Silly made-up words in new dictionary

[joeluke]

.......Collins trying to be trendy by incorporating silly slang words/phrases such as:-

"mumpreneur", a woman who combines running a business with looking after her children

"alarm clock Briton", a worker on a moderate income whose daily routine involves preparing children for school and going out to work

"cuddle class", a category of airline ticket in which two passengers purchase an additional seat so that they can recline together

Just sounds like words/phrases you would find in the urban dictionary, not a respected one

http://www.google.com...N0778111317822157269A

[boxtops]

For goodness' sake - who has ever heard of any of these words?!

[Quizmonster]

I'm always amazed when people complain about new words. Every single word we currently use was a 'new' word at one time, wasn't it? If you don't like any such coinage, just don't use it yourself. There's no reason to suggest it's "silly" or that it shouldn't exist, as others may be perfectly happy to accept it.

[whiskeryron]

I think all of the new words are totally uncolloquialistic.

W Ron.

[THECORBYLOON]

Every word is made up and dictionaries usually have strict rules regarding new words or usage. They look at how often a word appears, how widespread the usage is, is it used on radio, tv, in print or on the internet. If a word is popular only for a short period, it is unlukely to be included. A dictionary may be respected but how many of the words in the full OED do folk use these days?

[factor-fiction]

I agree with Quizmonster that language changes. Many of the words in everyday use were not used 50 years ago. For example, the word NUMERACY is accepted now but was a word that was made up by an educationalist in around 50 years ago and soon became accepted. Yuppie is another example I can think off.

I'm sure some of the words and phrases that Collins have included this year are already in common usage or will soon be so.

However, I also agree with joeluke in that I am surprised by some of the words/phrases that are added each year. I haven't heard anyone use any of those three phrases joeluke listed and I doubt they will ever catch on.

It would be interesting to see a selection of words/phrases added five years ago. I wonder how many of them became accepted and how many disappeared without trace.

[jno]

they're not trying to be trendy exactly, they're trying to get in new words and then put out press releases about it in order to show people they've got more than other dictionaries.

The press releases often get into the media because the words are so weird, which is not necessarily a good advertisement, unless you think that all publicity is good publicity.

[DTCwordfan]

Holy dangleberries, jno, an advertising war in the dictionary business....

[jno]

indeed, DT: here is a Chambers plug from August

http://www.itproporta...-chambers-dictionary/

[wildwood]

Didn't 'google' used to mean ogling or peering at someone? I can understand the basis for naming the search engine but the word seems to have lost its original meaning by referring to it solely as a search on Google.

Sorry, just having a senior moment here. Just ambling with my mind.

[jno]

a googol is 1 followed by 100 zeroes, which I will not attempt to type out here in case it breaks the AnswerBank. I think Google was named after it. The word was invented by a nine-year-old. wildwood, maybe you've got either ogling or goggling (as in goggle-eyed) in mind?

[Quizmonster]

I've always thought that, if one uses Google to search out pornographic sites, it should be called 'Go Ogle!'

[Quizmonster]

In cricket, of course, to google means to bowl a googly and in general use, it is an archaic form of goggle.

[ichkeria]

Some of these new words and phrases would do well to be given a "cooling off" period before their admittance into a printed dictionary. If they are still in use in a couple or so years then they should be admitted.
You can see exanples in all dictionaries of phrases/words which were fashionable for a time but no one ever uses now.

[heathfield]

Some time back, Google were objecting to the use of their name as a verb. I wonder if they were aware of the cricketing term.

[Quizmonster]

Larry Page and Sergey Brin, the founders of Google, were both born in 1973. The earliest recorded use of the verb, 'to google', in the cricketing sense dates back to 1907. Their objection to such a usage was, to put it mildly, a bit of a cheek!

[THECORBYLOON]

The owners of trademarks don't like them being used as verbs as it tends to make them generic terms rather than specific and legal challenges are weakened as a result.

[joko]

there is googley eyes...