New words put in the dictionary

New words added to the dictionary are a treat for Scrabble players (and copywriters). As a professional copywriter, I know only too well how language shifts and evolves. So, it’s no surprise that Merriam-Webster added various slang terms to the US Scrabble dictionary today.

For the first time, US Scrabble fans and writers can use new words like ‘twerking’ – to dance by jiggling the buttocks. The dictionary has also added ‘ew’, which means an exclamation of disgust, although I think ‘ugh’ or ‘yuck’ are more expressive.

New words enter British dictionary

Next year, the British version of the US Scrabble bible, the Collins Scrabble Wordlist, gets updated. However, the British list is already ahead in some ways. According to this BBC news item, it added ‘twerk’ in 2015, along with ‘eew’ (note: three letters, not two).

Twitter is chatting about the US ‘Ew’ because two-letter words are particularly useful in Scrabble, because they enable you to make up several words in one go. You can read more about it in this Collins Blog. It includes helpful lists of various obscure two-letter words. They range from ‘aa’ – volcanic rock that includes angular blocks of lava – to ‘zo’, apparently a Tibetan breed of cattle.

Such words are ideal for Scrabble. However, I can’t see a copywriter needing them except in the unlikely event that they have ultra-specific clients who are experts in volcanos or enjoy farming in Tibet!

Finally, I’d like to add my personal favourite in a Scrabble game – ‘adze’. It’s an axe used in boatbuilding. My father, a master shipwright, always managed to sneak it in and win quite a few games with it.

Author: Alison Harmer