What You Talkin' About?

Those hepcat editors at Merriam-Webster, sick of standing idly by while TV, the internet, and mass market paperbacks hog all the fun with dumbing down American culture, have announced the latest additions to ye olde Collegiate Dictionary.

According to John Morse, Merriam-Webster's president, the goal is to add words that have become "part of our language" and that have "staying power."

Now, I consider myself to be someone of above average intelligence, with an average to above average grasp on popular culture. But these words! Some of them I've never heard of. Others, they should feel ashamed of printing. (Please let speed dating die now, both as a disgusting post-modern coupling activity and as a dictionary entry.) Clearly Webster has some kind of nefarious agenda. I just can't figure out exactly what it is.

agnolotti - bucatini is so much more delicious and yet it remains unlisted

Bollywood

chaebol - I had to look this one up. The large, conglomerate family-controlled firms of South Korea characterized by strong ties with government agencies. I was hoping it was another kind of noodle.

crunk

DVR - are you kidding? I do believe they are promoting TV zombiefication?

flex-cuff - I refuse to look this one up

ginormous - the only obvious choice on the list

gray literature - obscure!

hardscape

IED - we've been told that we'll never win the war on terror so I guess this one makes sense, or is Webster just trying to desensitize us?!

microgreen - lame and so 1999

nocebo

perfect storm - I heard this word used three times today, no joke. Not cool that no one ever used it before it was linked with a really bad Mark Wahlberg movie.

RPG - in support of video game zombiefication?

smackdown

speed dating - Add "key party," and I'll let this one slide

sudoku - Someone owed Will Shortz a personal favor?

telenovela

viewshed