Tag: Merriam-Webster
-
A blizzard of wintry word origins
English’s core vocabulary for winter weather has largely been frozen—or as we used to say, “froren”—in place.
-
My slang lexicography, now up on Merriam-Webster
I wrote about a wide variety of slang and trending terms for an impressive new section on Merriam-Webster.
-
The many folds of “complicit”
After Ivanka Trump told CBS that “I don’t know what it means to be complicit,” Merriam-Webster helped her out with its definition: “Helping to commit a crime or do wrong in some way.” The dictionary, whose lexicographical sick burns have been lighting up Twitter, observed that complicit also trended back in March, used by Saturday…
-
Winning words: “Feldenkrais” and “Gesellschaft”
For the third consecutive year, the Scripps National Spelling Bee crowned co-champions. This year, Jairam Jagadeesh Hathwar correctly spelled Feldenkrais, sharing the top orthographical prize with Nihar Saireddy Janga, who spelled Gesellschaft. Where do these words come from – and what do they mean, anyways? Feldenkrais Feldenkrais is a trademarked name “for a system of aided…
Mashed Radish 