Earlier this month, Merriam-Webster announced some of the new words that will be added to the 2008 edition of its Collegiate Dictionary. Valleywag took the initiative to contact the company, and came up with a list of 25 of the roughly 100 new words that made the cut.
Interestingly, more than a few have a culinary origin:
- edamame n (1951): immature green soybeans usu. in the pod
- pescatarian n (1993): a vegetarian whose diet includes fish
- prosecco n (1881): a dry Italian sparkling wine
- soju n (1978): Korean vodka distilled from rice
Even though you can find racinos (definintion: n (1995): a racetrack at which slot machines are available for gamblers) in six of the the ten Canadian provinces, I have a sneaking suspicion that phytonutrients (definition: n (1994): a bioactive plant-derived compound (as resveratrol) associated with positive health effects) probably aren’t on the menu.
Prosecco is a new favourite in our house, although we invariably call it “Percoset” after the friend who wandered into the LCBO and asked for that. The helpful clerk showed her to the sparkling wine, rather than the door.
Great story! Thank heavens one doesn’t need a ’scrip for prosecco …