Dear Merriam-Webster: Consider adding these words for your next edition

Every now and then, Merriam-Webster introduces new words to its official dictionary collection. Among the dictionary’s latest additions from September were “TL;DR,” “bougie,” “bingeable,” “zoodles” and “mocktail,” which are certainly reflective of tech, style, entertainment and food-related trends that are important and of-the-moment in our culture.

But as I sift through the most recently added words from this year and find abbreviations like “marg” and “rando” — which truly feel more like texting lingo than formal words — I can’t help but think of George Orwell’s dystopian novel, "1984," where some of the characters tried writing a new dictionary for the government’s language, Newspeak.

Why did these words make the cut compared to others that are common among my generation? And if “marg” and “rando” have a place within the pages, what’s next? Where do we go from here? Considering “avo” and “adorbs” are formal Merriam-Webster definitions, here are some terms I think might as well be next in line to make their dictionary debut.

Let’s talk about “adulting.” We’ve all heard it, some of us are probably annoyed by it and many of us are likely culprits of using it as a gold star of achievement for completing just about any activity or task that’s not exactly enjoyable — including (but not limited to) buying cleaning supplies, using that monthly 20-percent-off coupon at Bed Bath & Beyond or *gasp* sending a physical letter in the mail.

I have no doubt the editors at Merriam-Webster have “adulting” on their radar, but perhaps they’re cringing at the vagueness of the definition, as what’s considered “adulting” for one may not be applicable for another. Still, though, I think this is a word that’s telling of our culture and of the mindset many people of young generations have about life beyond adolescence.

Another idea is the widely used compound phrase “girl boss.” In this age defined by empowerment, it’s hard to scroll through Twitter or Instagram without seeing “girl boss” in headlines or graphics or used as a blanket statement to describe inspiring female figures. The phrase is pasted on holographic notebook covers in way-too-big text, it’s on Post-Its and desk accessories, and just when I think I’ve found the perfect plain workout leggings, I come face-to-face with — you guessed it — “girl boss” printed down the leg in all caps.

“Girl boss” would undoubtedly present some interesting challenges and conversations if added to the dictionary, because what would it mean for the already-existing word “boss”? Would there have to be a separate definition for “guy boss”? Either way, I think stranger words have appeared in the dictionary (*cough cough* “zuke,” which is short for zucchini).

My other propositions include “brunching” (verb: a counterpart to the already-existing word “brunch”), “double-texter” (noun: a person who exclusively sends multiple messages in a row), a new definition for the word “spin” (to include “spin class” or indoor cycling), and “refresher” (noun: a person who constantly refreshes his or her email or feeds, even when nothing new shows up).

Now that first and second graders who are learning how to use a dictionary (if that’s still even an elementary school activity) can cite “Instagrammable” and “bougie” as adjectives, only time will tell which words and phrases are next. If any editors from Merriam-Webster are reading this, maybe you’ll consider my suggestions.

Darcy Schild is a UF journalism senior. Her column appears on Wednesdays.