I just came by an explanation of the origin of the phrase “browsing [the web]”, which I thought was interesting because usually one never really thinks about something like this. In their article “Online text retrieval via browsing”, Cove and Walsh (1988) explain its origin as follows:
The term “browsing” is usually applied to the actions of moving about a library and dipping into books, picking out bits and pieces of information of all kinds. The term is derived from the eating behavior of deer when selecting the fresh young shoots, and thus carries the connotation of selecting worthwhile and useful information.