There’s good news for people who like to use made up words. The Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary has just officially added "ginormous" to their newest edition. The adjective, which combines "gigantic" and "enormous" will be joining about 100 other newly added words. Sudoku, speed dating, DVR and IED are just a few of the others.
However, not everyone is willing to embrace "ginormous". Allan Metcalf, a professor of English stated, "A new word that stands out and is ostentatious is going to sink like a lead balloon. It might enjoy a fringe existence."
In response, Merriam-Webster’s president John Morse replied, "There will be linguistic conservatives who will turn their nose up at a word like ‘ginormous’, but it’s become a part of our language. It’s used by professional writers in mainstream publications. It clearly has staying power."
The average person may not appreciate the ginormity of a made up word making it into the dictionary, however it is my hope that pretty soon we, as a world, can accept other new words. Imagine a dictionary that had definitions for "words" such as; OMG, WTF, LOL, ROTF and my personal favourite pwn. The young people are constantly using these "words" so why not put them in a dictionary. After all the English language has come a long way since Shakespeare first invented it.
OMG. WTF is pwn? It has me SMHIP. (shaking my head in puzzlement)