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'Amazing' and 'Baby Bump' Top List of Banished Words

'Win the future,' 'new normal' also on list of hated words and phrases

(Newser) - The compilers of the 37th "List of Words Banished from the Queen's English for Misuse, Overuse, and General Uselessness" say it's amazing that "amazing" didn't make their annual list earlier. With more than 1,500 nominations from around the world, the overused superlative topped this... More »

17 Words That Must Go Away

Stop saying 'adorkable,' please: Julie Gerstein

(Newser) - If the newly popular phrase "adorkable" makes you cringe (thanks, Zooey Deschanel), you're not alone. It tops Julie Gerstein's list on The Frisky of 17 words and phrases that need to be retired as we head into 2012:
  • Redonkulous: Use the actual word—ridiculous—because "redonkulous
... More »

The Toughest Words at Scripps Spelling Bee

Linguist explains which ones are the trickiest

(Newser) - The 84th annual Scripps National Spelling Bee is under way, and before a winner is crowned on national television tomorrow night, thousands of really obscure words will be tackled by 275 kids ages 8 to 15. Twelve-year-old Kevin Lazenby of Opelika, Ala., kicked off round two today, notes the AP... More »

It's OK to Let Words Evolve—Sometimes

Slate writer introduces ranking system for worried linguists

(Newser) - Quick, define "disinterested." If you said "impartial" rather than "uninterested," congratulate yourself on knowing the original meaning, albeit one that's eroding. Ben Yagoda at Slate tackles the age-old linguistic issue of knowing when it's OK to let words evolve—and when it's not. But he... More »

14 Words That Need to Be Banished

Man up, and stop using them

(Newser) - After an a-ha moment, two BFFs decide to live life to the fullest and make an epic video, which could have the wow factor and go viral, or be an epic fail. Was that an annoying sentence? The people at Lake Superior State University would likely think so, as it... More »

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Year: Austerity

Runners-up include 'socialism,' 'bigot'

(Newser) - Austerity measures announced by governments across Europe this year sparked a surge in civil unrest, and a surge in people trying to find out exactly what the word means. Merriam-Webster says that, based on search trends, the noun—meaning "enforced or extreme economy"—is its word of 2010.... More »

16 Phrases That Must Go Away by 2011

Really everyone, it's time to stop saying 'OMG'

(Newser) - Trying to think up a good New Year's resolution? Julie Gerstein would like you to consider giving up the following words and phrases—forever. From The Frisky :
  • Friend: "Not as in 'you are my friend.' Friend, as in: 'Did you friend me on Facebook yet?'"
  • Amazeballs: "Equally
... More »

Five Years Later, 'Truthiness' Endures

Colbert's favorite word is hotter than ever

(Newser) - It was five years ago today, and Stephen Colbert needed a word that could personify the "blowhard" persona he was about to launch on the Colbert Report. He was looking for something "sublimely idiotic," something "silly" with which to mock American pundits, writes Ben Zimmer in... More »

Dictionary's Vault of Rejected Words Uncovered

Millions of failed words lie in Oxford room

(Newser) - Millions of words that just didn't make the cut according to the editors of the Oxford English Dictionary lie unused in a little-publicized vault owned by the Oxford University Press. The vault—whose existence was uncovered by a research student compiling a "Dictionary of Non-Words"—contains untold numbers... More »

5 Options to Replace 'Hipster'

Gawker narrows your choices in search for new term

(Newser) - The search for a term to replace “hipster” in lexicons official and otherwise has come down to a final five, at least per Gawker, which has been behind the effort. Vote here for one of these options:
  • Doucheoisie Won 25% of the vote in early round, and, Hamilton Nolan
... More »

Most Overused Words of the '00s

Please, if it's not amazing, stop calling it 'amazing'

(Newser) - “OMG,” people “seriously” overused certain words and phrases this decade, and we are “over it.” Wendy Atterberry lists 25 that should be “voted off” immediately, on The Frisky :
  • “That’s what she said.”
  • “Getting anything ‘on,’ like ‘getting
... More »

Words Men Must Not Say

'Tummy,' 'mommy,' and 'panties,' just to name a few

(Newser) - Grown men should not say “mommy.” Or, for that matter, “tummy” or “belly button.” These things should be self-evident, but in case they aren’t, here’s Esquire’s list of words and phrases men just shouldn’t utter. Some are offensive, some overused, and... More »

'Web 2.0' is English's Millionth Word

A new word emerges every 98 minutes

(Newser) - The millionth word to enter the English lexicon is pure geek-speak, the Telegraph reports: Web 2.0 was entered this morning by Global Language Monitor, which recognizes words once they’ve appeared 25,000 times in the media, blogs, and social websites. The linguistic cataloger estimates that a new word... More »

Web Dictionary Plans to Outdo Print Cousins

New features and bigger capacity make Wordnik a revolution in lexicography

(Newser) - Ever stumbled across an unfamiliar word and wondered not only what it means, but what it looks and sounds like? Or what other words it appears alongside most often, and how many times it’s been used in print this year? The revolutionary new dictionary Wordnik, set to go online... More »

Oldest English Words Include 'Two,' 'Three'—But Not 'Four'

(Newser) - "I," "we," "two," and "three" have existed for tens of thousands of years, making them among the oldest words in the English language, new research reveals. Computer analysis of Indo-European languages helped isolate "the ways we think words change and their... More »

English Language Nears 1M Words

Foreign words help language reach milestone

(Newser) - If your New Year’s resolution is never to use the words “change,” “bailout,” and “Phelpsian” again, you’ll get some help on or about April 29, when the English language will acquire its millionth word—or so says a Texas-based group that tracks such... More »

Dictionary Gives Rare Words One Last Chance

Apodiectic use could save niddering and oppugnant

(Newser) - The Collins English Dictionary is giving rarely used words a last chance before they are dumped from the new edition, Time reports. Language lovers were outraged at plans to  exuviate (shed) words like oppugnant (combative), so the editors have made public a list of 24 candidates for deletion. If the... More »

C-E-R-T-A-I-N Scrabble Winners

ZQFMGB not included

(Newser) - Sure, Bart Simpson could fake it at Scrabble—but for those of us playing against a wit sharper than Homer's, here are some gems Mental Floss magazine dug up that actually mean something:
  • Cwm: A valley created by glacial shifts.
  • Adz: An axe-like woodworking tool.
  • Xu: The currency of Vietnam.
... More »

Eat, Drink, Be Merry With Dictionary's Newest Adds

Invite a 'pescatarian' to your 'infinity pool'

(Newser) - The Merriam-Webster dictionary has added nearly 100 new words based on frequency of use in the American lexicon, the AP reports. "If somebody is using it to convey a specific idea and that idea is successfully conveyed in that word, it's ready to go in the dictionary," said... More »

News Writers Should Strive to Write as Much as Possible, Says Tribune Co.

Longer is better, right?

(Newser) - The Tribune Co., which as you have probably guessed is the company that produces the Chicago Tribune, among other newspapers, is bringing a revolution, or a big change, to the news business. Tribune Co.’s Chief Operating Officer, Randy Michaels, has decided to start measuring productivity by word count,... More »

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