OMG! I ♥ OED! LOL!!
When you think of the Oxford English Dictionary, what comes to mind? A thick, dusty book that is on your parents’ bookshelf, but hardly ever used? Well, it’s time to change that view. Because today’s Oxford English Dictionary or OED is just as modern and cool as you are.
Recently, OED added thousands of new words to its already impressive collection, which is also available online. And some of these words are not what you would expect to see in the world’s first English dictionary. They are acronyms you and your friends use everyday when you chat, email, or text. Words like “OMG” (Oh My God), “BFF” (best friend forever), “LOL” (laugh out loud), and the dictionary’s first graphic symbol, ♥(love), among others.
Also regional food words like “bánh mì”(a Vietnamese sandwich) and “taquito” (a small Mexican flour roll with filling) have been added, as have “sammich” or sandwich, email, and “la-la land” for the city of Los Angeles, USA, which OED explains in a tongue and cheek way “can refer either to Los Angeles or to a state of being out of touch with reality—and sometimes to both simultaneously.”
Oldest, Most Respected
The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) is the oldest and most respected English dictionary, first published more than 150 years ago. It is considered to be the ultimate collection of words and currently contains 600,000 words and 3 million quotations from over 1,000 years of English.
The OED was first conceived by the Philological Society of London in 1857, as a four volume series that was to be completed in ten years. James Murray was chosen as the editor. However, five years down the road, when Murray and his colleagues had only reached the word 'ant', it was time to revise timelines and get additional help. Multiple people joined the effort, including a prisoner serving time for a murder. Even J.R.R Tolkien worked on the OED -- his focus, the letter 'W'!
Samuel Johnson was responsible for the overall look and feel of the first OED, where each word was defined and illustrated with quotes. The first volume (A-Ant) came out 27 years later, with the final 12-volume OED completed in 1928.
Keeping Up With Times
Dictionaries like Oxford and Webster’s regularly revise and add to their word collections to reflect how English is spoken today. However, this was Oxford’s most detailed update and included 1,900 word updates and nearly 46,000 new words. A word is added or revised after it has been around for a few years. And once a word gets into the dictionary, it stays there forever.
In the past, OED has added words like “muggle” the “Harry Potter” term for humans who don’t have magical powers, “screenager” for a young person who is a computer and internet expert, and “doh,” the cartoon character Homer Simpson’s favorite expression when things go wrong, or when someone says or does something foolish. And in keeping with today’s world of social media, Oxford recently also changed the noun “friend” into a verb, as in ‘to friend’ or add someone as your friend on Facebook.
Are you ready to make OED your “BFF” (best friend forever)? LOL!! 
My family doesn't say those things or write them down, I sorry to say but I don't really like those words.:(
That is RIDICULOS! Lol? Brb? OMG is just wrong. Alot of people don't let their kids say that...
What does brb mean? I have never heard that one. Yeah I am not allowed to say OMG.
omg !!!! it is too good it sound little freaky but cool
I like that they're adding more txting words to the dictionary like lol
MWAHAHAH!!! Harry Potter is now DOMINATING the Dictionary!!!! Now that the word MUGGLE is in there Harry Potter words will be forever added
To this passage: I don't think these symbols help us at all i never use lol or brb or whatever. I think putting these in a dictionary is really weird because everyone will start doing it more. I think we need to actually use proper words. I guess it saves you time but still... Oh and to everyone else: My favorite is Harry Potter too! such well written! O and i didnt see Jk Rowling using lol in her book! We need to use more detail!
Good thing we have a dictionary to find the meaning of words
I know right? Think about what would happen if we didn`t have words.
this video was very boring, it wasn't interesting...
i think that this is really cool.
it is nice to have that in a dictionary
omg and lol is added to the dictionary that is totally wicked men and women.
Has anyone read the book This side of paradise or the sequal Paradise Lost.
no i havent but ill try and check them out i love to read a lot i read a ton every night b4 bed
You should they are very interesting.
if a new word is made do they have to make a new dictionary
Guys, did you know that you can select any word or phrase on a Youngzine article, and click on "Look up" to look it up in a dictionary.
I DID know that.
i know but its kinda cool. i'm sort of torn .. i'm very indecisive
the dictionary is useful and very cheap i have five dictionaries
you got that REALLY right, matthew
yes they are trying to keep up but still.....
Dictionary is very useful for everyone, even me
I agree with Matthew.
All these abbreviations such as OMG and LOL are just spoiling the English language. It is certainly now possible for me to read a book (that will be written by future generations) with all these expressions. People will forget the real beauty of the English language that was seen in all the classics. Soon, these acronyms will eat up the proper way of speaking and writing. Sad!
It's tough to make a dictionary. Especially when all these new words are added in.
wow, it's changed so much. It changed from something my friend Beatrix would read, or my mom would write, to something a teenager would write. That's so surprising!
I love the fact that they have added words from Harry Potter!!!
Long live J. R. R. Tolkien and J. K. Rowling!!!
I agree with you, Matthew, but Zohar has a point. It will certainly be more interesting to pick up the OED now!
I dislike the fact that the Oxford Dictionary has added these new words to the official English language. OMG, LOL, and BFF just aren't true English! It's okay to use them, but to make them official is just too much!
you are so right,dude
I think that the Oxford Dictionary is just trying to stay modern and in touch with today's world. I agree that OMG and LOL aren't "real words", but I applaud the OED's efforts to keep up with the evolving English language.
OMG i read the hobbit and it was really good GO harry potter and Lord of the rings!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The muggle princess
ik i love those books 2
kewl!
Weird how they added all those abbreviations that english teachers will probably tell you not to use. And a heart! What would be the definition for that???
That's cool that so many people worked on this- even Tolkein, who I have to say, wrote THE BEST SERIES EVER!!!!!!!!!! Lord of the Rings rocks!
tell me about it he rocks
You should really read the Redwall series. Ian has also read it, and it was he that recommended it. It's basically about an animal kingdom with the basic plot: good vs evil. But, actually the books are really addictive! I've never been so engrossed in such a series.
ik i've read some of them they rock i mean most teens and tweens think it sounds childish but its very good. I also recomment LION BOY, CITY OF THE BEST, SECRET GARDEN and duh HARRY POTTER and LORD OF THE RINGS.
If you love harry potter and lord of the rings totally read SEPTUMIS HEAP which is an awsome book series to oh and SCORPIDA - an awsome book to about a teen spy who the bad guys want on their team but he works for the FBI and he stops them from killing all the kids in the world.
Also JUNGLE BOOK and LITTLE WOMEN yah you can tell i read a lot. I can think of a ton more cuz i read a lot and im a fast reader oh i also highly recommend HATCHET its about a young boy who was in a plane crash. It was only him and a pilot and the pilot had a stroke and died and the boy survives for months in the wildrness with only a hatchet and how he gets rescued. You should really read it its very good.
Also ROBINSIN CRUSOE and THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON wich is really really good and WISH BONE. A lot of these are series are good and you should read them all. i probably only put the first one in each series. I read a large variety of books reading rocks lol cya pp
Harry Potter was the most awesome book I have ever read. It was also the first of it's kind if I am not wrong. But too many authors got inspired and are writing and repeating JK Rowling's theme, in their own writing style. These copycats can be very annoying and I don't wish to buy such books and place them on my shelf. It increases their finances and motivates them to write more of these '2 boy-1 girl magical stories'.
you read a lot cool, I do too! Gregor The Overlander is really good one! Wish Stealers too:)
ill check them out soon im bogged with books but will check them out at the library or on the nook. they sound cool thanks for the recommendations.
i'll check those out. and also Education of Little Tree is a good book too. give me a day i'll think of another one lol
oh and the rats of nimf is really cool to lol im such a big nerd
Do you mean Ms. Frisby and the rats of NIMH? You spelled Nimh wrong.
omg im such a nerd ttfn