'Masshole' among newest words added to Oxford English Dictionary

Pro wrestler "Masshole" Mike McCarthy has no problem declaring he's from the Baystate, as the shirt in this 2013 match attests. "Masshole," which is a term of derision toward Massachusetts residents by people out of state, but often used affectionately by state residents, is now listed in the Oxford English Dictionary. (Photo by John Jewell / Flickr)

Massholes rejoice.

You are now officially, in the eyes of the Oxford English Dictionary, a thing.

Fo' shizzle.

And incidentally, the same goes for "fo' shizzle."

The prestigious British dictionary on Wednesday announced a list of about 500 words added to the dictionary. And "Masshole" is one of them.

So too is "fo'shizzle," an informal use of "for sure" popularized by rappers, "FLOTUS," an acryonym for the First Lady of the United States, "hot mess," a noun that originally meant a warm meal but since the 1990s has come to mean a difficult or uncontrollable situation, and "koozie," a noun for an insulating sleeve used to keep beverages cool.

Masshole, as just about any driver in Massachusetts and any of its bordering states knows, is a noun, defined as "A contemptuous term for a native or inhabitant of the state of Massachusetts."

The Oxford English Dictionary definition for "Masshole," which is now included in the dictionary.

The OED traces its origin to the 1990s and calls Masshole a blend of "Massachusetts" and a certain seven-letter vulgar term that rhymes with Masshole.

"A contemptuous term" would appear to be one of those eye-of-the-beholder things. While people from outside Massachusetts may use it as an expression of contempt for those in the Bay State, residents have been know to adorn themselves with it as a point of pride.

Witness Sully's Brand, the Peabody-based apparel company specializing in designs celebrating Massachusetts sports teams and culture. The company, which trademarked the term a decade ago, offers dozens of Masshole products ranging from T shirts and hoodies to magnets and car air fresheners.

"It's very cool for all those 'Massholes' to get formally recognized," said Sully's founder and owner Chris Wrenn. "It started out as something derogatory but people in Massachusetts decided to own it. It's a badge of pride."

He said they sell a "crazy amount" of Masshole bumper stickers. He figures half are purchased by people for their own cars, and half are purchased by people for the cars of people they know from Massachusetts.

Witness Masshole Mike McCarthy of Northeast Championship Wrestling.

As Boston.com put it "So congrats Massachusetts, your reputation has now been etched in linguistic stone."

Sort of. The OED recognizes it. But Merriam-Webster, the Springfield-based dictionary, does not.

The Oxford English Dictionary launched its online site, www.OED.com, in 2000, and since then has posted quarterly updates of new words.

"Twerk," the dance move made popular by Miley Cirus at the 2013 American Music Awards, made it as both a noun and a verb.

Although 'twerking' is a relatively new word, dating back to the 1990s, the OED announced it's actually based on a very old word. "It was in use in English as a noun by 1820 (originally spelled 'twirk'), referring to 'a twisting or jerking movement; a twitch'," according to Katherine Connor Martin, the OED Head of US Dictionaries in a blog post.

Dozens of the words on the list did not exist prior to the 21st century, she notes. Among them are "photobomb" (2008), crowdfund (2008), and staycation (2005),

If the addition of relatively new slang words seems like a half-assed approach to operating a dictionary, rest assured "half-assed" is now in there too.

So, Masslive readers, which local words and expressions do you think should be in the dictionary? Please add them in the comments below - and remember to keep it clean. In other words, try not to be a Masshole.

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