Does it seem, at times, like people are speaking in a foreign language? If so, it may be an indication that your everyday vocabulary needs a little updating! However, you needn’t worry. The editors at Merriam-Webster have added these 10 words among the 1,700 new entries and 3,200 examples to the Merriam-Webster Unabridged dictionary to help you out. Let’s try a little Lingo Bingo…
How many of these words or phrases do you recognize?
Net Neutrality / Dark Money / Click Fraud / Emoji / Clickbait / Photobomb / Jegging / Crema / Sharing Economy / NSFW
So how did you do? Didn’t quite get all 10? Well, here are the answers:
Net Neutrality:Â the idea, principle, or requirement that Internet service providers should or must treat all Internet data as the same regardless of its kind, source, or destination
Dark Money: money contributed to nonprofit organizations that is used to fund political campaigns without disclosure of the donors’ identities
Click Fraud: fraud committed by clicking through an advertisement on a website multiple times to spuriously increase the cost to the advertiser
Emoji: any of various small images, symbols, or icons used in text fields in electronic communication (as in text messages, e-mail, and social media) to express the emotional attitude of the writer, convey information succinctly, or communicate a message playfully without using words
Clickbait: something (such as a headline) designed to make readers want to click on a hyperlink especially when the link leads to content of dubious value or interest
Photobomb: to move into the frame of a photograph as it is being taken as a joke or prank
Jegging: a legging that is designed to resemble a tight-fitting pair of denim jeans and is made of a stretchable fabric
Crema: a layer of creamy tan froth that forms on the top of freshly made espresso; heavy cream thickened and slightly soured usually with buttermilk
Sharing Economy: economic activity that involves individuals buying or selling usually temporary access to goods and services especially as arranged through an online company or organization
NSFW: not safe for work; not suitable for work—used to warn someone that a website, e-mail attachment, etc., is not suitable for viewing at most places of employment
Share this Lingo Bingo post with your students, colleagues, family, and friends to see how many words and phrases they know!