dictionaries

Puzzled about whether to serve edamame to a pescatarian? Not sure how to spot the fanboy by the infinity pool?

Fear not, because you can now look up the meanings of those terms and about 100 other new words in the latest edition of the Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary.

I must note a difference of opinion [between John Scalzi and the poster] with regard to the word "alright", which John proclaims is not even a word. And he thinks it's ugly. Whether it is ugly is a matter of taste, and I shan't argue that. Whether it is a word, though... well, it's definitely a word, since it has boundaries and is used to convey meaning.

The mass murderer Harold Shipman has been added to the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, earning a place alongside the likes of Peter Ustinov, John Peel and Alistair Cooke. The dictionary is a roll call of those who have left their mark on British society, so I guess Shipman qualifies. I’m sure he’d be tickled to know of his inclusion.

Well, now it’s come down to this. New Oxford American Dictionary recently announced their Word of the Year in a bid to gain publicity for the publication. Dictionary editor Ben Zimmerman has been busy making the rounds of radio stations to talk about the big event. Other dictionaries are following suit.