TBH, dad bods don’t seem to be disappearing anytime soon, at least not from our lexicon.
“Dad bods” and “TBH” — the shorthand for “to be honest” generally found in text messages — are among the 455 new words Merriam-Webster has added to its dictionary for October 2021, its first update since January, the site announced.
“Just as the language never stops evolving, the dictionary never stops expanding,” said Merriam-Webster.
The tumultuous events of the 2020s thus far have helped dictate the new addictions, said the dictionary.
“We’ve been communicating online for decades now, and pandemic-related circumstances have only increased the practice. The quick and informal nature of messaging, texting and tweeting has contributed to a vocabulary newly rich in efficient and abbreviated expression,” said Merriam-Webster.
Other new additions include “because” — the iteration “often used in a humorous way to convey vagueness about the exact reasons for something,” as in “this happened because 2020″ — as well as “digital nomad,” and pandemic-era words like “super-spreader,” “long COVID,” and “vaccine passport.”
Long-held adherents of the peanut butter and marshmallow creme sandwich will be drooling over the inclusion of “fluffernutter,” while anime and manga fans will relish the addition of “otaku.”
———
