Have you ever been told that you have been incorrectly singing the lyrics to one of your favorite songs?
If you’re like us, it happens all the time! This phenomenon is called a mondegreen,
and is among the new words being added to the 2008 update of Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate®
Dictionary, Eleventh Edition. The term means "a word or phrase that results from a
mishearing of something said or sung." For example, many folks think Jimi Hendrix is singing "excuse
me while I kiss this guy," instead of the actual lyric, "excuse me while I kiss the sky." We
want to hear your favorite mondegreens—click here for details on
how to send them in. Don’t procrastinate; you only have three weeks until we choose our favorites.
Have you ever washed down a plate of edamame with some prosecco
while lounging in your infinity pool with a few pescatarian
friends after a long day at the racino rubbing elbows with wing nuts?
The words in bold are just a few examples of the over 100 new entries Merriam-Webster has added to our annual update
of Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate® Dictionary, Eleventh Edition. To keep you busy until September
1st—when the print version of North America’s best-selling dictionary is available in stores and through your
favorite online bookseller—spend some time getting to know the new additions here at Merriam-Webster Online.
Use the site’s search function to look up the above words, as well as well as the following: dark
energy, pretexting, soju, subprime,
and webinar. For more information, please
click here for a complete press release.
July, 1969 saw the first human walk on the moon. Celebrate that giant leap forward in space exploration
this month with a trip to Merriam-Webster’s Visual Dictionary
Online. There you can examine a telescope, investigate the planets, and step into a space shuttle. Visit
the Astronomy section and see a galaxy’s worth
of words, pictures, and definitions. Buckle up!
Try Merriam-Webster’s new game, Universal Cryptogram, where YOU are the encryption
device. Faced with a jumble of letters that look like they fell off the back of an alphabet truck, you have seven
minutes to decipher a well-known phrase. Stay cool, keep your head, and solve the puzzle. If you struggle, you
are allowed three hints; if you run out of time, try again tomorrow—or choose a puzzle from the archives.
Good luck, wordsmiths!
Merriam-Webster Unabridged is a writer’s best friend. Whether you are a journalist,
researcher, academic, or novelist, it offers an amazing wealth of online writing resources you can trust.
Subscription grants you access to a whole host of language tools and reference
databases, as well as Merriam-Webster’s own invaluable style guide. Give your
writing definition with Merriam-Webster Unabridged—a world
of word resources at the click of a mouse.
Look up words instantly while browsing anywhere on the web.
