Meh

[crimsondynamics]

Spoiler

Yes, I did search, but didn't notice anything related on page one of 19 page results, so feel free to mock the thread if this has already appeared.

Well, it had to happen sooner or later, but "meh" has officially made its way into the English lexicon via the Collins English Dictionary.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081117/ap_on_re_eu/eu_britain_new_word

What I find interesting (apart from the fact that it's essentially an American slang that made its way into a British dictionary), is while the word was introduced by an episode on The Simpsons, it was the internet forum and chat room culture that propagated the term to ubiquity.

I watched Idiocracy the other day and I was left wondering whether or not the English language will be eventually "bastardized" to the point where "hay guyz, liek it or not, we'll all be going 'omgwtfbbq, ur a n00b but brb and CU later, kthx for the lulz'"...

Now of course language is constantly evolving but is it only a matter of time when "elite", "leet" and "1337" are interchangable (which by implication means it will be accepted and recognized as an official word by at least one of the major English dictionaries)?

lol has made its way into the American Heritage dictionary as well, so does that mean I can liberally pepper my comments with "lol, looks alright but I'm pretty meh about all this" without offending the generally eloquent forum members (or mods) of The Escapist Magazine?

(You don't have to answer that last question - it's rhetoric)

Where is the English language heading towards? What about other languages? We use "lol" but in Japan they use "w" - "wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww" is meant to be much mor hilarious than "wwwww". Spanish also has its fair share of "elite speak" - is this where all languages are heading towards?

What other examples in other languages do we have where, thanks to the hive-mindset and speed at which internet memes are transferred, do we see how the internet is altering the linguistic landscape?

Moreover, is this what we want?

 

[Lukeje]

It's not yet recognised by the OED, so I also fail to recognise it. Although the word 'Mcjob' is in there...

 

[crimsondynamics]

Well, to be fair, there are many dictionaries and they don't always agree, but I felt that the Collins Dictionary was right up there with Websters, American Heritage and Oxford in terms of validity.

 

[Reaperman Wompa]

...I hate my generation (more) for this. MEH?!?!? An official word? I can't even describe the stupidity? Idiocy? Horrific nature? of this.

 

[Reaperman Wompa]

Well, to be fair, there are many dictionaries and they don't always agree, but I felt that the Collins Dictionary was right up there with Websters, American Heritage and Oxford in terms of validity.

Not anymore, hopefully.

 

[crimsondynamics]

Well, to be fair, there are many dictionaries and they don't always agree, but I felt that the Collins Dictionary was right up there with Websters, American Heritage and Oxford in terms of validity.

Not anymore, hopefully.

Touché!

 

[Killerbunny001]

Question : Can anybody get the dictionary clarification for the "word" "Meh" ?

 

[Milford Cubicle]

If it's not in the OED, it's not an English word.

 

[Brett Alex]

...I hate my generation (more) for this. MEH?!?!? An official word? I can't even describe the stupidity? Idiocy? Horrific nature? of this.

Oh please don't believe the media. Please? We aren't that bad. Seriously. Judging by the way adults treat us like its like we, oh I dunno invented a bomb capable of mass destruction on a scale never seen before and then used it twice and now use it as a viable solution to maintain peace. Oh wait a minut-

...you get the picture?

Good, cause this ties in with the language. The original form of the English language would be near incomprehensible to us today. Hell, go back 1000 years and you'd still have trouble understanding 'English' speaking people.

Yes, the language we have now is very fine, I really like it and it sort of disapoints me that shorthand and slang is making its way into the vocabulary, but who are we to say "NO! Its perfect right now. No more additions!"?

Would you have liked if they'd said that back in the days of Prithee and thou'st?

 

[Piemaster]

Question : Can anybody get the dictionary clarification for the "word" "Meh" ?

I read an article (In the Sydney Morning Herald) which said:
"The dictionary defines "meh" as an expression of indifference or boredom, or an adjective meaning mediocre or boring. Examples given by the dictionary include "the Canadian election was so meh".

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

Question : Can anybody get the dictionary clarification for the "word" "Meh" ?

It's an exclamation of apathy or boredom.

Damn you! Ninja'd

 

[crimsondynamics]

Question : Can anybody get the dictionary clarification for the "word" "Meh" ?

It's in the link provided in the OP.

 

[the fifth]

it is an abstract idea with a sound connected to it. the only way it could be a word is if it is a onomatopoeia like boom or bang. and the first person to argue that lol is a word i will stab.

 

[Saskwach]

...I hate my generation (more) for this. MEH?!?!? An official word? I can't even describe the stupidity? Idiocy? Horrific nature? of this.

Oh please don't believe the media. Please? We aren't that bad. Seriously. Judging by the way adults treat us like its like we, oh I dunno invented a bomb capable of mass destruction on a scale never seen before and then used it twice and now use it as a viable solution to maintain peace. Oh wait a minut-

...you get the picture?

Good, cause this ties in with the language. The original form of the English language would be near incomprehensible to us today. Hell, go back 1000 years and you'd still have trouble understanding 'English' speaking people.

Yes, the language we have now is very fine, I really like it and it sort of disappoints me that shorthand and slang is making its way into the vocabulary, but who are we to say "NO! Its perfect right now. No more additions!"?

Would you have liked if they'd said that back in the days of Prithee and thou'st?

Finally, someone joins me in my fight against linguistic traditionalists. They pop up every generation but they always fail to compare notes with those that came before, or they'd realise they were the ones speaking a degenerate version of their forefathers' tongue, which in turn is a shadow of their grandfathers' speech and so on and so forth.
It's funny you should mention 'thou', though, because it illustrates language change well, and even shows its often positive results: thou went through many changes of meaning in its time. First, during the time of Middle English (taken to begin in 1066 with the Norman invasion, and end in the 15th century) thou was the singular second person (you, in the sense of one person) and ye was the plural second person (you, in a group sense). Sometime between 1600-1800 (the time we refer to as Early Modern English) thou was reanalysed as a familiar pronoun - so a you a peasant would use when speaking to a loved one, but not a noble - while still remaining the singular pronoun, and ye remained as the plural second person pronoun while also becoming the formal singular pronoun - nobles and other important people were 'pluralised'. At this time it was considered insulting or presumptuous or both to 'thou' someone you had no right to. In 1603 Sir Edward Coke attacked Sir Walter Raleigh with the following: "All that he did was at thy instigation, thou viper; for I thou thee, thou traitor [I speak to you familiarly, as a form of insult, you traitor]."
From 1800 to now, though, thou was again reanalysed as an overly formal way to address someone (probably because it was more often used in Shakespeare and old writings than anything else). And thus thou disappeared from the language, and we now have 'you' representing both singular and plural second person pronouns and no distinction between formal and informal pronouns. I think this is a great change - though I expect snobs at the time decried it - for it means that there is no artificial distinction (in pronouns at least) between those you like and those you keep your distance from, and there is no expectation to kowtow to your social 'betters'.

 

[Brett Alex]

...I hate my generation (more) for this. MEH?!?!? An official word? I can't even describe the stupidity? Idiocy? Horrific nature? of this.

Oh please don't believe the media. Please? We aren't that bad. Seriously. Judging by the way adults treat us like its like we, oh I dunno invented a bomb capable of mass destruction on a scale never seen before and then used it twice and now use it as a viable solution to maintain peace. Oh wait a minut-

...you get the picture?

Good, cause this ties in with the language. The original form of the English language would be near incomprehensible to us today. Hell, go back 1000 years and you'd still have trouble understanding 'English' speaking people.

Yes, the language we have now is very fine, I really like it and it sort of disapoints me that shorthand and slang is making its way into the vocabulary, but who are we to say "NO! Its perfect right now. No more additions!"?

Would you have liked if they'd said that back in the days of Prithee and thou'st?

Finally, someone joins me in my fight against linguistic traditionalists. They p[op up every generation but they always fail to compare notes with those that came before, or they'd realise they were the ones speaking a degenerate version of their forefathers' tongue, which in turn is a shadow of their grandfathers' speech and so on and so forth.

Yes, lets take our steeds of literary evolution and ride off into the language mutating sunset!

On a side note, since you know stuff about words, is thou'st actually a real one? Or was it a swing and a miss?

 

[Saskwach]

Yes, lets take our steeds of literary evolution and ride off into the language mutating sunset!

On a side note, since you know stuff about words, is thou'st actually a real one? Or was it a swing and a miss?

Why yes it is. In fact, it was used by Shakespeare in the other example I thought of bringing out to show the rare use of 'thou' as an insulting pronoun (something I expect modern readers wouldn't pick up on). In Twelfth Night, Sir Toby Belch urges Andrew Aguecheek to send a challenge to the disguised Viola:
"Taunt him with the license of ink. If thou thou'st him some thrice, it shall not be amiss" (Taunt him in writing. If you call him thou a few times, it'll sure help.)

 

[zen5887]

...I hate my generation (more) for this. MEH?!?!? An official word? I can't even describe the stupidity? Idiocy? Horrific nature? of this.

Oh please don't believe the media. Please? We aren't that bad. Seriously. Judging by the way adults treat us like its like we, oh I dunno invented a bomb capable of mass destruction on a scale never seen before and then used it twice and now use it as a viable solution to maintain peace. Oh wait a minut-

...you get the picture?

Good, cause this ties in with the language. The original form of the English language would be near incomprehensible to us today. Hell, go back 1000 years and you'd still have trouble understanding 'English' speaking people.

Yes, the language we have now is very fine, I really like it and it sort of disapoints me that shorthand and slang is making its way into the vocabulary, but who are we to say "NO! Its perfect right now. No more additions!"?

Would you have liked if they'd said that back in the days of Prithee and thou'st?

Heck yes! Times change people, go with it.

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

...I hate my generation (more) for this. MEH?!?!? An official word? I can't even describe the stupidity? Idiocy? Horrific nature? of this.

Oh please don't believe the media. Please? We aren't that bad. Seriously. Judging by the way adults treat us like its like we, oh I dunno invented a bomb capable of mass destruction on a scale never seen before and then used it twice and now use it as a viable solution to maintain peace. Oh wait a minut-

...you get the picture?

Good, cause this ties in with the language. The original form of the English language would be near incomprehensible to us today. Hell, go back 1000 years and you'd still have trouble understanding 'English' speaking people.

Yes, the language we have now is very fine, I really like it and it sort of disapoints me that shorthand and slang is making its way into the vocabulary, but who are we to say "NO! Its perfect right now. No more additions!"?

Would you have liked if they'd said that back in the days of Prithee and thou'st?

Finally, someone joins me in my fight against linguistic traditionalists. They p[op up every generation but they always fail to compare notes with those that came before, or they'd realise they were the ones speaking a degenerate version of their forefathers' tongue, which in turn is a shadow of their grandfathers' speech and so on and so forth.

Yeah Daddio, those squares are so un-hip. Let the sun shine through. Everything's gonna be groovy.

 

[Brett Alex]

Yes, lets take our steeds of literary evolution and ride off into the language mutating sunset!

On a side note, since you know stuff about words, is thou'st actually a real one? Or was it a swing and a miss?

Why yes it is. In fact, it was used by Shakespeare in the other example I thought of bringing out to show the rare use of 'thou' as an insulting pronoun (something I expect modern readers wouldn't pick up on). In Twelfth Night, Sir Toby Belch urges Andrew Aguecheek to send a challenge to the disguised Viola:
"Taunt him with the license of ink. If thou thou'st him some thrice, it shall not be amiss" (Taunt him in writing. If you call him thou a few times, it'll sure help.)

Haven't read Twelfth Night, but I was half sure I remembered it from Merchant of Venice.

 

[Lord Krunk]

...I hate my generation (more) for this. MEH?!?!? An official word? I can't even describe the stupidity? Idiocy? Horrific nature? of this.

Oh please don't believe the media. Please? We aren't that bad. Seriously. Judging by the way adults treat us like its like we, oh I dunno invented a bomb capable of mass destruction on a scale never seen before and then used it twice and now use it as a viable solution to maintain peace. Oh wait a minut-

...you get the picture?

Good, cause this ties in with the language. The original form of the English language would be near incomprehensible to us today. Hell, go back 1000 years and you'd still have trouble understanding 'English' speaking people.

Yes, the language we have now is very fine, I really like it and it sort of disapoints me that shorthand and slang is making its way into the vocabulary, but who are we to say "NO! Its perfect right now. No more additions!"?

Would you have liked if they'd said that back in the days of Prithee and thou'st?

Finally, someone joins me in my fight against linguistic traditionalists. They p[op up every generation but they always fail to compare notes with those that came before, or they'd realise they were the ones speaking a degenerate version of their forefathers' tongue, which in turn is a shadow of their grandfathers' speech and so on and so forth.

Yeah Daddio, those squares are so un-hip. Let the sun shine through. Everything's gonna be groovy.

w007! 713M 70 H4X0R 73h_3NGL15H_L4NGU4G3!

I really hope it doesn't go that far.