Many folks have noted that “w00t” won Merriam-Webster’s word of the year. But it’s worth noting that the word “facebook” placed second — a sign that the social-networking phenomenon that started on college campuses has reached the mainstream.
Merriam-Webster’s Open Dictionary defines facebooking as just about any activity on the service, from the act of logging on to the site, to uploading photos to a profile. The choice is much in line with last year’s second-place winner “google.” (Thanks to library services blog Friends: Networking Sites for Engaged Library Services for bringing this to our attention.
This year’s winner, “w00t,” is a decidedly geeky way to express joy, often used by online gamers when they win a match. It is an acronym for “we owned the other team,” using zeros rather than ‘o’s (according to Merriam-Webster’s Open Dictionary).
—Hurley Goodall
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