(2004-12-01) — Merriam-Webster, the dictionary publisher, today announced that ‘blog‘ was the most-searched word on its website in 2004, and will be added to the dictionary in 2005. However, the term ‘Instalanche’ failed to make the top 10, delivering another crushing blow to blogger Glenn Reynolds.
The dictionary will define ‘blog’ as “an online journal which produces fame without wealth for pajama-clad scribes, known as bloggers, who write so well they don’t need editors and who survive by eating ramen noodles and Tang powder from a spoon.”
‘Instalanche’, which missed a top 10 ranking despite a vigorous lobbying effort, is “a brief but powerful spike in blog traffic, generated by a link from InstaPundit.com, which creates in the affected blogger a fleeting sense of euphoria and heightened self-esteem, followed by weeks of doubt and progressive self-loathing.”
InstaPundit creator Glenn Reynolds could not be reached for comment. However, unnamed associates said that the Instalanche production business has such a small profit margin that Mr. Reynolds must moonlight as a law professor just to make ends meet.
0 responses so far ↓
1 The Smoking Room // Dec 1, 2004 at 10:18 am
I hope “weblogs” disappear now
So you’ve heard that “blog” is number one on Merriam-Webster’s list of the top 10 words of the year. It’s good that they didn’t use the clunky and patronizing full…
2 InstaPunk // Dec 1, 2004 at 12:45 pm
O How Beautiful is a Generous Spirit
InstaPunk lends its full weight in the cause of “Instalanche.”
3 it comes in pints? // Dec 3, 2004 at 9:20 am
That Merriam-Webster list
I’ve heard and seen several stories about MW’s list of the most looked-up words of 2004. It even got a mention by Scrappleface. What I want to know is, why did “defenestration” make the list? Did I miss something?…