Words in Play
July 25, 2007
Bollywood, crunk, microgreen, and telenovela. What do they have in common? They are 4 of 100 new words added to the 2007 update of Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, 11th edition, which will be in stores in the fall. (M-W tantalizes us by naming only 20 of the new words at its site.) I missed this news a couple of weeks ago (I guess I had my head under a ginormous rock), but caught it today on WNYC's "Leonard Lopate Show," where grammarian Patricia T. O'Conner (Woe Is I Jr.) was a guest.
I also learned that O'Conner maintains, as part of her web site, The Grammarphobia Blog, where she answers questions. There you can read about CamelCase style (think PhotoShop, HarperCollins, MotherReader) and other matters. O'Conner says that CamelCase "describes a spelling with a dromedary-like bump or two in the middle..." So, there you go. I love that phrase; I'd never heard it before. I should ride around in the car and listen to the radio more often.
I LOVE being CamelCase style! That - somewhat sadly - makes my day.
Posted by: MotherReader | July 30, 2007 at 05:12 PM
MotherReader, isn't that a hoot? I love the idea of CamelCase, too! Until I was browsing around on that blog, I'd never heard of it, but I immediately latched onto the concept...
Posted by: Susan T. | July 30, 2007 at 05:45 PM
Hey! LoneStarMa is a three-humped CamelCase name. Is there a Seussian name for a three-humped camel?
Posted by: Alkelda the Gleeful | July 31, 2007 at 12:45 AM