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Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Meet the Dictionary's New Words: F-Bomb, Sexting, Bucket List - Entertainment - The Atlantic Wire

Meet the Dictionary's New Words: F-Bomb, Sexting, Bucket List - Entertainment - The Atlantic Wire:


Meet the Dictionary's New Words: F-Bomb, Sexting, Bucket List

It's the time of year in which we get new words in the dictionary! Not in our "despicable words" dictionary, to which of course you're welcome to contribute, but in the actual Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary. The 2012 update includes a range of new words that you can judge as delightful or reprehensible, including bucket list,mash-up, craft beer, sexting, and f-bomb. (Hm, does this change anything for the New York Times?)
From Merriam-Webster's Peter Sokolowski, here's the full list of words (we added a few notations about why certain words were added, via the m-w.com press release):
aha moment n (1939) : a moment of sudden realization, inspiration, insight, recognition, or comprehension [Oprah Winfrey's signature phrase]
brain cramp n (1982) : an instance of temporary mental confusion resulting in an error or lapse of judgment
bucket list n (2006) : a list of things that one has not done before but wants to do before dying [popularized by