I know it's not cool to be a prescriptivist, but can I just say that Merriam-Webster picked the dumbest [*#%&@!+] word in the universe as their Word of the Year 2007? I'm aware that M-W itself didn't make the choice, the eleven year olds who use their web site did, but isn't that why they have all those lexicographers lying around? I didn't say anything, because I didn't have anything nice to say. Actually I have one nice thing to say, which is that some of the comments on Wordie's page for it are pretty good, including the links to various etymologies, and, especially, the prior art from Chaucer. But I got a few more emails today and figured, fine, I'll uncork myself and spew some bile. I'm not even sure I don't like the word, but I hate that they picked it, and I'm not alone. It's not just the winner that sucks, it's the whole list. The only good word of the lot is Pecksniffian, M-W got voted off replaced by OneLook |
Saturday, December 15, 2007
11 yrs old select MW word of year
How Rudolph Lost His Red Nose
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Friday, December 14, 2007
Mashable Marks Clipcast
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Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Rare Form of Alzheimer's Disease
The writer, 59, who gave the news on the website of Discworld artist Paul Kidby, said the condition was behind a "phantom stroke" earlier this year. Discworld author Pratchett has sold more than 55 million books worldwide. He said in a statement that with forthcoming conventions and the need to inform his publishers it would have been "unfair to withhold the news". Author Terry Pratchett is suffering from a rare form of early Alzheimer's disease, it has been revealed. suffering from a rare form of early Alzheimer's disease, it has been revealed.
"I will, of course, be dead at some future point, as will everybody else," he said. "I know it's a very human thing to say 'is there anything I can do', but in this case I would only entertain offers from very high-end experts in brain chemistry." |
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Clearing 4040 at Catal Hoyuk
South Excavation
This is another part of the Catal Hoyuk site that is excavated and researched by Ian Hodder and his world renowned team.




