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The fifth edition of the Official Scrabble Players
Dictionary, published by Merriam-Webster, goes on sale Wednesday
and includes 5,000 new words that editors say will help the
66-year-old game stay relevant.
Some older players and Scrabble purists might find the inclusion
of words like "bromance" and "selfie" to be a "buzzkill" because
some of the additions seem so fresh.
But most of the additions are likely to be long-studied and
time-tested, with obvious staying power, said Grant Barrett, a
San Diego dictionary editor and co-host of the nationwide public
radio show "A Way with Words."
"The list is, to me, a great step forward," Barrett said. "I
think you've got to add the new words. Otherwise you risk this
turning into an archaic game that nobody wants to play because
the daily language isn't accepted there. It's got to keep up."
The publishing house this week released a sample of the new
words, which add 30 pages to the dictionary last updated 10
years ago.
In addition to "bromance," "chillax," "selfie" and "buzzkill,"
the list includes terms like "hashtag," commonly used with
Twitter; "dubstep," an electronic dance music that has gained
popularity in the past few years; "texter," referring to one who
texts; and "meh," an expression of ambivalence used on social
media and in text messaging.
New additions such as "webzine" and "frenemy" and "funplex" have
been around a decade or two and may feel a little closer to Gen
X terminology. The same goes for "mixtape" and "beatbox," also
in the new book, which took their places firmly in the American
vernacular by the end of the 1980s but have stayed current in
spite of changes in technology and pop culture.
"It's not just the words that get into society," said Chris
Cree, co-President of the North American Scrabble Players
Association in Dallas, which oversaw the update. "They are also
words that have the potential of sticking around."
(Reporting by Karen Brooks in Austin, Texas; Editing by Doina
Chiacu)
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