Merriam-Webster.com is displayed on a computer screen on Friday, Dec. 6, 2019, in New York. Merriam-Webster has added 455 new words to its venerable dictionary, including a number of abbreviations and slang terms that have become ubiquitous on social media.(AP Photo/Jenny Kane, File)
Dad bod, amirite, TBH and FTW are now dictionary-appropriate.
Merriam-Webster has added 455 new words to its venerable dictionary, including a number of abbreviations and slang terms that have become ubiquitous on social media.
“Just as the language never stops evolving, the dictionary never stops expanding,” the nearly 200-year-old Springfield, Massachusetts-based company said on its website. "New terms and new uses for existing terms are the constant in a living language."
The dictionary company said the quick and informal nature of messaging, texting, and tweeting, which has only increased during the pandemic, has “contributed to a vocabulary newly rich in efficient and abbreviated expression.”
Among them: “TBH”, an abbreviation for “to be honest” and “FTW,” an abbreviation for “for the win.”
Merriam-Webster explains that FTW is used "especially to express approval or support. In social media, FTW is often used to acknowledge a clever or funny response to a question or meme.”
And it says “amirite” is a quick way to write “am I right,” as in, "English spelling is consistently inconsistent, amirite?”
The coronavirus pandemic also looms large in the collection of new entrants as “super-spreader,” “long COVID” and “vaccine passport” made the list.
Partisan politics contributed more slang to the lexicon, such as “whataboutism," which Merriam-Webster defines as “the act or practice of responding to an accusation of wrongdoing by claiming that an offense committed by another is similar or worse.” For Britons, the dictionary notes that “whataboutery” is more commonly used.
The dreaded “vote-a-ramas” that have become a fixture in the U.S. Congress is explained this way: “an unusually large number of debates and votes that happen in one day on a single piece of legislation to which an unlimited number of amendments can be introduced, debated, and voted on.”
And still, other new terms come from the culinary world, such as “fluffernutter,” the homey sandwich of peanut butter, marshmallow crème, and white bread.
Horchata, the cold, sweetened beverage made from ground rice or almonds and usually flavored with cinnamon or vanilla, also made the cut, as did chicharron, the popular fried pork belly or pigskin snack.
As for “dad bod”? The dictionary defines that as a “physique regarded as typical of an average father; especially: one that is slightly overweight and not extremely muscular.”
Apple is now the latest company taking a stand against NSO Group. The company filed a lawsuit today against the Pegasus spyware maker for allegedly infecting users' devices. Apple is also seeking a permanent injunction to ban NSO Group from using any apple software, services, or devices. Filipe Espósito, a reporter at 9to5Mac joins Cheddar News to discuss.
The Bayou State has been through some tough times with massive storms on top of the COVID-19 pandemic, but the state is looking to rebuild by leaning into its reputation as a tourist destination. Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser joined Cheddar to talk about Louisiana's work to reacquaint travelers with its renowned food, music, culture, Mardi Gras — and its Celebration Gator float at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. "Well they won't let us throw throws so we'll be going along the route handing out beads, stuffed alligators, telling people to book a trip to Louisiana," he said of the event.
Actor Ally Maki joined Cheddar's "Between Bells" to talk about her role as Detective Haruka on the recently premiered Hulu animated series "Hit-Monkey." Maki's character is one of the few women police detectives on the Tokyo force in the show based on an assassin snow monkey originally created for Marvel Comics. "I just love playing this character who is strong, and she's trying to find her voice within this field," she said.
Simon Mainwaring, CEO of We First and author of "LEAD WITH WE: The Business Revolution That Will Save Our Future," joins Cheddar Wellness to discuss what realizations job seekers are coming to, how expectations surrounding work have evolved over the course of the pandemic, and what employers can do to retain and attract employees during this time.
Adam Kaat, a former grocery store cashier, discusses his experience as an essential worker during the pandemic in his new book, "Life on the Grocery Line: A Frontline Experience in a Global Pandemic."
If you're planning on traveling during the Thanksgiving holiday, you may need to prepare yourself for traffic and issues you could encounter. Travel expert Francesca Page joined Cheddar to discuss more.
Kyle Rittenhouse was acquitted of all charges Friday after pleading self-defense in the deadly Kenosha shootings that became a flashpoint in the debate over guns, vigilantism and racial injustice in the U.S. Criminal Defense Attorney Anthony Tall joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss the verdict, potential judicial precedent, and more.
Fold CEO & Co-founder Will Reeves joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell, where he discusses what his company's augmented reality metaverse involves and elaborates on Fold's goals surrounding the new initiative.
