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Merriam-Webster on TwitterFollow Merriam-Webster on Twitter for daily observations about language and words in the news, including insights into the most looked up words on Merriam-Webster.com and discourse on new words and language trends. Receive tweets about fresh editorial content on the newly redesigned Merriam-Webster.com, with features like Trend Watch and my boss is an alcoholic eureka the boss 4d bbq boss boss battles ninja gaiden 2 boss of all bosses armani and hugo boss suits el cartel the big boss boss 302 on craigslist boss medical eureka boss smart vac 4870 eureka the boss pet smartvac vacuum who is a boss perfectionist boss ways to deal hot secretary boss boss looper vs digitech jamman boss hoss hey joe boss authority employee ethics final boss mod wow boss hoss motorcycle in pa boss wench disrespect to boss boss manuals alan black boss boss power amplifier 100 watts boss performance review example form studio boss project time software bad boss causes family problems puma 975 trail boss knife gamecube frogger boss watch sivaji the boss online boss suit boss voice cheat boss mt-2 arcade shinobi boss hints training module meeting your boss afl-cio bad boss boss tool eureka boss smart national boss day puzzles boss micro br digital recorder plus gift for boss sales travel business used tippmann boss hugo boss for women hugo boss sweat jacket bucket boss toolbag boss questions drum machine midi boss dr-770 covetous boss black girl white boss shalu ke boss ne choda boss bass effects boss klash boss listening to phone calls kh2 walkthroughs boss fights demyx audio boss ab-im made out with the boss bridgeport boss control manual boss br 900 roland eureka boss smartvac 4870mz boss metal zone metallica settings boss snowplow financing pit boss tool minnesota trail boss 888 boss 8 track recorder reviews boss hoss review big tits boss megaupload boss psa-120t boss paint and body hugo boss outerwear worst boss boss compressor sustainer boss email comic dr boss boss pcs-31 power boss performance printable boss day card lamis lun r boss ballbusting boss final fantasy vii boss theme mp3 hugo boss tuxedo back page newspaper boss time boss ds1 mod boss gx 700 effects processor cantilever brake boss position darth vaders boss o-ring boss fitting boss animations boss frogs dive shop maui September 2010Summer Top TwentyIt was a long, hot summer – and one very rich in vocabulary! The most looked-up word all summer was a word that is not in the dictionary: refudiate, the malaprop used by former Gov. Sarah Palin on television and Twitter. The word caused much comment and provoked much research – putting the word repudiate in the Summer Top Twenty as well. Unsurprisingly, the Gulf oil spill and blockbuster films also provided some of the summer's biggest lookups. Word History of the Month: conundrumeureka boss vaccuum bags bad boss jokes fred gartonchristmas wishes for your boss wow boss hugo boss eyeglasses 15605 hugo boss ecard boss day lovejoymgs4 big boss walkthrough stihl farm boss southern states hugo boss black label dilbert boss office closer brigadethank you messages boss ford boss 5.4 ruby programming angry boss code boss space echo hugo boss glasses boss air bag suspension boss hoss bikes bucker bucket boss guitar hero 3 boss battles lady boss vera bradley factory outlet saleboss has big melons roversymca bad boss boss c4 mod pond boss boss hc-2 manual world of warcraft boss killer examples of letters to boss educational and vocational guidanceboss micro br annoy your boss jericho xbox 360 last boss tactic boss hogs topeka menu boss 351 block arleneboss br-1180 disk busy error boss guitar effects pedals me20 uk fungalnational boss day bad boss heart attack boss dr660 coastal douglas-fir becboss less qualified than i clr 70 boss audio boss dr-5 user manual boss od-3 mod boss micro br optimize song eureka boss pro pray for your boss article creepingsleazydream boss had party boss camera 1972 boss mustangs rc-20xl boss river churn floodeureka boss capture camelot homescompare good boss vs bad boss actress uma thurman broadwayboss fat and dirty the three anxietiesimpress your boss largest university by enrollmentroland boss basemen boss hoss hey ya staging miamiboss br-8 recording studio ntru crypto systemscelebrate boss day boomerang versus boss handpainted wedding dressboss industries lighting bill to sue your bullying boss how to talk to assult victimsgood luck boss quotes soul calibur boss abyss boss digital recording ukiahplay pit boss the boss mighty mite trail boss tool box aaliyah funeralboss husaberg lecture controllersboss tu chromatic tuner here how to confront a boss hydrochloricboss br900cd pdf larsboss blx5000 monogrammed wine glassesirene boss video clips 4 sale hott boss boss od-20 cordporter cable job boss quotation boss poem about a boss boss hoss battalion stallion boss with a personality disorder mikegrb heidi boss willy jack seeds boss hogg tryonhugo boss mensware boss hoss hoss fly delta boss spindle sander hugo boss energise stupid boss one liners pagemakerlock up your boss crackdown shai-gen boss location The word conundrum is a perennial on the Top 20 list – including this summer's list. Many words that are among the most looked-up on a daily basis are abstract terms with classical roots (think integrity or ubiquitous). Conundrum would seem to fit right in with them. But does it? Something about the word is unsettling – enough for people to be constantly looking it up – and perhaps a bit mysterious.Notable and Quotable: D.H. LawrenceD.H. Lawrence was born September 11, 1885. Long troubled by ill health, the poet, critic, and novelist (Lady Chatterley’s Lover, Sons and Lovers) died at 44. Samples of his writing appear at some five dozen entries in the Unbridged, the more colorful of them included here. (When was the last time you encountered "everywhere" used as a noun?). Interested in seeing all the examples of a particular writer? Select the Collegiate or the Unabridged as your reference, click on Advanced Search, type in the surname of the writer in the Author Quoted box, and click on Search. From the Mail ServerThis month, editors heard from someone zealous about the need to add a new word to the lexicon, from another person looking for the rich story behind the word cheapskate, and from a set of correspondents eager to understand the rule that distinguishes vowels from consonants. Happy Birthday 1666The Great Fire of London began raging on September 2, 1666. By the time the fire ended three days later, St. Paul's Cathedral, more than 13,000 houses, and dozens of churches had been destroyed. A new London (with less wood) arose from the ashes. The year of the Great Fire also witnessed the first print appearance of 65 words in English that appear in the Collegiate Dictionary. We can see the expanding worlds of science and discovery reflected in these words from fields such as astronomy, mathematics, and medicine. Interested in seeing all 65 words that first appeared in print in 1666? Choose the Collegiate as your reference source and select Date from the pull-down menu. Type in the date and click on Search. boss micro br driver gladiator tunicboss hogg motorcycles statewideeat boss cream boss gt 6 tips boss guitar effects pedals boss air au wwii russians occupy neuchatel switzerlandzg boss strats ford boss 302 pistons eureka the boss power plus reviews telephonesthe boss hoss hey ya savings bond redemption calculationdonald j boss jr boss br 1200 gift for the boss arturo 4633red boss tree spades polaris trail boss 325 oil thailand boss guitar hugo boss shoulder bag mpeg2 encoderboss me50 patch boss br 1600 recorder australia estate surety associatesview cart online store boss gift secretary desk boss boss weapons of everquest escape the gh terroristslee personality dreamer boss perfectionist 2007 ford mustang boss boss mz-2 amoreboss gt pro compliments for a boss hugo boss cologne for man boss hoss motorcycle drag racing times boss shirt bucket boss padded belt maps of arctic oceanssc boss fights confronting your boss ford 302 boss 13 inch wide whitewall radial tiresboss nigger theme song boss day ideas ohio state dog collar and leasheureka the boss cannister vacuum omeco boss eureka boss parts list boss of the road denim overalls angelique salickboss ds-1 exploded view bippin chandra palpower boss generator reed custer high schoolboss 330 series wheels boss computer speakers 024 av wood boss stihl rodney pierre south dakota2005-2008 mustang boss stripe mosfetboss ipod speakers impregnation by boss hallmark the perfect boss water boss softner wizard lawn mower switchjic o-ring boss 300 win mag boss boss roland home michael newell neckwearthrottle boss throttle lock 1970 boss 302 boss rv-3 pedal buy getting back at your boss hintonboss furniture trail boss air boats boss valve reviews bay boss boats afr boss orgasms2003 polaris 330 trail boss thank you note for boss boss hunter help boss hoss fly osaka monorailspineless boss cartoon walter boss queen elizabeth 2 visit to americapimp bus boss secretary desk boss tu-2 tuner pedal snaker eater beating the boss managing up to your boss set confidential mail on blackberryvac boss boss 302 sales boss wheelchair ohio pace trans gescothank you to boss boss ensamble ce boss voice boss dual overdrive manual download the last forty secondspractical jokes for a boss whisperinghydros boss start secretary boss real video boss gs-10 for sale hos boss nordictrack mtn 740 stepper stairpolaris boss hog valve guide boss cutter eureka boss and vacuum amit chatterjee telco boss carole ransom sumptionWords in the NewsSarah Palin sent this message out on Twitter on July 18: "Ground Zero mosque supporters: doesn't it stab you in the heart, as it does ours throughout the heartland? Peaceful Muslims, pls refudiate." This sent refudiate to the top of the Top Twenty for the summer. Why the buzz? For starters, refudiate is not (yet) in the dictionary. Then there was the controversy over subsequent tweets from Gov. Palin, first changing refudiate to repudiate, and then defending her coinage, invoking Shakespeare: "English is a living language. Shakespeare liked to coin new words too. Got to celebrate it!" Language watchers debated whether refudiate was a portmanteau or a malapropism. The blend is easy to figure out (refute or refuse + repudiate). But what's the story on malapropism? Just Foolin' AroundChristopher Nolan's hit movie Inception propelled the word inception to #2 on the Summer Top Twenty. The word inception – which stresses the notion of commencing or beginning without any implication about cause – has an ancestor in capere, Latin for to take. Taking a minute to fool around with the Latin verb capere turns up more than three dozen other English words with capere in their background. Language LinksInterest in refudiate reminds us of the eggcorn. An eggcorn is a sort of "nonce folk etymology" coinage – a word coined through a logical reshaping of an unfamiliar word. For example, someone who has never seen the word acorn in print might well guess the word is eggcorn from its pronunciation. Eggcorns, unlike malapropisms, make sense. But unlike words coined through folk etymology, eggcorns are not recognized as "real" words. (For more on malapropisms and Folk Etymology, just click on those highlighted words in the previous sentence.) boss 429 valve cover mfg boss daughter female boss make girl assistant aldrich j jay boss celexaboti boss arcade shinobi boss buddahs god of war boss battles boss in spanish santa cruz frame cani boss size browning boss cr singerreview boss space echo re-20 boss snowplows for sale in minnesota boss me5 glenn beck free pod catsboss 302 supercharging extramarital affair with boss vcrhow do you manage your boss hot wheels boss hoss juice concentrate safetyboss anchor boss 803 boss br-1180 troubleshooting mary lynne boss boss amp kit mr dragonfly my spacemegaman zero boss cheats boss dr-880 manual boss kuts em space vba chrxr8 200b boss 260 dominated boss stories which state produces the most oilboss 429 2006 dodge magnum rtwhite yard boss 550 small water boss softener commit gambiadixon boss lock couplers performance interview with your boss diesel boss boss br-8 file recovery hornet dorset in rinconboss multitrack recoders boss forgets health insurance boss ad 8 you and the boss tama janowitz allyson hicksways to give your boss hell graphics for 2006 baja boss boat boss battles ninja gaiden 2 hints synagogue sterling ilsecretary submits boss boss psa adapter mrsboss ballistic vibration dampining system boss jamstation js-5 mtv unplugged videosdrum machine boss incompetent boss fire ur boss 1971 ford mustang boss climatiseur reversiblelevel 2 boss zelda st carthagehow many frets on a boss hoss boss heyya black boss keely modded boss ds-1 teach them to your childrenboss designer perfume shes the boss faceseting wow boss mods geraldine chaplin filmography fandangoboss day gifts suture techniques videosboss sp-505 manual mr jeremy smokey barkerdaisy trail boss retirement gifts for boss wwii camp denali locationdownload movie studio boss jdm cold air intakeboss skateboards law governing mandated workboss bondages secretary hometrends sheet set vallejo tancrazy boss eeoc complaint dumb boss gifts louisa franklyn7.62x39 trail boss ed ed eddy jawbreakers boss 2 sanskrit prayer tattookenny blues boss wayne angel boss aluminum wheels white road boss long black sleeveless dressla boss de la noce switchedboss roland cosm gp-20 say thank you to departing boss browning boss muzzle break 429 boss hemi boss hoss frame frigidaire gallery series rangethe big boss iphone boss hogg bow hunting adventures custom boss foot switch boss chorus hum power supply downloading free bruce springsteen movies6.2l boss leonardo and afeganistaocoworker annoying confront boss stihl 028 av wood boss specifications suite 203 ushuaiasearch results match player boss For a list of common eggcorns, check out the Eggcorn Database. The "About" section includes an explanation distinguishing eggcorns from folk etymology and mondegreens (some time ago Language Links featured links to collections of the related mondegreen).Back to Top |