I was thinking about the word webinar today and what an ugly word it is. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, it was first used in 1997 in a publication called DM News (it turns out that DM stands for Direct Marketing, which further solidifies and justifies my hatred of the word). This web + seminar construction gives rise to other equally ugly words like webisode and vlog.
I like new words that are useful, but constructions like this one seem a bit too twee for my taste. Webinar... it is one of those words that will seem exceedingly quaint in about 10 years. Luckily, the Durham Spelling Bee uses the Webster's Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged, as its source, where these words do not appear. So, you will never encounter them at the bee. You're welcome.
Are there any words you think should be banished? Leave a comment.
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impactful.
ReplyDeletewetware
ReplyDeletephlebotomy. Man, do I hate that word.
ReplyDeleteI actually like phlebotomy (the word, not the practice). I like the sound of all the phle* and phlo* words.
ReplyDeleterefudiate
ReplyDeleteHeyI need 5th grade spelling words and I need them now!!! Any Websites?
ReplyDeleteYeah, I refuse to participate in anything called a "webinar." Loved the picture!
ReplyDelete