Slang from new dictionary is downright 'narsty'

How has the language evolved since we last saw a new Urban Dictionary? Grab some "store d'oeuvres" and read on.

April 23, 2012 at 1:33PM
(Randy Salas/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

When we last saw a new Urban Dictionary, the cheeky guide to street slang, compiler Aaron Peckham was defining "ridonkulous" and "hella." Five years later, there's a new edition, the third since 2005. How has the language evolved?

Well, 10 terms involve texting, from textpectation (the feeling of waiting for a response) to text-hole (a person who texts in inappropriate places, such as movie theaters). Then there is WWJT or, "What would Jesus text?"

The first Urban Dictionary was a mainstream guide to the inventive languages of hip-hop, social networking, technology and pop culture. At www.urbandictionary.com, Peckham continues as a linguistic aggregator with his "word of the day." This third edition marks slang that has survived, as well as some new contenders. Such as:

Googleganger -- similar to a doppelganger; a person whose links are mixed with your own when you Google yourself.

Store d'oeuvres -- food samples that a grocery store serves to tempt patrons into buying something.

Vaguebook -- an intentionally vague or one-worded status update. Could be an inside joke, or a plea for someone to comment, such as posting "pointless" or "frustrated."

Drum driving -- banging on the steering wheel like a drum set while driving and listening to music.

Narsty -- combination of "gnarly" and "nasty," meaning something both cool and strange.

Then there is this survivor: tl;dr -- acronym for "too long; didn't read."

If you've read this, the length must have been just right.

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about the writer

Kim Ode

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