Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary has added ten new words to its 2012 edition: “f-bomb,” “aha moment,” “man cave,” “sexting,” “gastropub,” “e-reader,” “bucket list,” “earworm,” “game changer” and “mashup.”
In the past 24 hours, “f-bomb,” “sexting” and “man cave” were among the most frequently looked up words on the dictionary’s website. Some of these words have been circulating within the English-speaking population for decades.
The Daily Beast reported the earliest citation for “aha moment” came from a 1939 psychology text. The phrase’s popularity was propelled by Oprah Winfrey and her talk show.
Here’s more from The Gothamist: “Of course, the nearly two-centuries old American Merriam’s is a little behind the times— the older, fancier Oxford English Dictionary beat already added ‘sexting’ to its hefty repertoire last summer, along with words like ‘mankini,’ ‘OMG’ and ‘jeggings.’ And last year, additions to Merriam’s included ‘social media,’ ‘tweet,’ ‘bromance,’ ‘cougar’ and ‘fist pump,’ all of which we can only assume are soaring to the top of third-grade spelling curriculums as we speak.”