Dad bod FTW, amirite? Dictionary adds hundreds of new words

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (AP) - Dad bod, amirite, TBH and FTW are now dictionary-appropriate.

Merriam-Webster has added 455 new words to its venerable dictionary, including a number of abbreviations and slang terms that have become ubiquitous on social media.

'œJust as the language never stops evolving, the dictionary never stops expanding,'ť the nearly 200-year-old Springfield, Massachusetts-based company said on its website. "New terms and new uses for existing terms are the constant in a living language."

The dictionary company said the quick and informal nature of messaging, texting, and tweeting, which has only increased during the pandemic, has 'œcontributed to a vocabulary newly rich in efficient and abbreviated expression.'ť

Among them: 'œTBH'ť, an abbreviation for 'œto be honest'ť and 'œFTW,'ť an abbreviation for 'œfor the win.'ť

Merriam-Webster explains that FTW is used "especially to express approval or support. In social media, FTW is often used to acknowledge a clever or funny response to a question or meme.'ť

And it says 'œamirite'ť is a quick way to write 'œam I right,'ť as in, "English spelling is consistently inconsistent, amirite?'ť

The coronavirus pandemic also looms large in the collection of new entrants as 'œsuper-spreader,'ť 'œlong COVID'ť and 'œvaccine passport'ť made the list.

Partisan politics contributed more slang to the lexicon, such as 'œwhataboutism," which Merriam-Webster defines as 'œthe act or practice of responding to an accusation of wrongdoing by claiming that an offense committed by another is similar or worse.'ť For Britons, the dictionary notes that 'œwhataboutery'ť is more commonly used.

The dreaded 'œvote-a-ramas'ť that have become a fixture in the U.S. Congress is explained this way: 'œan unusually large number of debates and votes that happen in one day on a single piece of legislation to which an unlimited number of amendments can be introduced, debated, and voted on.'ť

And still other new terms come from the culinary world, such as 'œfluffernutter,'ť the homey sandwich of peanut butter, marshmallow crème and white bread.

Horchata, the cold sweetened beverage made from ground rice or almonds and usually flavored with cinnamon or vanilla, also made the cut, as did chicharron, the popular fried pork belly or pig skin snack.

As for 'œdad bod'ť? The dictionary defines that as a 'œphysique regarded as typical of an average father; especially: one that is slightly overweight and not extremely muscular.'ť