“Brogrammer,” “Basic,” and all the other words Dictionary.com now officially recognizes
Dictionary.com is expanding their list o’ words. This week, the popular online dictionary unveiled a list of its newest entries, many of which focus on technology-terms and gender-themed expressions. While many of the new selections are questionable (I’m not going to name any names but, “esports” as one word . . .), many of them reflect a progressive shift in our vocabulary or are new definitions of words we’ve been using forever. Have a gander at some of the new-word selection, below.
1) Brogrammer (n.): a male computer programmer that is categorized as a bro
When someone mentions “programmer,” the first image that now comes to mind is the Silicon Valley crew — a bunch of hyper-intelligent techies lounging around in sweatpants and spouting phrases that sound like gibberish to plebeians like myself. But as it turns out, there is a different breed of programmer out there, one that, while still crazy smart, may wear a few more backward hats than regular techies: brogrammers AKA programmer-bros. You’ve got a word now, boys.
2) Crash blossom (n.): an ambiguously worded headline whose meaning can be interpreted in the wrong way
What is a crash blossom? Don’t worry, it’s not a new spring flower gearing up to give you allergies. Rather, it’s a headline that is so poorly worded that it causes confusion, like “Stolen Painting Found By Tree” or “Police Help Dog Bite Victim.” (Believe it or not, those were both actual headlines.) The name comes from Danny Bloom, a member of the Testy Copy Editor discussion group, after he stumbled across the headline “Violinist linked to JAL crash blossoms” and, like most of us, wondered what the heck it meant.
3) Anecdata (n.): anecdotal evidence based on personal observations or opinions, random investigations, etc. but presented as fact
“Claims over the existence of global warming are grossly overblown. Just the other day, I was walking around outside and I had to put on a sweatshirt, in the middle of August! If anything, the temperature is decreasing, not increasing.” These are the kind of stories that cause so much controversy in the media because they involve people using anecdotal evidence to support statements that should be driven by facts. Younger readers or those unable to spot poorly-formed arguments may misconstrue this “anecdata” (anecdotal data) as the truth, thus perpetuating the circulation of false information.
4) Dox (v.): to publish the private personal information of another person without the consent of that individual
When your friend breaks the first rule of Snapchat by screenshotting one of your private quadruple chin pictures and posting it to Facebook, they’ve just “doxed” you. Doxing comes in all shapes and sizes: it can be innocuous, like the above scenario, or it can be dangerous, like when hacker groups release the personal data of people who have committed wrongful acts. The latter situation can spur death threats and potentially harmful attacks. The former can lead to a lot of deactivated Facebook accounts and shouting matches filled with things like, “I TRUSTED YOU.”
5) Ship (v.): to take an interest in a romantic relationship between fictional characters or famous people
Fanfic writers, rejoice! “To ship,” a phrase long used in the fandom universe, finally has the recognition it deserves. It won’t make phrases like, “I ship Finchel so hard, you don’t even know,” sound any less fannish, but it will make them technically more legitimate in the eyes of grammar enthusiasts.
6) Smartwatch (n.): a computing device that resembles a wristwatch and is attached to a band worn around the wrist
Congratulations, Apple. You’ve officially inspired another word. Yes, yes, there are other smartwatch designs floating around, but Apple, as usual, was one of the first to popularize the item. While personally, I would never want my cellular device literally attached to my body, the whole idea of a smartwatch is pretty impressive. It def deserves a spot on the list.
7) Agender (adj.): relating to a person who does not have a specific gender identity or recognizable gender expression
Say what you will about our generation, but we are pushing forward gender-identity issues like no other generation has before. The inclusion of words like “transgender,” “bigender,” “cisgender,” and “agender” are totally natural for us, and seeing that grammar is accepting our advances just fills our hearts.
8) Dark web (n.): the portion of the Internet that is intentionally hidden from search engines, uses masked IP addresses, and is accessible only with a special web browser
Remember in House of Cards when Lucas Goodwin tried to dig up some info on Vice President Frank Underwood using a special Internet system, which ultimately landed him in jail? The system he was using was called “the dark web” (also known as “the deep web”) and it’s just as foreboding as it sounds. While the dark web is sort of the “black market” of the Internet, like the black market, it’s not as secret as people want it to be. The addition of the phrase into Dictionary.com’s database only proves that.
9) Glanceable (adj.): relating to information on an electronic screen that can be understood quickly or at a glance
Unfortunately, we probably have to take the blame for this word. By “we,” I mean the current generation of “skimmers” that tend to quickly gloss over an article for the most important information instead of actually reading it. The practice is so common, it now has its own term: glanceable.
10) Basic (adj.): characterized by predictable or unoriginal style, interests, or behavior
I thought we agreed to let this phrase die, no? Ugh. Let’s not talk about it.
What do you think about Dictionary.com’s new additions? Also, check out the rest of them.
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