December TOP TWENTY

Merriam-Webster’s announcement of its Words of the Year, issued at the beginning of December, had a major influence on the Top Twenty list, as site visitors were inspired to look the words up one more time. And this time, reality television came out on top.

See December's full list to find out what other Words of the Year made the list.

New Word Watch

Merriam-Webster editors are giving the following words serious consideration for entry in a Merriam-Webster dictionary:

• empty suit noun : an ineffectual executive
• metabolic syndrome noun : a syndrome marked by the presence of usually three or more of a group of factors (as high blood pressure, abdominal obesity, high triglyceride levels, low HDL levels, and insulin resistance) that are linked to increased risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes — called also insulin resistance syndrome
• ringtone noun : the sound made by a cell phone to signal an incoming call

Do you have a suggestion for a word we should be watching for? E-mail us at comments@word.com, and we’ll tell you what we have on that word so far.

Word Profile: dichotomy

Dichotomy was No. 15 on December’s Top Twenty list. Although dichotomy has very specific applications in the fields of science and logic, its meaning in general usage is not always obvious.

Looking for some guidance on its usage? Here’s some advice from the editors who tackled the topic in Merriam-Webster’s Concise Dictionary of English Usage.

Word History of the Month: agnostic

Religion was much discussed last month, which may have been what brought the word agnostic to the No. 12 spot on December’s Top Twenty. The story behind that term for a person who holds the view that any ultimate reality (such as God) is unknown and probably unknowable is unusual, if not unknowable.

Notable and Quotable: Ben Franklin

January’s 300^th birth anniversary of Benjamin Franklin is getting plenty of coverage, and our attention is drawn to the 15 instances of Franklin’s writing that serve to illustrate the meanings of words in the Unabridged Dictionary. Even more notable is how those 15 examples reveal so much about the life and times of the statesman-philosopher.

Remember, finding quotations from an author is easy. Just choose your reference—the Unabridged Dictionary or the Collegiate—and click on Advanced Search. Type the last name of the author in the Author Quoted box and click on Search.

Just Foolin’ Around

Benjamin Franklin’s 300^th birthday, along with the chilly weather, has gotten us thinking about inventors who have given their names to inventions (think Franklin stove). The list is easy to create with the Advanced Search option.

From the Mail Server

Last month, the editors received inquiries about blend words that have made it into the dictionary (fantabulous) and some that haven’t (ginormous). Editors also answered queries about how one counts “troops,” and they made a manly effort to explain why the Greek and Latin “homo-” prefixes are not the same.

If you have a question for the editors, do what other word lovers do: send it to comments@word.com.

Language Links

If all this language stuff is getting to be too much for you, maybe it’s time to switch to animal noises. Here are some links to help.

Puzzle Corner

In our last issue, subscribers were invited to a round of bout-rimes, in which players are told a familiar line of poetry and given the task of creating a second rhyming line. (Bout-rimes translates from French as rhymed ends).

For example, Joyce Kilmer’s “I think that I shall never see” might be followed with “My contact lens fell in my tea.” Here are some of the many responses we’ve received from readers.