Here at Webb’s “Weird Words,” our stock-in-trade is presenting lists of oddball vocab — complete with pronunciation, part of speech, definitions and sundry other info on origin and usage. But we’ve been on a lengthy hiatus from that, covering the Broadway revival of Waiting for Godot (loaded with unusual language) and then moving on to
Last week, Webb’s Weird Words feted the new year by looking at new words in a new dictionary. That would be the 12th edition of Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate, the first update of that venerable tome since 2003. Now that I actually have one in my hands, here are a few reflections on this long-awaited revamp. The
“Because of the internet and AI, destructive behavior is more accessible to good men than ever before,” says Tim Hartzell. “We don’t even have to look for it — it pursues us. And if we are not prepared for the attack, we will fall.” Hartzell, a recent area pastor and now a freelance writer focusing
Right around January 1 each year, book-loving friends start sharing their reading lists from the past 12 months — exchanging tallies, finds and recommendations. Back when I had school-age kids and a full-time job, I managed only 40 or 50 a year; but as a retired empty-nester in 2025, I chalked up a whopping 142
Happy New Year! And welcome back to Webb’s Weird Words; we were on a multi-week hiatus while your local linguist labored on seasonal fare like Christmas Carol and It’s a Wonderful Life. And while we’re on the welcome wagon: a hearty “Woo-hoo!” for the exciting new update of Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary. Released in November, the
