OMG, I [heart] the OED (LOL)

Okay Madame L, 

 

Now that I know you're not really a language purist (bah, humbug!), I still bet you won't like hearing that the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) has added some ridiculous new words and expressions, like "muffin top," "LOL", a heart-shaped icon to represent the word "love," and "OMG."

 

So, what do you think about that?

 

Sincerely,

 

That's Me in the corner, Losing my English Language

 

Dear Losing your Language And/Or Sanity,

 

Madame L is very pleased that the Oxford English Dictionary has added these new words and expressions.

 

Madame L is not one of those who believe that the function of dictionaries is to preserve some idealized and antiquated version of a language without representing the way it is currently employed and enjoyed. 

 

Rather, she likes the idea that even a venerable institution of a dictionary like the OED is adding the words and phrases that English speakers are actually using. And she loves the fact that the OED retains words that have fallen out of usage.

 

In fact, Madame L loves to open her own print edition (1971) of the OED (gasp!) randomly to find words that are still listed there, even though she has never heard and hopes never to hear anyone living say them.

 

Some examples: jopper, laniation, malahack, mercaptide, nilling, ofrede...and those were just a few words from among 100s within a few pages of each other.

 

Inviting you to relax and enjoy the spoken and written word,

 

Madame L