New words
Some people intently watch ESPN to see which players will be drafted to their favorite teams, while I anticipate the time when Merriam-Webster adds new words to the dictionary (I am an utter word nerd and proud of it).
The last word party kicked off in 2006, when Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate® Dictionary, Eleventh Edition was filled to the brim with over 100 new words. The “new” words are only two years old in dictionary years, but our language changes so rapidly, that it’s possible that these words are already “so last year.”
A little sampling of the new words on the block (as of 2006):
Technology and Computers
Mouse potato
Ringtone
Spyware
Science and Medicine
Avian influenza
Biodiesel
Gastric bypass
Pop Culture
Soul patch
Supersize
Entertainment and Leisure
Labelmate
Ollie
Wave pool
The Human Condition
Drama queen
Unibrow
Business and Industry
Agritourism
Big-box
Miscellaneous
Polyamory
Sandwich generation
There are some words on the list that I feel should have been added before ’06: “unibrow,” “drama queen,” “soul patch.” I’ve used the word “drama queen” for quite some time (flashbacks to middle school years when every girl was a drama queen and passing notes).
It makes sense that “supersize” was added at the same time as “mouse potato” and “gastric bypass.” The definition for “gastric bypass” should really read, “see ‘supersize’ for more info.”
Anyway, the real treat for me is reading this sample list of new words and building a picture of the person in ’06 (and maybe even now) that these words define. So here we go: In ’06 the “mouse potato” tried to delete his “spyware” while playing solitaire on the computer and changing his “ringtone.” After taking a break from his computer, he visited a nearby “wave pool” filled with “drama queens” that were mocking his “unibrow” and “soul patch.” He immediately left the “wave pool” and filled his car up with “biodiesel” before stopping by a local fast food joint, where he “supersized” his meal (which years later would cause him to need a “gastric bypass”).
Alexis Siemons writes for The Hatchet’s The Word blog.
photo credit: Nathan Borror