Though it houses the English language, the Merriam-Webster dictionary isn’t a linguistic gatekeeper. In fact, it’s far more interested in documenting the natural evolution of language than it is in maintaining a rigid status quo. And—to put it in internet parlance—the dictionary is also “savage af” when it comes to Twitter.
I feel like @MerriamWebster is turning into the “chill” parent who lets your friends come over and get high https://t.co/dM4HT2Brt2
— Gabriel Roth (@gabrielroth) September 7, 2016
Things started when senior Slate editor Gabriel Roth decided to make some jokes about Merriam-Webster’s lax stance on language. Roth was referring to a Merriam-Webster article that argued it’s fine to use the word “mad” to mean “angry” rather than “crazy.”
It’s great at first, it’s nice to have friends and a place to get high, but something about it starts to feel wrong
— Gabriel Roth (@gabrielroth) September 7, 2016
If no one’s making rules for us, it means we’re responsible for our own decisions, and we feel kind of ambivalent about that tbqh
— Gabriel Roth (@gabrielroth) September 7, 2016
The dictionary pulled no punches when it came to putting Roth in his place:
Keep on keeping on, Merriam-Webster.