Before we dive in, let me give you a heads up: expect some shade and a few witty comebacks. Oh, and politics. If that’s not your jam, there’s the exit, my friend.
For those still here, let me introduce you to the delightful world of Merriam-Webster—yes, the dictionary! Who knew they could serve up such a delightful blend of sass and smarts on social media? Established for more than 150 years and online since 1996, Merriam-Webster has become the internet’s favorite source of entertainment and education. Their Twitter feed is anything but boring; it’s a mix of humor, current events, and a delightful dose of irreverence that leaves followers saying, “Whoa!” as they take aim at improper word usage. With the sheer amount of info available online, it’s baffling that people still misuse words. Can we please #MakeAmericaSmartAgain? Pretty please? Luckily, one dictionary answered with a resounding, “Absolutely!”
At the helm of this wordy revolution is the content and social media manager at Merriam-Webster, Sarah Jenkins. She insists that they’re not reinventing the wheel; they’ve been running a feature called Trend Watch since 2010, which tracks the most searched words daily. This data is then used to craft blog posts and update definitions for trending terms. Lately, many of these words have political undertones, but the team emphasizes that their focus is solely on user interest, not any political stance.
“We’ve been doing a lot of interesting things for a while. We’re not political, so I hope people don’t stick around just to be disappointed,” Sarah stated. “When we see a spike in lookups related to current events, we share that trend and provide extra context about the word’s meaning and usage.” However, it’s important to note that while Sarah leads the charge, she credits her talented team for the witty content. “It’s absolutely a group effort. We’re lucky to work with so many intelligent and funny people.”
In response to claims of political trolling, Merriam-Webster clarifies that their reporting is simply about word lookup trends. “And again, we’ve been doing that since 2010. Trend Watch isn’t new, and it’s not political. We just report when lookups surge for various reasons.”
Translation: They’re just doing their job. So, why not grab a dictionary and catch up?
Honestly, as long as people continue to misuse “irregardless” and “alternative facts” as if they’re real words, I’m all for Merriam-Webster throwing shade wherever they please, as long as they keep dishing out wisdom with a side of sass. You can and should follow Merriam-Webster on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to get your daily word fix.
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Summary
Merriam-Webster’s social media presence has transformed the traditional perception of dictionaries into a witty, engaging source of information. With a focus on trending words and their meanings, they keep followers informed and entertained, all while encouraging better language use. Follow them on social media for your daily dose of wordplay!