Merriam-Webster's Word of '07 - 'w00t'

[LMSx]

You've gotta be kidding me

(SPRINGFIELD, Mass.) — Expect cheers among hardcore online game enthusiasts when they learn Merriam-Webster's Word of the Year. Or, more accurately, expect them to "w00t."

"W00t," a hybrid of letters and numbers used by gamers as an exclamation of happiness, topped all other terms in the Springfield dictionary publisher's online poll for the word that best sums up 2007.

Merriam-Webster's president, John Morse, said "w00t" was an ideal choice because it blends whimsy and new technology.

"It shows a really interesting thing that's going on in language. It's a term that's arrived only because we're now communicating electronically with each other," Morse said.

Gamers commonly substitute numbers and symbols for the letters they resemble, Morse says, creating what they call "l33t speak" — that's "leet" when spoken, short for "elite" to the rest of the world.

For technophobes, the word also is familiar from the 1990 movie Pretty Woman, in which Julia Roberts startles her date's upper-crust friends with a hearty "Woot, woot, woot!" at a polo match.

The 2006 pick, "truthiness," also has its roots in pop culture. It was popularized by Comedy Central satirical political commentator Stephen Colbert.

Some also-rans in the 2007 list: the use of "facebook" as a verb to signify using the Web site by that name; nuanced terms such as "quixotic" and "hypocrite"; and "blamestorm," a meeting in which mistakes are aired, fingers are pointed and much discomfort is had by all.

Concrete proof that there are....limits...to how much one should rely on online polls. Seriously, 'w00t'?

[Stark]

Being the 'word' of '2007' is extremely amusing. It's more like... the word of retro 1998.

[Mr. T]

It could be worse, they could have chosen "pwned"

[Seggybop]

At least "pwned" is actually made from letters

[Phantasee]

FUCK. This is yet another reason Webster's is a fucking joke of a dictionary.

Wait, weren't they the ones that were all like, "ain't is not a word!" and tried to control the English language? Whereas Oxford just puts in words that real people use, with no judgement?

Clearly Valve bought out some editors at M-W's...

[Admiral Valdemar]

The OED will look at words that are used commonly by people and have gained social acceptance, such as "D'oh!" which was added a few years back because of The Simpsons' universal appeal. I don't think they have these terms included (yet), but if they gain enough popularity and can be recognised by the less web-inclined people like my grandparents, then I'd consider it worth noting.

[Robert Treder]

I've never quite understood the logic behind hating on new words. So if people say "woot" we should plug our ears and pretend it's not happening because it's a dumb word, but any other use of the "good old days" fallacy is bad?

The OED has got it right ... dictionaries are supposed to catalogue language as it exists and is used and has been used, not to pass judgment on the validity of words based on how new they are or on who uses them.

English is always changing, and that's a good thing. Don't forget that much of your vocabulary didn't even exist not all that long ago in the grand scheme of things. Does that mean that we're terrible degenerate slobs and we should all start talking like they did in 1000? You tell me.

[Dooey Jo]

The OED has got it right ... dictionaries are supposed to catalogue language as it exists and is used and has been used, not to pass judgment on the validity of words based on how new they are or on who uses them.

Most of these "new" words circulating around today are misspellings of already existing words. "Woot" means "whoo" or "hooray". And does anyone even use "w00t" anymore? These words are ridiculously short-lived. Imagine if they add the word "lolcat"; no one is going to know or care what a lolcat is ten years from now.

English is always changing, and that's a good thing. Don't forget that much of your vocabulary didn't even exist not all that long ago in the grand scheme of things. Does that mean that we're terrible degenerate slobs and we should all start talking like they did in 1000? You tell me.

If you like to use numbers instead of letters, write "thx" instead of "thanks", "u" instead of "you", etc., then yes, you are a terrible, degenerate slob. People still talk the way they did 20 years ago; it's just the writing that's gone down the shitter. Internet slang is not a sign of linguistic evolution of English, it's more of a code for those in the know and possibly a sign of deficient language skills.

[Sarevok]

The english language has greatly changed over time and will continue to do so. Considering our english would be unrecognizable in the 14th century it is hypocritical to dismiss any new words by reflex. At the same time recognizing every retarded internet meme as proper english is ludicrous. The best comprise here is a nice waiting period. A generation should be good. If the next generation that grows up still recognizes "woot" without raising an eyebrow it could be accepted as part of the english language.

woot !

[General Trelane (Retired)]

I've never quite understood the logic behind hating on new words. So if people say "woot" we should plug our ears and pretend it's not happening because it's a dumb word, but any other use of the "good old days" fallacy is bad?

But it was "w00t" (not "woot") that was voted as the word of the year. Which shows the idiocy of the people that voted it, the people that ran the poll (Webster's), and the people that defend it (you).

English is always changing, and that's a good thing. Don't forget that much of your vocabulary didn't even exist not all that long ago in the grand scheme of things. Does that mean that we're terrible degenerate slobs and we should all start talking like they did in 1000? You tell me.

'No' to the strawman part of the question. As to the rest, if you're seriously advocating that using numbers in place of letters should be acceptable in general usage, then yes, you are a terrible degenerate slob (who's in need of remedial English classes).

[Phantasee]

I wouldn't really be this upset if it was 'woot' that got in. It's a fine word, follows English's phonotactic rules. 'W00t' does not, because I don't know how to pronounce it. Seriously, something like, 'wazerozerot'?

[Sarevok]

Or if you pronounce zeroes as "oh" it becomes 'wohoht'.

You know I think I just explained what wort wort wort really means in Halo. The elites just go "woot" when they see you.

[Phantasee]

Or if you pronounce zeroes as "oh" it becomes 'wohoht'.

You know I think I just explained what wort wort wort really means in Halo. The elites just go "woot" when they see you.

What, "Woot woot, we're gonna die?"