, and their collections were similar to modern-day scrapbooks. They collected ephemera such as leaflets, playbills, and other printed materials.