Failed Attempt to get Classic Gaming or Retrogaming Added to the Dictionary

[Fort Apocalypse]

A failed attempt to get "classic gaming" or "retrogaming" added to the dictionary:

 

Fort Apocalypse wrote:

> >I doubt that anyone has checked for this term, since it is composed

> >of two words already commonly used, but the term "classic gaming"

> >(a.k.a. "retrogaming" a.k.a. (less used) "old-school gaming") should

> >be considered for the modern dictionary. If you don't mind, please

> >mention this to those interested in new terms for entry. The primary

> >definition is "the hobby of playing and collecting older computer,

> >video, and arcade games". I know that adding new terms is not a

> >popularity contest, but I think you'll find if you search

> >publications from the past several years, you'll see that this term

> >is fairly well established and used in modern culture.

 

Here at Merriam-Webster, we have a series of criteria that a word has to meet to be considered for entry in our dictionary. We spend a certain amount of time every day scouring all sorts of published material for examples of new words, and when we find them, they go into our citation database. When we revise our dictionary, we check the database to see if any of these new words have enough support to warrant their entry.

Thus far, we have no examples of "retrogaming" in our database, which means that it probably won't go in any time soon. A further search of an online news archive turned up only a scant handful of hits for "retrogaming," a couple of dozen compared to the thousands that we usually look for when entering a new word.

 

For more information on the process and criteria we use to enter words in the dictionary, please visit our Web site at http://www.merriam-webster.com/help/faq/words_in.htm.

 

Daniel Brandon,

Associate Editor, Merriam-Webster Inc.

http://www.Merriam-Webster.com

http://www.WordCentral.com

http://www.Merriam-WebsterCollegiate.com

http://www.Merriam-WebsterUnabridged.com

Edited August 9, 2008 by Fort Apocalypse

[fiddlepaddle]

Oh, well. Can't always change the world to fit one's perception. Another example of the difference between Wikipedia's consensus-based engine vs. established-use criteria of traditional reference sources.

[carmel_andrews]

never heard of merrion webster...Perhaps you would have been better of going through OED (Oxford English Dictionary) THE de facto standard dictionary for the english speaking world

[theking21083]

Seeing as classic gaming is just the word classic in front of gaming I don't see why they would ever consider it. That would be better suited in an urban dictionary then in Webster. Do think that if I put the word classic in front of the word farting they would accept that? Tom lifted one cheak off of the chair and ripped a huge fart. "That's some classic farting right there" Bill said. I'm guessing that you did it just as a joke, but I could be wrong.

[Fort Apocalypse]

Seeing as classic gaming is just the word classic in front of gaming I don't see why they would ever consider it. That would be better suited in an urban dictionary then in Webster. Do think that if I put the word classic in front of the word farting they would accept that? Tom lifted one cheak off of the chair and ripped a huge fart. "That's some classic farting right there" Bill said. I'm guessing that you did it just as a joke, but I could be wrong.

 

If classic farting was a website, had a wikipedia entry, and was generally accepted to mean something significant than I would think it should be considered.

[Fort Apocalypse]

never heard of merrion webster...Perhaps you would have been better of going through OED (Oxford English Dictionary) THE de facto standard dictionary for the english speaking world

 

Agreed!

[Artlover]

never heard of merrion webster...Perhaps you would have been better of going through OED (Oxford English Dictionary) THE de facto standard dictionary for the english speaking world

I find this, uh..., interesting, considering M-W has been in the dictionary business longer then OED has.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merriam-Webster

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxford_English_Dictionary

 

Tho I aggree that it probably would have been easier to get listed in OED then M-W.

[theking21083]

Hommy is a generaly accepted word but you don't see that in the dictionary. Maybe if we say classic hommy then they will accept it? Fingers crossed.

[Artlover]

Hommy is a generaly accepted word but you don't see that in the dictionary. Maybe if we say classic hommy then they will accept it? Fingers crossed.

Hommy don't play that. <Whack>

[Fort Apocalypse]

Hommy is a generaly accepted word but you don't see that in the dictionary. Maybe if we say classic hommy then they will accept it? Fingers crossed.

 

I challenge all who write articles for periodicals and other trusted sources to use "classic hommy" in at least every other article.

[fiddlepaddle]

Most of us probably have 'classic farting' stories from our past. I also think a scene from Blazing Saddles would qualify, as well as a couple of bits by George Carlin.

 

Anyone want to make a wikipedia entry?

[gdement]

never heard of merrion webster...Perhaps you would have been better of going through OED (Oxford English Dictionary) THE de facto standard dictionary for the english speaking world

I find this, uh..., interesting, considering M-W has been in the dictionary business longer then OED has.

I assume he's joking. I doubt the Brits have much regard for Webster's improvements to the language.

[supercat]

I would agree with M-W that "classic gaming" has a insufficient meaning beyond the combination of the involved words to justify inclusion in the dictionary; retrogaming may come into sufficient use to justify inclusion, but I don't think it's there yet.

 

I'm more puzzled by the lack of

 

"via", n. pl. -s, A metal-plated hole connecting layers on a printed circuit board.

 

That is the term used for such connections. The closest substitute would be "throughhole" or "through-hole", but those aren't in the dictionary either.