Taking stock of additions to Merriam-Webster
Every year about this time, the learned folks at Merriam-Webster add a couple of dozen to a few hundred words to their dictionary.
Each year, several new words from the everchanging world of technology make it into the dictionary. Earlier this month, “force quit” and “airplane mode” — terms related to computer options and mobile phone status — were among those.
Then there are words that are barely words at all, those that are created in a culture that has embraced text messaging as a high form of communication. After all, if you only have 280 characters, well, you better make sure your words, like your attention span, are short.
This year Merriam Webster welcomes “guac” into the fold because we certainly can’t be bothered with the extra five letters of “guacamole.”
There’s “rando,” which is somehow the new derogatory term for a random person or stranger. Somehow the age-old parental advice of “don’t talk to randos” does not carry the same weight.
Merriam-Webster decision makers also cater to the folks who want to talk like a preteen girl — yes, “adorbs,” short for adorable, made the list.
We welcome to the world “latinx,” the gender neutral version of Latino or Latina because, well, you know. We also have “tent city,” the euphemistic phrase for what the rest of us would recognize as a homeless camp.
Need one more: Meet the accepted cyber shorthand abbreviation of “TL;DNR” which naturally means “too long; did not read.”
That’s so adorbs.
NOW THAT’D BE A LUNCH SHOWSTOPPER
The annual Chattanooga Convention and Visitors Bureau’s luncheon is just down the road. It’s scheduled for Oct. 9 at the Chattanooga Convention Center.
I have written before that a lot of things go into making our local tourism scene a 10-figure industry.
Some of those are Godgiven — such as our gorgeous mountains and the Tennessee River.
Some of those are manmade, and the CVB certainly is among that category.
So enjoy the lunch and the festivities. There will be live music from Rick Rushing as well as words from new CVB boss Barry White. (If they ever get live music from the other Barry White and words from our Barry White, well, that would be a shindig.)
The speaker is Bill Geist, a big name in the world of strategic planning, marketing, governance and legislative issues.
I’m sure Geist will be aces. I’m also sure County Commissioner Tim Boyd’s speaking calendar must have been booked already.
SOME RANDOM FEEDBACK
I wrote about the hubbub from Sesame Street’s Bert and Ernie earlier this week.
The feedback was, shall we say, mixed. Without revealing the names of the emailers, here are a few, good and bad.
“Have you ever thought about anyone other than your fat self or trying to be funny when you write your op-ed pieces of [another word for poop]?”
“Thank you for providing a moment of sanity to the adult usurpation of what was [and presumably still is] a wonderful children’s show.”
“Thank you for putting a grounded, common sense reply to an otherwise trumped up non-news headline. I can’t believe the drivel that is considered news lately. They are puppets! Good grief.”
Enjoy the weekend friends.
Contact Jay Greeson at jgreeson@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6343.