Oxford adds woot! to dictionary
Hello? 1994 wants its word back
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Today marks the launch of the centenary edition of the Concise Oxford English Dictionary, first compiled by the Fowler brothers in 1911: an event traditionally marked by a press release including words added for the first time.
This year's new entries include: woot, retweet, cyberbullying, denialist, gastric band and the surely entirely unnecessary mankini and jeggings.
Sexting also gets the nod: for informal usage only, grammar fans. Slow food is also included along with upcycle and domestic goddess.
Oxford University Press also offered words included in 1911 which are no longer considered relevant or have completely different meanings.
Jet, for instance, meant stream of water. Slogan referred to "a Highland war cry" and neon was defined as: "lately discovered atmospheric gas".
Other missing words include: marconigram – "message sent by Marconi's system of wireless telegraphy".
How do we manage without growlery – not a collection of growlers but rather "place to growl in, private room, den". Impaludism – "morbid state... often found in marsh dwellers" – seems less useful outside of Norfolk.
The Fowler brothers contributed to the proper OED and were also the brains behind Fowler's Modern English Usage. ®
