Brand new words!

One of the many things that amuse me is that the people at Merriam-Webster, like workers at an AYCE* buffet, keep piling new fresh words onto the lexicon tureen that we call the English language.

I mean, if you haven't finished your edamame** or your headcheese**, you're not supposed to go back to the trough to load your tray with more mystery meats.

And since we clearly haven't learned all the words in the current dictionary, why are they adding more to the word plate?

Merriam-Webster, the dictionary people, have come out with their annual list of new words added to the reference volume. This year, a thousand words were added to their online version, which is what I turn to to check spelling, usage and pronunciation.

They don't say whether they remove words that are no longer in use, but I would suggest "groovy," "floppy disk," and "future" for any list of words we don't need.

OK then..for some of the words that are on the list...

Seussian ("of, relating to, or suggestive of the works of Dr. Seuss")
made the list. I'm that one-in-a-million person who has no time for silly Seussian poetry. Sorry, but "Today you are you! That is truer than true! There is no one alive who is you-er than you!" just
doesn't work for me, either as philosophy or poetry. 

I prefer the words of Nipsey Russell, who taught us, "What is the secret of eternal youth? The answer is easily told; All you gotta do if you wanna look young is hang out with people who are old."

Side eye.
We've all given it; we've all gotten it.

Much more portable. How about these other newly-official words? There's face-palm ("to cover one's face with the hand as an expression of embarrassment"), SCOTUS ("Supreme Court of the United States"), FLOTUS ("First Lady of the United States"), ride shotgun (I can't believe this term would take a back seat to any other seating designation) and side eye, which is better described in one picture than in a thousand words. 

This time next year, when the next list comes out, I look forward to checking them out.  Perhaps "Spicer out" will be a recognized verb by then, paralleling "go postal," but meaning "to lose one's cool at a simple press gathering," or "flopcorn" (the dud kernels that are never never gonna fulfill their destiny) or even that French term for 20/20 hindsight, "L’esprit de l’escalier" (literally, staircase wit, for when you think of a clever retort when you're halfway down the stairs and out the door). 

2017 can be the year for great new words.  Won't YOU help?


* All You Can Eat (should be listed!)
** two things you won't find on my plate