Merriam-Websters Words of the Year 2008

Merriam-Websters Words of the Year 2008 Merriam-Websters Words of the Year 2008 Merriam-Websters Words of the Year 2008 By Maeve Maddox The most looked-up words in the online Merriam-Webster dictionary in 2008 reflect the nations preoccupation with discussions surrounding the Presidential campaign. Seven of the tenbailout, vet, socialism, maverick, rogue, misogyny, and bipartisanhave political associations. The other threeturmoil, trepidation, and precipicehave appreared frequently this year in discussions of the stock market and the economy. Some of these words have more colorful backgrounds than others. bailout [bÄ lout] When I hear bailout I have the mental image of corporation executives in 3-piece suits sitting in a leaking boat, tossing bucketfuls of water overboad as fast as they can, and scanning the horizon for a ship that will rescue them. The verb to bail, with the sense toss water out of a boat comes from a word for bucket. vet [vÄ•t] This verb, with the meaning to examine carefully before approving, may derive from the examination of a racehorse by a veterinarian before a race. Kipling used it in this sense in 1904. Its meaning expanded to mean the careful vetting of anything requiring approval, from a manuscript to a job applicant. The word was apparently unfamiliar to a lot of Americans until Obama used it. I heard it used frequently when I lived in England. socialism [sÃ… shÉ™-lÄ ­zÉ™m] Not at all an unfamiliar word to Americans, the spike in looking it up may have had something to do with the contradictory ways in which the word was being used. While the socialism label was being waved about as a Bad Thing by campaigners, the federal government was practicing what seemed to be a form of socialism by taking over ownership of Wall Streets mortgage-backed assets. rogue [rÃ… g] When Sarah Palin supposedly contradicted something McCain had said, TV commentators kept saying shed gone rogue. Their meaning seemed to be that shed become uncontrollable, rather like a rogue elephant trampling its keepers. Here are some definitions of rogue from Merriam-Webster: adjective: resembling or suggesting a rogue elephant, especially in being isolated, aberrant, dangerous, or uncontrollable corrupt, dishonest of or being a nation whose leaders defy international law or norms of international behavior noun: a dishonest or worthless person; scoundrel a mischievous person : scamp a horse inclined to shirk or misbehave an individual exhibiting a chance and usually inferior biological variation misogyny [mÄ ­-sÃ… jÉ™-nÄ“] hatred of women. The question of misogyny comes up whenever a woman runs for office. This years campaign with two high profile women explains interest in this word. maverick [mÄÆ'vÉ™r-Ä ­k or mÄÆ'vrÄ ­k]- John McCain frequently described himself as a maverick. When Sarah Palin joined his campaign, she too adopted the epithet. They used it in the sense of person who is not controlled by others. Maverick is an eponynm. Samuel Maverick (1803-1870) was a lawyer, politician, and land baron who refused to brand his cattle. He claimed he didnt want to hurt them, but other ranchers believed he didnt brand them so that he could then claim any unbranded calf as his own. Maverick first meant an unbranded calf, but came to have the figurative sense of masterless. bipartisan [(bÄ «-prtÄ ­-zÉ™n, -sÉ™n] Heres a word that sounds pretty good at the end of a two year campaign filled with inter- and intra-party bickering: of, relating to, or involving members of two parties; specifically, marked by or involving cooperation, agreement, and compromise between two major political parties. I can vote for that! The remaining three words in the Top Ten are all fraught with scary connotations. trepidation [trÄ•pÄ ­-dÄ shÉ™n] from a Latin word meaning to tremble, trepidation is a synonym for fear. People who regard a situation with trepidation may be shaking in their boots. Ex. Chinas Widening Footprint Prompts Trepidation. precipice [prÄ•sÉ™-pÄ ­s] from a Latin word meaning headlong, a precipice is a steep eminence from which it would be very scary to fall, as in Were hurtling over the economic precipice. turmoil [tà »rmoil] a state or condition of extreme confusion, agitation, or commotion, as in World Economic Turmoil. Maybe next year well be looking up happier words. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Regarding Re:The Four Sounds of the Spelling OU