We've been gypped by Webster!

MaidMirawyn

New Member
Did you hear? Merriam-Webster has announced some of their new words for 2007.

Among them:
Bollywood, chaebol, crunk, DVR, flex-cuff, ginormous, hardscape, IED, microgreen, nocebo, RPG, smackdown, speed dating, sudoku, viewshed

Wait, RPG? Yep, you read that right.

RPG: noun
Etymology: report program generator
a computer language that generates programs from the user's specifications especially to produce business reports


RPG: abbreviation
rocket-propelled grenade

Yep, that's it.
 
Mirriam-Webster is known to be an extremely liberal dictionary. If Webster were alive today, I'm sure we would be seeing major lawsuits against them using his name.

My biggest complaint is that they're quick to give words new meanings. For example, if a politician misuses a word in a speech, that word gains the new meaning because "English is a living language that grows and evolves and that person is educated, therefore they would surely not misuse the word."
 
/me prays we don't get sued by gypsies
 
I really want to invent a word. I want it to be something you say when you are just completely, "Whoa." Or when you're mad. Or excited. So, that word will be.............

*draws a blank*
 
gyp1 /dʒɪp/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[jip] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation verb, gypped, gyp·ping, noun
–verb (used with object), verb (used without object)
1. to defraud or rob by some sharp practice; swindle; cheat.
–noun
2. a swindle or fraud.
3. Also, gyp·per /ˈdʒɪpər/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[jip-er] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation, gypster. a swindler or cheat.
4. Also called gypsy. an owner of racehorses who also acts as trainer and jockey.
Also, gip.

[Origin: 1885–90, Americanism; back formation from Gypsy]
Source: dictionary.com

I'm guessing that many gypsies consider the term offensive. There was a recent episode of House where House purposely goads a gypsy couple by yelling something to the effect of, "Man, they really gypped me on this" coffee or something or other.
 
4. (snip)an owner of racehorses who also acts as trainer and jockey.

huh. I've never heard the term used in that manner. I'm sure that I would never have understood the meaning if I *had* heard it like that.
 
we're expanding our vocabulary, and discussing potential communication issues. I'd hope that you'd see proper English skills as important. The mastery of our language is what lets us communicate clearly, effectively, and efficiently with one another.

Sheesh, maybe I am glad that I changed my major from Education/English to Emergency Medicine. :p
 
Oh come on! If my feelings were so fragile, I could never survive the male/female ratio on this board...

I thought it was rather laughable that they added the word, but neglected such a widespread usage of it...
 
LOL No, it isn't. :) Never said it was.

But believe me, I'm not that thin-skinned. Until I was eleven, I didn't even have any girls my age living in my apartment complex. I'm used to guys.
 
Oh come on! If my feelings were so fragile, I could never survive the male/female ratio on this board...

I thought it was rather laughable that they added the word, but neglected such a widespread usage of it...

It really depends. I mean, there's only 2% of the population that are gay and yet they're everywhere in the media. Maybe it's the same with gee--um, role players. (unless you mean like the video game kind--otherwise, blarg)
 
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