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Words Matter

New Dictionary Words for 2011

'Cougar,' 'Crowdsourcing,' 'Bromance' & more — the latest additions to America's best-selling dictionary.


'Cougar,' 'Crowdsourcing,' 'Bromance' & more — the latest additions to America's best-selling dictionary.

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play video new words for 2011
New Dictionary Words for 2011

 

'Cougar,' 'Crowdsourcing,' 'Bromance' & more — the latest additions to America's best-selling dictionary.

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On Contractions of Multiple Words

 

You all would not have guessed some of these

play illustrated notebook that says everyday vs every day
'Everyday' vs. 'Every Day'

 

A simple trick to keep them separate

play merriam-webster eggcorns title page
What Is an Eggcorn?

 

And how did it get that name?

play sneaked vs snuck video
Sneaked vs. Snuck

 

How the irregular 'snuck' sneaked into the dictionary

play video title attorney generals
Is It 'Attorney Generals' Or 'Attorneys General'?

 

'Poets laureate'? 'Court-martials'? The curious history of postpositive adjectives in English.

play video ghost words
How a Ghost Word Appeared in the Dictionary

 

An imaginary word that snuck into the dictionary