Merriam-Webster has released its newest Collegiate Dictionary complete with some new words to add to your everyday conversations. The dictionary features around 100 new words and phrases.
Because of current events, "dirty bomb" and "norovirus" have been included in the publication. Poker players everywhere should rejoice because "Texas Hold ‘em" is now listed in the book.
New words such as "infinity pool" were added to keep up with the new technology being created each year. For those who are unaware, an infinity pool is an outdoor pool with an edge designed to make water appear to flow into the horizon.
But perhaps my favorite new word for this edition is "mondegreen." What is a mondegreen? It describes words mistaken for other words. A mondegreen most often comes from misunderstood phrases or lyrics, such as "'Scuse me, while I kiss this guy" in place of "kiss the sky" in the 1967 Jimi Hendrix classic "Purple Haze."
This brought back memories of singing with my girlfriends in junior high and butchering up several songs. Bon Jovi was very popular during the time and we would sing our little hearts out as junior high girls normally would do at that age. For instance, Bon Jovi's "You Give Love A Bad Name." We would sing, "Shot through the heart and you're too late." It is suppose to go, "Shot to the heart and your to blame."
This practice of using the wrong words has gotten to be a major phenomenon these days. An entire website is devoted to misheard lyrics with a domain name in common with the above most famous misheard lyric: www.kissthisguy.com.
I can't help but laugh. In high school, I think I sang the wrong words to every Pearl Jam song. Eddie Veddar had an amazing voice and a huge fan in me, but yet I always missed the real lyrics. Perhaps my favorite was singing Glorified G. For those who don't know the correct words are "Glorified Version." I do not remember singing that once. It was always "Glorified Virgin" in my song. What does that say about me? Maybe we should start a counseling group in which a psychiatrist can study the underlying meanings behind the misconstrued lyrics.
So what mondegreens do you continually use? What are some that your children have done? Leave them in the comments. We can all use a good laugh!
Then go to the online dictionary and submit them there as well. The Merriam-Webster online dictionary plans to publish their favorites on July 28, submit yours online for consideration by the dictionary at http://www.merriam-webster.com/info/newwords08.htm
