Words of the Year

Haribo Alphabet Letters are among my favorite snacks – ‘gummies for writers,’ I call them. I opened two packages today, trying to see if I had the right letters to craft any of the words on those end-of-year “most popular word” lists for a clever photo for this blog post.

Instead, you get a colorful jumble. Yes, it is an unusually slow Friday…

Merriam-Webster says its 2017 Word of the Year is feminism, based on how many online searches are made on its website. As a longtime feminist, I find that somewhat discouraging. Then again, it is a term that’s bandied about so often, maybe it’s good that people are looking it up.

The site Dictionary.com lists its Word of the Year as complicit.

I’m encouraged that folks are turning to dictionaries at all. I’m one of those “word nerds” who used to thumb through a dictionary every morning to find a word or term I’d never heard of and learn how to use it.

Today, there’s no need to hoist a hefty dictionary. On the Merriam-Webster website, you’ll find a list of trending terms (today, net neutrality is on it), the most popular words of the last 24 hours, and a Word of the Day feature. There also are word games, articles and a thesaurus.

Dictionary.com includes a history of its Words of the Year, a newsletter, a grammar blog and a tab to look up inspiring quotes for all occasions.

And…all with fewer calories than gummi letters. I hope you’ll check them out and become a fellow logophile in the New Year. Look it up!