Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Arts & Entertainment
Merriam-Webster Gets Hip To The Lingo, Adds "Man Cave," "Sexting," And "F-Bomb"
By
Rebecca Fishbein
Published Aug 14, 2012
Modified Aug 14, 2012
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Rebecca Fishbein
Published Aug 14, 2012
Modified Aug 14, 2012
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Looks like the English language just got a little bit classier: just when you got autocorrect to stop changing it to "Sexton," the editors of the Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary have added "sexting," "man cave," and "f-bomb" to the venerable tome's list of recognized words for 2012. Next time you whip out that Merriam's app, keep a lookout for these handy new entries:
man caven. (1992): a room or space (as in a basement) designed according to the taste of the man of the house to be used as his personal area for hobbies and leisure activities.
sextingn. (2007): the sending of sexually explicit messages or images by cellphone.
f-bombn. (1988): the word fuck—used metaphorically as a euphemism. (As in all things, we have Dick Cheney to thank, in large part, for this development.)
Other new words we leave as a legacy for subsequent generations include "gastropub," "e-reader," "bucket list," "earworm" (a song or melody that keeps repeating in one's mind, likely inspired by "Call Me Maybe"), "aha moment", "game changer" and "mashup."
Of course, the nearly two-centuries old American Merriam's is a little behind the times— the older, fancier Oxford English Dictionary beat already added "sexting" to its hefty repertoire last summer, along with words like "mankini," "OMG" and "jeggings." And last year, additions to Merriam's included "social media," "tweet," "bromance," "cougar" and "fist pump," all of which we can only assume are soaring to the top of third-grade spelling curriculums as we speak.
Tagged
dictionary
f bomb
man cave
merriam-webster
sexting
Rebecca Fishbein
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE arts-entertainment
NYC and NJ players celebrate the beginning of the Women's Pro Baseball League
Sabrina Robinson and Nylah Ramirez both join the Boston Hunters.
By
Michael Hill
and
Amanda Rozon
Published Jul 31, 2026
August concerts in NYC means bands on a boat, in a backyard, and in parks
Ted Leo in a park, a rave in a museum courtyard, and more.
By
Hank Shteamer
Arts & Entertainment
August concerts in NYC means bands on a boat, in a backyard, and in parks
Ted Leo in a park, a rave in a museum courtyard, and more.
By
Hank Shteamer
Group of rays spotted swimming in heavily polluted Newtown Creek
By
Hannah Frishberg
Is NYC an all-you-can-eat buffet town? A 5-year-old investigates.
By
James Ramsay
The 8 best movies to see in theaters (and outside!) this August in NYC
By
Emma Stefansky
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .