Because Merriam-Webster Says So

Below-the-fold, today's Daily Breeze reports:  "F-bomb makes it into mainstream dictionary."  And I thought, "How nice -- this is suitable front page news for a morning paper?"

To check the usage, I went to the Top Words and Definitions listed on the back page to see how the F-bomb is actually used.  "As a euphemism."  As in, "And then he let go in the locker room - f-bombs all over the place!"  rather than, "So he said, F  F  F  F!"  Good to know.

Vegetarians who occasionally eat meat or fish could be called "flexitarians."  In simpler times, we might describe this person as "a kinda vegetarian" or "Not that strict a vegetarian."

This whole exercise seems rather foolish to me because by the time a word has become common, it's also become passe.  I cite "man cave"  "gastropub"  and "life coach" which has to date back to the mid-90s.

Of note, "Toxic" has a new, addtional meaning.  "An asset that has lost so much value that it cannot be sold on the market."  Merriam-Webster should have stayed away from that one.