Can anyone remember when the term "MacGyver it" or "MacGyvering" started being used?

Never heard of it. Whatever is involved or supposed to mean 'MacGyvering' or 'MacGyver it' is known to me as 'MacGyverisms'.

You've never heard anyone say they had to MacGyver something?

You've never seen the first episode of Stargate SG:1 when Carter tells O'Neill they had to MacGyver a way to make the gate work?

You mean MacGyver as a verb? IIRC in Twice Stung the female guest star brought onto the case by Pete was familiar with MacGyver's work and called his antics "MacGyverisms" but I really don't know anything about the first instance of just the word MacGyver as a verb. Did anyone in any of the episodes say it in jest? I could picture by season 6 or 7 some one of his inner city friends saying something like that but alas I am far too departed from my daily MacGyver viewing to recall with any clarity.

Yeah and I'm referring to real life, not in the show.

When did people start referring to having to MacGyver things to fix them in real life/real world references?

My dad did a lot of machining and I remember hearing the term being used a lot. Maybe around the early 90's? Perhaps not until right after the show ended, I really don't remember!

I did see that episode eons ago. When it was first aired in '98, never ever after again.

Hey MacGyverGod, about a year ago in France I met a Belgian handyman whose nickname was MacGyver, and he himself used the term 'MacGyvering'.