7 Unbelievable Words Now in the OED ...

By Lyndsie

7 Unbelievable Words Now in the OED ...

I remember when the Oxford English Dictionary was considered kind of prestigious, you know? I mean, it still is, I suppose, especially for pretentious wordsmiths (ahem, don't judge me), but the recent influx of words and definitions allowed into its hallowed pages are … wow. Just … wow. I'm pretty sure it all started when teenagers invaded the internet and took over the language (no offense, guys; I know not all of you spell “like” as “lyk,” and I love you for it), but language evolves and we all have to live with it, I guess. Still … there are some pretty unbelievable words now in the OED.

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1

Sexting

Sexting If they're going to allow “texting,” I guess they have to allow “sexting.” I mean, my spell check doesn't recognize either of them, but maybe it's just stupid. I admit that the word has found a very … er … important place in our day to day vocabulary, but getting admitted into the OED? Really?

2

Auto-Correct

Auto-Correct You know, I can actually understand this one. Auto-correct has ruined so many lives, messed up so many conversations, and caused so many misconceptions, it kind of does deserve its place in history. At the very least, auto-correct mishaps are always good for a chuckle. Or seven.

3

Jeggings

Jeggings I have several issues with this. For one thing, jeggings are just a passing fad. I do not think fads have a place in the Oxford English Dictionary, because some day, their definition sentences will just be something like, “Once upon a time in the early 21st century, people used to wear jeggings, and they looked awful.” That is my second issue with the admittance of “jeggings,” by the way. They look awful! They shouldn't be worn, let alone defined!

4

Woot

Woot WOOT! Why? Do that many people even say it anymore? I guess they do, but since “Squee!” is my personal choice of text-based excitement squealing, I will not be happy until it, too, is included and properly defined. Squee!

5

Cyberbullying

Cyberbullying I actually fully support the inclusion of “cyberbulling.” Getting rid of it completely no doubt requires having it properly defined. It's such a universally huge and tragic problem that the more people know about it, the better. And you guys all remember, too: don't cyberbully people. Words hurt whether you're saying them or typing them. If you see someone else doing it, stand up to them! Squee!

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Meaning is not what you start with but what you end up with.

Peter Elbow
6

Mankini

Mankini This goes right up there with “jeggings.” These should not be worn, seen, or talked about, ever. Seeing them requires extensive brain bleach, and even that doesn't work. Once it is seen, it cannot be unseen. Ever. Brrrr! (If you want a better, visual definition, go Google "mankini." I didn't want to traumatize any of you with the bird's-eye butt crack view. I took one for the team on that one.)

7

Retweet

Retweet Along with “sexting,” “retweet” really has worked its way into every day vocabulary. I myself do not tweet, since I am not a bird (also I ramble far too much to be relegated to 150 characters or whatever), but I can see why it's been introduced into the OED. Still, it's pretty unbelievable, because what happens if Twitter goes belly-up?
Bonus: Muggle
Retweet Yes! This actually happened a while ago, but it still excites me. Muggles, unite! You are officially in the OED!

There are a lot of unbelievable words now in the OED, but these piqued my interest the most. It makes you wonder what words and phrases will be included in the future, especially as text-speak and chat-speak become more and more socially acceptable. What words would you like to see in the Oxford English Dictionary, and which words would you like to see taken out of it?

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