I have been under a bit of pressure to do another entry. This one is not as inspired as some of the others, but hopefully will offer some entertainment and/or food for thought.
I was just looking up a word in the online dictionary from Merriam-Webster. While I was there I noticed a box for the M-W Word of the Year. Now, this I had to see. Most of us know about the Time Man of the Year, or the Guest of the Day (if you read this blog). I would venture that the majority have seen or heard of other superlative/rating awards for people, food, dogs, cars, weasels (OK, too obscure), etc. I bet none of you knew M-W had a Word of the Year. I use the M-W online dictionary and I did not know!
Now I know if you haven't already opened up a browser window and looked at the word already you are dying to know what word won. First, remember that it is an ONLINE dictionary, even if it does carry the name of MR. Dictionary - Webster. The winner was:
...............................w00t
That's right, w00t!. (I have to change the font on this blog to Times to make it look right, those ARE zeros, you can go see it here: http://www.m-w.com/info/07words.htm )
Now, I am a progressive kind of guy. I am blogging after all. But when a word like w00t wins a Word of the Year contest, I really feel old. This is from Merriam-Webster as well. Not, Wired Magazine or a blogspot contest; but THE dictionary people!
What is w00t you might ask? How would I use it in a sentence? According to M-W, it is an interjection or exclaimation like "Yay!". For example: W00t, the Patrots won the Superbowl! (or the Giants, I am not doing a Superbowl blog) They go on to say it may have derived from We 0wned the 0ther Team. That is geek-speak trash talking in an online forum. It it part of a "new language" called l33t. Here is what M-W has to say: l33t ("leet," or "elite") speak—an esoteric computer hacker language in which numbers and symbols are put together to look like letters. Does it get any better than that?
So, this may not have been the best; but, I hope you learned something. I did.
gumbyp00l3 out.
If you are truly pressed for time, just read the bold, italicized, and underlined sentences. That won't take you long at all! Another year has passed and if you are reading this, a new one is getting ready to start (or has started) for you. New Year’s celebrations are a time for reflection on what has happened and also a chance to start anew. New Year’s resolutions are a manifestation of this. Weight loss plans, gym proprietors, exercise equipment makers, and others know this. If you have watched any TV, gone online, or read any magazines or newspapers you know that the people that make their living selling and signing people up for those things are hitting it hard. We like new beginnings and the chance to reset and set new goals. Losing weight, stopping smoking, cut back or stopping drinking, and other things a lot of folks see as improvement are at the forefront of our collective thoughts and efforts this time of year. Although not a real advocate of New Year’s resolutions, I
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