Word Of The Day
Whovian
Pronunciation: /ˈhuːvɪən/
Definition of Whovian
noun
informal
a fan of the British science-fiction television series Doctor Who:as a fan from way back, Barrowman is well aware of just how passionate Whovians are about everything ‘Who’
Back in August, 2012, Whovian was added to The Oxford Dictionaries Online. This is an online, popular dictionary, unrelated to The Oxford English Dictionary. Whovian has yet to appear in that venerable tome.
The OED website provides some fascinating reading, with the Appeals section, for wordsmith investigators attempting to trace the origins and coinage of words.
For instance, the first usage of the word;
mullet
defined as ‘A hairstyle, worn esp. by men, in which the hair is cut short at the front and sides, and left long at the back.’ can be traced back as far as the Beastie Boys song Mullet Head in 1994.
Everybody remembers the mullet as being a phenomena of the 1980s, but can anyone help pin it down with an earleir reference in print or popular culture?
Other appeals are searching for the pre-1966 origins of the Company, referring to the CIA, the first use of bromance, superpipe, and low rider.
The Oxford Dictionaries Blog also has many fascinating articles for wordies, from the popular language of the blues, the infamous quotes of vampires, the changing face of internet language, to the language of The Simpsons.
And if you’re finding yourself short (lacking, wanting, shy) of a synonym, The Historical Thesaurus Of The OED is sure to provide a surfeit.
See full story on oed.com
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