June 25, 2015

'Masshole' added to Oxford dictionary

One of the lesser known cultural conflicts in America is the broad contempt for Massachusetts residents by some Mainers (save for the Red Sox). It stems in part from the former's presumed lack of driving skills. Our favorite slur against "Massholes" was the description of Endicott Peabody as the state's only governor named after four towns: "Endicott, Peabody, Marblehead and Athol."

Maine Memes-  The Oxford English Dictionary officially announced that the word “Masshole,” our favorite word for our friends from the Bay State, has been added to the dictionary.

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, here are the other words that have been added:

backronym (n.): a contrived explanation of an existing word’s origin, positing it as an acronym. When some guy tries to say that golf is an acronym of “gentlemen only, ladies forbidden,” that is a backronym.

boiler room (n.): a place used as a center of operations for an election campaign, especially a room equipped for teams of volunteers to make telephone calls soliciting support for a party or candidate.

bridge-and-tunnel (adj.): of or designating a person from the outer boroughs or suburbs of a city, typically characterized as unsophisticated or unfashionable.

cisgender (adj.): designating someone whose sense of personal identity corresponds to the sex and gender assigned to him or her at birth.

fo’ shizzle (phr.): in the language of rap and hip-hop this means “for sure.” Shizzle, as a euphemism for sh-t, dates back to the ’90s. One can also be “the shizzle,” which is the best or most popular thing.

half-ass (v.): to perform (an action or task) poorly or incompetently; to do (something) in a desultory or half-hearted manner.

Masshole (n.): term of contempt for a native or inhabitant of the state of Massachusetts. This is what is known as a blended word, which Lewis Carroll called portmanteaus, naming them after a suitcase that unfolds into two equal parts.

sext (n.): a sexually explicit or suggestive message or image sent electronically, typically using a mobile phone.

stanky (adj.): having a strong (usually unpleasant) smell. The dictionary’s editors offer the comparison to skanky, which means unattractive or offensive, as well as janky, which refers to something that is untrustworthy or of poor quality.

No comments: