

Merriam Webster's Word of the Year
#1
Posted 12 December 2007 - 22:57
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22205339/
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. - Expect cheers among hardcore online game enthusiasts when they learn Merriam-Webster's Word of the Year. Or, more accurately, expect them to "w00t."
"W00t," a hybrid of letters and numbers used by gamers as an exclamation of happiness, topped all other terms in the Springfield dictionary publisher's online poll for the word that best sums up 2007.
Merriam-Webster's president, John Morse, said "w00t" was an ideal choice because it blends whimsy and new technology.
"It shows a really interesting thing that's going on in language. It's a term that's arrived only because we're now communicating electronically with each other," Morse said.
Gamers commonly substitute numbers and symbols for the letters they resemble, Morse says, creating what they call "l33t speak" — that's "leet" when spoken, short for "elite" to the rest of the world.
For technophobes, the word also is familiar from the 1990 movie "Pretty Woman," in which Julia Roberts startles her date's upper-crust friends with a hearty "Woot, woot, woot!" at a polo match.
The 2006 pick, "truthiness," also has its roots in pop culture. It was popularized by Comedy Central satirical political commentator Stephen Colbert.
#2
Posted 12 December 2007 - 22:58
Pretty neat eh?
Edited by Soul, 12 December 2007 - 22:58.


Insomniac!, on 16 Sep 2008, 20:12, said:
I've been given a Bob coin from Mr. Bob, a life time supply of cookies from Blonde-Unknown, some Internet Chocolate from the Full Throttle mod team, and some Assorted Weapons from Høbbesy.
#3
Posted 12 December 2007 - 23:01
About the Leet Speak, I do agree.
Isn't it awesome when you kill some guy in BF2 named "H!g][5k!llz0r" ?
- E.V.E.

#5
Posted 15 December 2007 - 04:56
#6
Posted 15 December 2007 - 14:13
#7
Posted 15 December 2007 - 14:21

Ion Cannon in IRC said:
#8
Posted 15 December 2007 - 14:30

#10
Posted 16 December 2007 - 01:16


#11
Posted 16 December 2007 - 01:46

The brave hide behind technology. The stupid hide from it. The clever have technology, and hide it.
—The Book of Cataclysm


#12
Posted 16 December 2007 - 04:35


Insomniac!, on 16 Sep 2008, 20:12, said:
I've been given a Bob coin from Mr. Bob, a life time supply of cookies from Blonde-Unknown, some Internet Chocolate from the Full Throttle mod team, and some Assorted Weapons from Høbbesy.
#13
Posted 16 December 2007 - 09:17
#14
Posted 16 December 2007 - 09:29
thats cool, new words are always fun

Edited by The Dr, 16 December 2007 - 09:29.

F O R T H E N S

#15
Posted 16 December 2007 - 19:11
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