It’s A Word If It’s In The Dictionary
Tuesday, July 8th, 2008
Merriam-Webster has added one hundred new words to its Collegiate Dictionary. Here are some of the recent additions:
- dirty bomb — bomb designed to release radioactive material
- edamame — immature green soybeans that are eaten
- infinity pool — outdoor swimming pool that seems to flow into the horizon
- kiteboarding — riding on a small surfboard propelled by a large kite
- malware — software designed to interfere with a computer’s functioning
- mental health day — taking a day off from work to relieve stress
- netroots — grassroots political activists who communicate online
- pescatarian — a vegetarian who eats fish
- subprime — a type of loan that has a higher interest rate than the prime rate and is especially given low-income borrowers
- Texas Hold ‘em — popular poker game
Subprime, Texas Hold ‘em, infinity pool, edamame and mental health day are all words and expressions I have heard and could define without the use of a lexicon. But pescatarian? Malware? Does the average person actually use these words or even know what they mean?
What new words do you use? Which ones rub you the wrong way? Do you “Google”? Do you “Facebook”? What leaves you in “shock and awe”? Do you know someone who makes up words or misuses vocabulary like Ricky from The Trailer Park Boys? For example, Ricky say he’s not a pessimist, he’s an optometrist. :) Jeff Brown coined a phrase just the other week - “quack pot”. As far as I know, it’s someone who is a cross between a quack (charlatan) and a crackpot (lunatic). Not a good combination!
Your thoughts are welcome, just click on the No Comments/Comments link below. Today’s Jack Nation bonus code is QUACKPOT. It will score you points until July 10th.