Well, another year means another word has been selected to represent that year. And while the fun of selecting the word has gone by the wayside, the new way of selecting the word of the year is much more telling of the way the people using Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. So take a listen and let me know what you think.
-Renee
See comments for a transcript of the podcast.
P.S. We are currently experiencing technical difficulties in uploading the audio files for the podcasts. Stay tuned, we hope to have this corrected soon!
No TweetBacks yet. (Be the first to Tweet this post)
Tags: bailout, dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Reading, woot, word, year





September 9th, 2009 at 10:00 pm
Welcome to Unleaded, fuel for writers your 60 seconds of daily inspiration and perspiration. I’m your host Renee Brown.
This year, to select its famous “word of the year” Merriam Webster changed its procedure. Now instead of voting for your favorite that company simply counts the number of lookups and declares the word topping the list as the winner.
With a shortlist like: maverick, bipartisan, and socialism it’s no shock what word won out…Bailout.
John Morse, Merriam-Webster’s president and publisher says: “There’s something about the national psyche right now that is looking up words that seem to suggest fear and anxiety,” said John Morse, Merriam-Webster’s president and publisher.
And I have to agree, but now that we are informed are we any less scared? And what are your bets for next year’s list topping word? Let me know what you think in the comments.
Thanks for listening and keep on writing!