'Sexting,' 'retweet' added to Oxford English Dictionary; New entries inspired by social media

[Shortline Bus]

'Sexting,' 'retweet' added to Oxford English Dictionary; New entries inspired by social media

 

BY Rheana Murray

NY DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

Saturday, August 20th 2011

 

 

"Tech slang finally made its way into the dictionary.

 

Social media-inspired words like retweet and textspeak are among 400 new entries that will be included in the 12th edition of the Concise Oxford English Dictionary, the Associated Press reported.

 

Sexting- a term that has graced national headlines more than once to describe the wayward habits of major-league politicians and celebrities- is also now an official term.

 

Editor Angus Stevenson introduced several of the dictionary's newest inclusions in a blog post.

 

"These additions are just carrying on the tradition of a dictionary that has always sought to be progressive and up to date," he wrote.

 

Fashion trends also influenced new entries- like jeggings and mankini.

 

New entries were added to words that already existed in the dictionary but now have new meaning, like friend, "a contact on a social networking site," and follower, "someone who is tracking a particular person, group, etc. on a social networking site."

 

Those who haven't left home in a while will learn that cougar also has new meaning- in addition to being a "large American feline quadruped," a cougar is "an older woman seeking a sexual relationship with a younger man."

 

It is safe to assume the relationship would involve "sexting."

 

 

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/2011/08/20/2011-08-20_oxford_english_dictionarys_new_entries_inspired_by_social_media_include_sexting_.html

[peacemak3r]

They might as well add every word/definition from urbandictionary.com

[Shortline Bus]

They might as well add every word/definition from urbandictionary.com

 

Very true indeed. Every 20 years or so as this worldwide technology revolution ccontinues, there are words from computers and the fairly new social network that calls for the Americam English Dictionary to be updated.

 

 

During the recent Anothny Weiner 'texting' scandal, My mom did not know what it meant until my sister and I had to explain it to her.

[7LineFan]

IMO at least these words aren't as bad as "frenemy."

[553 Bridgeton]

Sexting- when one sends obscene pictures to another person through texting.

 

ex. Anthony Wiener, looked like a fool on national television.

[B35 via Church]

I'm still waitin for a REAL urban dictionary.....

 

...but then again, that would give us blacks even more of a negative image...

...but then again, that would increase the amount of wiggers & posers out here....

[Nova RTS 9147]

They might as well add every word/definition from urbandictionary.com

 

Does that include "buysexual"?

 

I'm still waitin for a REAL urban dictionary.....

 

...but then again, that would give us blacks even more of a negative image...

...but then again, that would increase the amount of wiggers & posers out here....

 

That ironically describes the history of urban dictionary.

[R68 Subway Car]

Times change bro.