"New" Words From the Geek Culture 191
thatskinnyguy sends news of Merriam-Webster's 2008 list of new words and, to no-one's surprise, a good number of them come out of geek culture: words like webinar, malware, netroots, pretexting, and fanboy are now official words according to M-W. The CNet article pulls out one "new" word for special appreciation — mondegreen — and, while the article gets the origin right, it ends with a lame call for readers to send in their favorite mondegreens. (CNet does have the good grace to link the Kiss This Guy site.) SFGate columnist Jon Carroll has been collecting readers' mondegreens since 1995 and his list is bound to be better. Quoting Carroll, in a prophetic mode: "This space has been for some years the chief publicity agent for mondegreens. The Oxford English Dictionary has not yet seen the light, but it will, it will." Would you believe, Merriam-Webster's?
Eye Four One... (Score:1, Funny)
It should only be used in the phrase:
"What in the webinar you doing, scumm!?"
I prefer the acronym, OCS: Online Collaborative Seminar.
Dear Merriam-Webster: (Score:5, Funny)
You spelled "fanboi" wrong.
Sincerely,
AC
Re:Is it wrong... (Score:5, Funny)
What is a "webinar" for example?
It was invented by a group of HR people. They needed a cool new word for "webcast", so people wouldn't get angry when they found out that instead of spending a week at retreat on professional development, they were to be locked in a room with a projector instead.
Re:Is it wrong... (Score:5, Funny)
1) something formed by or as if by weaving. There's a spider webinar garage
Re:Is it wrong... (Score:5, Funny)
I find it egregious that it took until 2007 to add "w00t" to the dictionary. I was using w00t back in the Warcraft II and Command & Conquer days.
Now if you'll excuse me, I have some juvenile delinquents that I need to evict from my grass.
meh, Webster's (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Eye Four One... (Score:5, Funny)
If Merriam-Webster is going to start adding geek words (though the ones added are of a questionable credibility), I petition that they also add geek words with much more historical and cultural significance.
Yes, it is time a major dictionary added the word 'goatse'. But they should hide it in a tiny locked compartment in the back of the dictionary to seal up the evil it contains. Precautions must be taken to prevent unsuspecting people from accidentally reading words of this much power.
Re:Is it wrong... (Score:5, Funny)
Unfortunately the parent's name is unknown, or we'd have a good candidate for a new word to denote a dim pillock who explains jokes. And, while the angels weep, gets modded up for it.
Valid Joke (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Is it wrong... (Score:5, Funny)
SCNR (Score:5, Funny)
syn. "use Gentoo Linux"
Newspeak (Score:3, Funny)
I am hearing this more and more... I say STFU and just say "trying" or "working on" instead of bullshitting us while trying to sound cromulent.
On that note, while they're at it, they ought to add STFU to their little book o' words. It is a perfectly spatulant word and the English-speaking world would be metalopulant to finally instructulate it offically.
Re:Is it wrong... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:All perfectly cromulent words (Score:5, Funny)
Re:All perfectly cromulent words (Score:1, Funny)
True. A noble word that embiggins us all.
It should be unpossible to leave out.
Re:All perfectly cromulent words (Score:2, Funny)
I don't see any reason to embiggen the dictionary.
Unless one wishes to enturbulate the masses.
Re:Google?? (Score:3, Funny)
Verbing weirds nouns.
Re:Is it wrong... (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Is it wrong... (Score:4, Funny)
THANK YOU
First time I heard this was from our marketing guy my response was along the lines of a shutter and yelling at him to NEVER use that word again in front of me. They are web presentations. Webinar is a new word for the bullsh*t bingo card.
Re:Is it wrong... (Score:5, Funny)
I guess I'm just not cool anymore...
Oh, dear. Epic coolness fail! Newspeak is made of win. You are not a legend.
Re:Webinar? WTF? D'Oh! (Score:5, Funny)
At my last job everyone used the term webinar. Just because you have a unique experience doesn't mean everyone else has the same experience...
Actually, if you have a unique experience, that specifically means that no one else has had that experience. I learned that at a recent company 'blogginar'.
Re:meh, Webster's (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Is it wrong... (Score:5, Funny)
You're a marketer aren't you?
Re:All perfectly cromulent words (Score:2, Funny)
Re:meh, Webster's (Score:1, Funny)
When I heard mouse potato I thought immediately of a subterranean root with fuzzy ears and a tail
Re:Is it wrong... (Score:3, Funny)
my response was along the lines of a shutter and yelling at him to NEVER...
Does that count as a mondegreen, or just poor command of English?
Re:Valid Joke (Score:3, Funny)
Re:hah (Score:1, Funny)
wc2 and c&c are days that are not so old, "paps"
Stop trying to "smear" his good name. It's "pops" to you.
Re:Is it wrong... (Score:3, Funny)