A definition that only existed in lexicographer Kory Stamper's mind for several seconds after receiving an e-mail about the word: "Mythical foolishness of no value whatsoever to enrich a person's thinking."
"Donuts" gets 43 million Google hits to 12.6 million for "doughnuts." But subtract 12.8 million donuts for the brand name "Dunkin' Donuts" and probably millions more for "Buckeye Donuts," "Stan's Donuts," etc.
"Donuts" gets 43 million Google hits to 12.6 million for "doughnuts." But subtract 12.8 million donuts for the brand name "Dunkin' Donuts" and probably millions more for "Buckeye Donuts," "Stan's Donuts," etc.
Don't call two quarters of GDP decline a "traditional" definition of "recession." The recent convention often is rejected as simplistic. A "recession" ends when a decline hits bottom. It doesn’t mean the economy has recovered, says the National Bureau of Economic Research. The NBER defines “recession” as “significant decline in economic activity lasting more than a few months.” It runs from a peak to a trough.
I agree with Emily about the descent into commonplaceness. It's typified by trying to hold on to a theme that once resonated but has since run its course. On Twitter, @willf suggested "jump the shark is the point where it is obvious that something has become irreparably bad."
A symbol used in book publishing to separate sections within a chapter. Probably related to "dingus" or "dinges," a catch-all pronoun from the Dutch "dinges."
Came across this in a business briefing about the economy, seemingly an old idiom conforming to A-H's sixth definition: "An orderly succession of related events or thoughts; a sequence."
Available, common on newspaper copy desks. "Who's up?" to work a story, take a sports call, read a proof, etc. (Similar to American Heritage definitions 35-37.)
Some thoughts on the alright vs. all right, including a survey of several dictionaries and usage guides: http://editormark.wordpress.com/2010/02/09/it’s-all-right-i-think-we’re-gonna-make-it/
I was compelled moments ago to declare my intention to make "ta" the crossover BrE -> AmE word of 2010. (http://bit.ly/8k1TdY) It is the perfect way to say "thank you" on Twitter, much nicer than the clunky TY. I urge you to join me in making '10 the year of "ta"
Incidentally,none of the examples given present "ta" in its usage as "thank you."
Crash blossom has been defined by Language Log as an "infelicitously worded headline that leads the reader down the garden path." Its etymology dates to a discussion on the Testy Copy Editors discussion board (http://www.testycopyeditors.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=11134), inspired by this confusing headline: Violinist linked to JAL crash blossoms. Another excellent example from Language Log (from an AP-written headline):McDonald's fries the holy grail for potato farmers.
The user control is granular, allowing unlimited use or timed use. — Wi-Fi Networking News
"I want (the city budget) to be as transparent and granular ..."
"Tricryption meets their requirements for transparent and granular security that allows dynamic controls over variable user groups." -- Eruces Data Security
"Mike" dates to the 1920s, according to the OED, while "mic" dates to the 1960s. Most dictionaries consider "mic" a variant. Yet Wordnik's stats show a recent explosion in its use. Why? "Guitar Hero" and "Rock Band" both spell it "mic."
"Mike" dates to the 1920s, according to the OED, while "mic" dates to the 1960s. Most dictionaries consider "mic" a variant. Yet Wordnik's stats show a recent explosion in its use. Why? "Guitar Hero" and "Rock Band" both spell it "mic."
American Heritage and Oxford American seem to be out front with the verb use of "articulate" as fitting things together to make a whole (AH definition No. 9). The usage I've been coming across is higher-ed jargon for making sure community college programs jibe with four-year college programs for seamless transition, similar to the anatomical use, to form a joint (AH definition No. 14 and New Oxford American No.2). "Articulation agreement" gets 147,000 hits in a Google search. As defined by City College of Chicago: "An articulation agreement is a formal agreement between institutions that allows credits earned in specific programs at the City Colleges to be applied towards direct entry or advanced standing at another institution." http://www.ccc.edu/admissions/articulation.shtml. Also: "Utica College agrees to articulate with Herkimer County Community. College by providing ... ." www.herkimer.edu/pdfs/transferagreements/.../utica_liberal_arts.pdf.
Comments by editormark
EditorMark commented on the word lamia
A definition that only existed in lexicographer Kory Stamper's mind for several seconds after receiving an e-mail about the word: "Mythical foolishness of no value whatsoever to enrich a person's thinking."
May 2, 2013
EditorMark commented on the word aww
Google hits on April 13, 2013:
"aw, cute": 327 million
"aww, cute": 779 million
"awww, cute": 495 million
"awwww, cute": 210,000
My column on dictionaries' lacking a good definition of "aw": http://markallenediting.com/2010/03/18/awe-spreads-faster-than-dictionaries-can-keep-up/#comment-2295
April 13, 2013
EditorMark commented on the word hoo
From Wikipedia:
Hoo is used in placenames in the east of England to indicate coastal peninsulas and promontories. It appears in:
Fort Hoo, a fort on an island in the River Medway, Kent
Hoo St Werburgh and Cliffe-at-Hoo on the Hoo Peninsula in Kent
Hoo, Suffolk
Hundred of Hoo School, a secondary school in Rochester, Kent
Hundred of Hoo Railway, a railway line on the Hoo peninsula in Kent
Luton Hoo, a country house in Bedfordshire, England
St Mary Hoo, a village and civil parish in Kent, England
Hoo Peninsula, north Kent, England
Sutton Hoo, an Anglo-Saxon cemetery, Suffolk
Wan-Hoo, a lunar crater on the Moon's far side
December 10, 2011
EditorMark commented on the word astribilous
Stan Carey on Twitter: "Inventing words just because you like how they sound is completely astribilous."
October 19, 2011
EditorMark commented on the word ta
My take on ta: http://editormark.wordpress.com/2009/12/06/7/
September 21, 2011
EditorMark commented on the word doughnut
"Donuts" gets 43 million Google hits to 12.6 million for "doughnuts." But subtract 12.8 million donuts for the brand name "Dunkin' Donuts" and probably millions more for "Buckeye Donuts," "Stan's Donuts," etc.
"Doughnut" is still ahead on Google's Ngram viewer: http://ngrams.googlelabs.com/graph?content=doughnut%2Cdonut&year_start=1950&year_end=2008&corpus=0&smoothing=3
September 12, 2011
EditorMark commented on the word donut
"Donuts" gets 43 million Google hits to 12.6 million for "doughnuts." But subtract 12.8 million donuts for the brand name "Dunkin' Donuts" and probably millions more for "Buckeye Donuts," "Stan's Donuts," etc.
"Doughnut" is still ahead on Google's Ngram viewer: http://ngrams.googlelabs.com/graph?content=doughnut%2Cdonut&year_start=1950&year_end=2008&corpus=0&smoothing=3
September 12, 2011
EditorMark commented on the word bloody
"Bloody" has long been thought of as a profanity, falsely linked in the 1700s to "Christ's blood." It began as (and is becoming) a harmless intensive.
September 12, 2011
EditorMark commented on the word recession
Don't call two quarters of GDP decline a "traditional" definition of "recession." The recent convention often is rejected as simplistic. A "recession" ends when a decline hits bottom. It doesn’t mean the economy has recovered, says the National Bureau of Economic Research. The NBER defines “recession” as “significant decline in economic activity lasting more than a few months.” It runs from a peak to a trough.
September 12, 2011
EditorMark commented on the word kitty corner
For the comments, see "kitty-corner" with a hypen.
September 12, 2011
EditorMark commented on the word kitty-corner
Kitty-corner is common enough to be considered a regionalism, most common in the Great Lakes states. http://dare.wisc.edu/?q=node/109
September 12, 2011
EditorMark commented on the word discrete
"Discrete" means distinct or separate (the island of Crete is a discrete part of Greece). "Discreet" means quietly careful or judicious.
September 12, 2011
EditorMark commented on the word effect
Don't fear "effect" as a verb. To "affect" is to influence; to "effect" is to bring about. "Effect" something and you can take the credit.
September 12, 2011
EditorMark commented on the word capitol
Capitol (think of the shape of a dome) is a building, and it's capitalized if it's specific. Capital is a city, money or uppercase letter.
September 12, 2011
EditorMark commented on the word waist
The waist, with an "i," lies between the ribs and hips. Credit Johnson (1755) with the "i" spelling.
September 12, 2011
EditorMark commented on the word aw cute
Yes, this is the spelling you seek. Here is my blog entry on the topic: http://editormark.wordpress.com/2010/03/18/awe-spreads-faster-than-dictionaries-can-keep-up/#comment-283
August 17, 2011
EditorMark commented on the word awe cute
My blog entry on confusion between "aw" and "awe": http://editormark.wordpress.com/2010/03/18/awe-spreads-faster-than-dictionaries-can-keep-up/#comment-283
August 17, 2011
EditorMark commented on the word jump the shark
I agree with Emily about the descent into commonplaceness. It's typified by trying to hold on to a theme that once resonated but has since run its course. On Twitter, @willf suggested "jump the shark is the point where it is obvious that something has become irreparably bad."
August 5, 2011
EditorMark commented on the word calamari
One of the longest words made up of U.S. state postal abbreviations.
November 11, 2010
EditorMark commented on the list favewords
Eponymous list from the Twitter hashtag.
October 19, 2010
EditorMark commented on the word dingus
A probably related word is "dinkus," a typographer's symbol used to separate sections of a book within a chapter.
August 7, 2010
EditorMark commented on the word dinkus
A symbol used in book publishing to separate sections within a chapter. Probably related to "dingus" or "dinges," a catch-all pronoun from the Dutch "dinges."
August 7, 2010
EditorMark commented on the word asterellipses
Writer Tara Moss's term for three asterisks in a line used typographically to separate sections of a book or other written work.
August 7, 2010
EditorMark commented on the word ferociousness
"The ferocity with which people fight about words is astonishing." - George Bernard Shaw
July 27, 2010
EditorMark commented on the word creeped
So what explains 1830's one-year explosion of "creeped" in Wordnik's date chart?
July 26, 2010
EditorMark commented on the word incase
Is this accurate? The two-word "in case" listed as "incase" in GNU Webster's 1913?
July 13, 2010
EditorMark commented on the word cor
A short form of the expression "gor blimey," or "gorblimey" or "cor blimey," often pronounced without the "r."
June 11, 2010
EditorMark commented on the word in train
Came across this in a business briefing about the economy, seemingly an old idiom conforming to A-H's sixth definition: "An orderly succession of related events or thoughts; a sequence."
June 10, 2010
EditorMark commented on the word aw
A blog entry by me on the word and its confusion with "awe": http://editormark.wordpress.com/2010/03/18/awe-spreads-faster-than-dictionaries-can-keep-up/
June 10, 2010
EditorMark commented on the word awesome
@LiteralMinded's @VisualThesaurus column on "awesome/awful/awe"--and rollercoasters! (paywall) http://bit.ly/bEoLxs
June 10, 2010
EditorMark commented on the word awe
@LiteralMinded's @VisualThesaurus column on "awesome/awful/awe"--and rollercoasters! (paywall) http://bit.ly/bEoLxs
June 10, 2010
EditorMark commented on the word sketchy
Language Log on sketchy: http://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=2180 (via Nancy Friedman, who notes that Merriam-Webster online is alone in providing the newer meaning).
June 7, 2010
EditorMark commented on the word up
Available, common on newspaper copy desks. "Who's up?" to work a story, take a sports call, read a proof, etc. (Similar to American Heritage definitions 35-37.)
June 2, 2010
EditorMark commented on the word touchbase
Business jargon for a meeting in which participants touch base on the progress on a project.
June 1, 2010
EditorMark commented on the word tifo
A choreographed display by fans at a sporting event.
"A beautiful sight on Saturday as the Nordecke unfurled new tifo. Another terrific photo by Sam Fahmi. http://bit.ly/a4UHJu #TheCrew"
- @MassiveCityFFC, May 31, 2010
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tifo
May 31, 2010
EditorMark commented on the word read
Recently came across this usage in regard to having an original musical composition played by musicians: "Has this been read yet?"
May 31, 2010
EditorMark commented on the word fraudster
"Fraudster planned to use his own chips in casino."
-- May 26, 2010 Reuters headline.
OED's earliest reference is 1975 and all three of its examples are English press. M-W Unabridged suggests word is "chiefly British."
May 27, 2010
EditorMark commented on the word Io
The shortest two-syllable word in English.
May 9, 2010
EditorMark commented on the word slut dictionary
Merrill Perlman's term for dictionaries that let in words or meanings before they are ubiquitous: slut dictionaries.
April 17, 2010
EditorMark commented on the word kidlet
1. A young child, older than a toddler, not quite big enough to be called "kid.". "Elizabeth is such a cute little kidlet."
April 6, 2010
EditorMark commented on the word douchebag
http://twitter.com/EditorMark/statuses/11176222097
April 4, 2010
EditorMark commented on the word clabbing
1. climbing buildings.
April 4, 2010
EditorMark commented on the word Exelauno
Apparently Greek for "march forth," and thus celebrated on March 4.
February 19, 2010
EditorMark commented on the word all right
Some thoughts on the alright vs. all right, including a survey of several dictionaries and usage guides: http://editormark.wordpress.com/2010/02/09/
February 10, 2010
EditorMark commented on the word alright
Some thoughts on the alright vs. all right, including a survey of several dictionaries and usage guides: http://editormark.wordpress.com/2010/02/09/it’s-all-right-i-think-we’re-gonna-make-it/
February 10, 2010
EditorMark commented on the word fossick
For a discussion, see World Wide Words: http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-fos1.htm
December 1, 2009
EditorMark commented on the word ta
I was compelled moments ago to declare my intention to make "ta" the crossover BrE -> AmE word of 2010. (http://bit.ly/8k1TdY) It is the perfect way to say "thank you" on Twitter, much nicer than the clunky TY. I urge you to join me in making '10 the year of "ta"
Incidentally,none of the examples given present "ta" in its usage as "thank you."
November 25, 2009
EditorMark commented on the word crash blossom
Crash blossom has been defined by Language Log as an "infelicitously worded headline that leads the reader down the garden path." Its etymology dates to a discussion on the Testy Copy Editors discussion board (http://www.testycopyeditors.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=11134), inspired by this confusing headline: Violinist linked to JAL crash blossoms. Another excellent example from Language Log (from an AP-written headline):McDonald's fries the holy grail for potato farmers.
September 25, 2009
EditorMark commented on the word granular
Uses I don't quite understand:
The user control is granular, allowing unlimited use or timed use. — Wi-Fi Networking News
"I want (the city budget) to be as transparent and granular ..."
"Tricryption meets their requirements for transparent and granular security that allows dynamic controls over variable user groups." -- Eruces Data Security
September 15, 2009
EditorMark commented on the word mike
"Mike" dates to the 1920s, according to the OED, while "mic" dates to the 1960s. Most dictionaries consider "mic" a variant. Yet Wordnik's stats show a recent explosion in its use. Why? "Guitar Hero" and "Rock Band" both spell it "mic."
August 21, 2009
EditorMark commented on the word mic
"Mike" dates to the 1920s, according to the OED, while "mic" dates to the 1960s. Most dictionaries consider "mic" a variant. Yet Wordnik's stats show a recent explosion in its use. Why? "Guitar Hero" and "Rock Band" both spell it "mic."
August 21, 2009
EditorMark commented on the word articulate
American Heritage and Oxford American seem to be out front with the verb use of "articulate" as fitting things together to make a whole (AH definition No. 9). The usage I've been coming across is higher-ed jargon for making sure community college programs jibe with four-year college programs for seamless transition, similar to the anatomical use, to form a joint (AH definition No. 14 and New Oxford American No.2). "Articulation agreement" gets 147,000 hits in a Google search. As defined by City College of Chicago: "An articulation agreement is a formal agreement between institutions that allows credits earned in specific programs at the City Colleges to be applied towards direct entry or advanced standing at another institution." http://www.ccc.edu/admissions/articulation.shtml. Also: "Utica College agrees to articulate with Herkimer County Community. College by providing ... ." www.herkimer.edu/pdfs/transferagreements/.../utica_liberal_arts.pdf.
July 5, 2009