WORD of the YEAR

The Merriam-Webster word of the year for 2024 is polarization, which sounds like the political climate.

Oxford's word of the year is two words, brain rot.

I can see polarization, but brain rot?

Dictionary.com made an odd choice, demure. This is part of their explanation "Though the term demure has traditionally been used to describe those who are reserved, quiet, or modest, a new usage has spread through social media — one used to describe refined and sophisticated appearance or behavior in various contexts, such as at work or on a plane."

That's a huge leap in meaning.

The Collins English Dictionary chose brat. Collins' shortlist of words included brainrot (one word).

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

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GASLIGHTING IS THE WORD

I was just looking at CNN's 5 Things newsletter and came across Merriam-Webster's word of the year for 2022. It's the word people spent a lot of time searching for this year.

It was gaslighting, which the online dictionary defines it as "the act or practice of grossly misleading someone especially for one’s own advantage."

You hear gaslighting a lot in the political arena. And spellcheck seems to hate it.

You can find CNN's story here.

EMAIL: tgilli52@gmail.com  TWITTER: EDITORatWORK

MORE EDITOR@WORK BLOG ENTRIES

• You really DO need an editor

• Reminders for would-be novelists

• What I do when I'm editing

• What I charge (it's a deal) and what I edit

• Slogging through the Internet

• J-school: More eyes on your stories

• J-school: Go out and learn

• Rookie mistakes for magazine writers

BLOG ENTRIES BY TOM GILLISPIE

• Resume for a writer and editor

• An editor's views on powerful writing

• Advice for be and would-be novelists

• Links to TG's stories online

• Favorite quotes

• What I do when I'm editing

ANECDOTES BY TOM GILLISPIE

• Wipeout at Death Valley

• Days with rainbows

• A desperate writer working in the dark

• Yer OUTTA there!

ENTRIES FROM THE DOG BLOG

• Katie cried

• Growl and pull

• 13-plus years with my dog Lady

• ... said the spider to ...

• The Dog Diary (2014)

• YIP! YIP! The stereo-sound huskies

• What Lady and Michael Jackson had in common

BLOG ENTRIES FROM THE AUTO RACING JOURNAL

• Angel in Black: Remembering Dale Earnhardt Sr.

(a book of great stories about the Intimidator)

• Then Junior Said to Jeff...

(the book of great NASCAR stories)

• My best day as a sports writer

• Jeff Gordon's milk toast to Dale Earnhardt

• Wayne Auton: A life in racing