Lexicographer Kory Stamper’s new book, ” Truel Color,” was inspired by the wild, poetic color definitions in Webster’s Third Dictionary. These unique definitions were crafted by scientists I.H. Godlove and his wife Margaret Godlove. The US sought color standards after WWI, leading to a “color boom” and dictionary inclusion. It was the third definition of … Read more
Merriam-Webster has one word for 2025: “slop.” The American dictionary defines slop as “digital content of low quality that is produced usually in quantity by means of artificial intelligence.” The human editors of the publisher said that the slop that dominated social media feeds this year included “absurd videos, off-kilter advertising images, cheesy propaganda, fake … Read more
The results of the 2024 US presidential election rattled the country and sent shockwaves across the world — or were cause for celebration, depending on who you ask. Is it any surprise then that the Merriam-Webster word of the year is “polarization”? “Polarization means division, but it’s a very specific kind of division,” said Peter Sokolowski, Merriam-Webster’s editor at … Read more
New York City is the trendsetter for food, fashion and slang words — but sometimes the choices are so cringe. A new survey conducted by Wordtips revealed the most loved and hated slang words in NYC and 13 other areas with “distinct dialects,” including Hawaii, Philadelphia, Boston and New Jersey. They relied on UrbanDictionary.com to evaluate the … Read more
D’oh! Merriam-Webster surprised fans of “The Simpsons” by adding the word “cromulent” to the dictionary as part of the most recent update, making it official with the made-up term that first appeared in a 1996 episode of the game-changing animated show. A synonym for acceptable or satisfactory, the word joins an array of popular slang … Read more
“Irregardless” if you love them, 2023 has been deemed an “absolutely” “amazing” time to “quiet quit” misused, overused and useless words “moving forward.” Continuing its annual tradition, Lake Superior State University has announced its “tongue-in-cheek” collection of 10 “banished” expressions nominated by people from around the world who don’t believe these terms are the “GOAT.” … Read more