March 19, 2014
LONDON: The Oxford English Dictionary has included more than 900 new words, phrases, and senses in its latest edition, including 'beatboxer','bestie' and 'wackadoodle'.
March 19, 2014
LONDON: The Oxford English Dictionary has included more than 900 new words, phrases, and senses in its latest edition, including 'beatboxer','bestie' and 'wackadoodle'.
Words such 'scissor-kick', 'crap shoot', 'DIYer', 'Old Etonian' and 'bookaholic' are some other notable additions to the dictionary's edition for March 2014.
"Over 900 new words, phrases, and senses enter the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) in this update. Many appear in entries fully updated for the first time since the OED's original edition," the dictionary said.
The phrase 'dead white male', which found a place in the dictionary, has been used as a term of disparagement for male authors and academics of European ancestry whose pre-eminence is challenged as being disproportionate to their cultural significance.
Another phrase included was 'crap shoot', which arose in American English in the late 19th century to refer to a game of dice (or 'craps').
Today, the term denotes a situation or undertaking regarded as uncertain, risky, or unpredictable.
'Wackadoo' and 'wackadoodle' are elaborations of wacky, wack, or wacko, used to refer to people regarded as eccentric.
The word 'empath' which has been added to the dictionary originated in the context of science fiction in the 1950s, where it was used to refer to a person or being with the paranormal ability to perceive or share the feelings or emotional state of another.
A chance to do something again after an unsatisfactory first attempt can be called a 'do-over', another addition to the dictionary.
The word 'herogram', which also made it to the list, refers to a message expressing praise, encouragement, or congratulations – especially one from an editor to a journalist.
Another piece of jargon that enters the OED in the latest update is the term 'tick-tock'. Alluding to the characteristic sound of a clock, a tick-tock is a work of journalism which presents a detailed chronology of events.
The adjective 'down-ballot' has been included to describe the less prominent contested offices listed nearer the bottom of the ballot.
