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Merriam-Webster just added you to the dictonary photo

Congratulations! You don't need to worry about obtaining that fifteen minutes anymore. Now you'll be famous forever with your new entry in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary.

Well, it's not just you. It's many of us. The latest batch of new additions to the dictionary included the word "fanboy." You might be surprised to hear that Merriam-Webster has the year 1919 marked as the first use of the word. What kind of fanboys did they have then? Was it just fans of moonshine and Ford Model-T cars?

Fanboy (1919): boy who is an enthusiastic devotee, such as of comics or movies. 

I think they could have expanded on that a bit. They nailed the "comics" part, but the glaring omission of "video games" (they space it, we don't) needs to be remedied.

Other new words that may interest you include the always yummy snack edamame, the equally yummy Korean booze soju (I got tore down on this once), and the overused air quotes. I like words! Does that make me a word fanboy?

Fun note: My spell check marked all of these words wrong.

[Via Joystiq - Thanks, TrailerParkJesus]


Continue: More Fanboys stories





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25 comments | showing # 1 to 25

Surf314's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/08/2008 10:21
Surf314
Except it doesn't apply to just boys.
Justice's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/08/2008 10:23
Justice

Now I can get off my computer from playing World of Warcraft continually for the past 2 weeks and show the 1 friend I have left (my dead cat) that this life of being a fanboy was worth it! To the library!

(Please note that Justice has never actually played WoW, and is just playing to a stereotype of a typical WoW player)
Joseph Leray's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/08/2008 10:26
Joseph Leray
Can we put in a wordfilter that changes it to fandude? Or fanguy? Or, fanman?

"Dale is such an Atlus fanman."
NightDehumidifier's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/08/2008 10:27
NightDehumidifier
Already added.

los·er
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Audio Help /ˈluzər/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[loo-zer] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–noun
1. a person, team, nation, etc., that loses: The visiting team was the loser in the series.
2. Informal.
a. a person who has been convicted of a misdemeanor or, esp., a felony: a two-time loser.
b. a person who has failed at a particular activity: a loser at marriage.
c. someone or something that is marked by consistently or thoroughly bad quality, performance, etc.: Don't bother to see that film, it's a real loser.
3. Slang. a misfit, esp. someone who has never or seldom been successful at a job, personal relationship, etc.
ReclusiveSpirit's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/08/2008 10:28
ReclusiveSpirit
@Mr. North...I think you should have used a pic of Mr. Sterling in your header. ;)
Necros's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/08/2008 10:30
Necros
I never understood why every games journalist/blogger suddenly felt the need in the past few years to turn "video games" into one word. It's horribly annoying and makes me feel like I should rush through saying it, like I'm embarrassed or something. Bring back the space!
ace of knaves's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/08/2008 10:34
ace of knaves
Alexradl's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/08/2008 10:36
Alexradl
Blasphemy! Nintendo does not allow headsets!

I've never really seen a hardcore "movie fanboy". Maybe it's just because I'm not really involved in the industry.
Dale North's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/08/2008 10:38
Dale North
Necros - Just following the dtoid styleguide. I'd like it spaced, too.
pendelton21's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/08/2008 10:51
pendelton21
Didn't they also add Malware and Webinar?
falinter's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/08/2008 10:54
falinter
@Necros

As stupid as it is to have it one word it does make sense.

Videogames are not just games played with video. I would assume you agree that they are much more than that. And since we can't go around making up a new word for videogames (AWESOMESAUCE GAMES?!) then we shove them together to make a new word that isn't just the sum of the two words that make it.
MechaMonkey's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/08/2008 10:54
MechaMonkey
The term originated at baseball games in 1919, during which Cincinnati suffered from a record-breaking heat wave in late July. Crosley Field, home of the Cincinnati Reds at the time, would often give out fans to younger attendees of the game in order to help them keep cool. Radio announcers began to refer to these youngsters as fanboys.
falinter's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/08/2008 10:58
falinter
ALSO (cocks)

its like movies weren't movies at first. They were moving pictures which is basically what we are calling video games now. I'm sure somewhere down the line someone will come up with a streamlined way of saying video games without calling it what it is in the name.
Justice's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/08/2008 11:09
Justice
"I never understood why every games journalist/blogger suddenly felt the need in the past few years to turn "video games" into one word. It's horribly annoying and makes me feel like I should rush through saying it, like I'm embarrassed or something."

I can only but imagine how you pronounce it then haha.
VIDYAGAIMZ!
MechaMonkey's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/08/2008 11:11
MechaMonkey
By the way, I made that explanation up. Feel free to use it to lie to your friends though.
CaptainApocalypse's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/08/2008 11:44
CaptainApocalypse
That guy works at the Hunt Valley, Maryland Best Buy. My flatmate ran into him. He was wearing that Power Glove @ work. Priceless.
The-Excel's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/08/2008 12:43
The-Excel
I won't consider this article until they add the word "exy".
ToeKing's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/08/2008 12:58
ToeKing
The adjective "yummy" should not be used to describe soju... It is a utility beverage through and through and it's taste is bearable. The trips I've taken to Seoul were mostly spent recovering from the previous night's soju binge.
Quest's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/08/2008 13:19
Quest
ReclusiveSpirit at 07/08/2008 10:28

@Mr. North...I think you should have used a pic of Mr. Sterling in your header. ;)

lolllll i totally agree with you .. Sterling should be there
Necros's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/08/2008 13:29
Necros
@ falinter

Taking out a space is still hammering home the point that they are games played through a video medium. The message is the same, it just feels, for some reason, amateurish to try and make that into a word. As for movies, both "video games" and "movies" fit into the same category of antiquated terms, it's just that video games don't have a word like "film" to fall back on. (I still don't agree with most of the points of the one-word camp.)

@ Justice

Luckily for everyone, I only use the phrase "video games," not the word "vidyagaimesgimmiethenextwordhurryhurryhurry."
DinnertimeNinja's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/08/2008 13:52
DinnertimeNinja
MechaMonkey,

Well done. It's so plausible it's almost TOO plausible...

Wikipedia has probably already quoted your post as fact.
Electro Lemon's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/08/2008 14:45
Electro Lemon
Fuck them , BRITANNICA IS BETTER
Eschatos's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/08/2008 17:34
Eschatos
Seems to underestimate the true power of a fanboy.
Tet's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/08/2008 18:34
Tet
I don't consider that a definition of fanboy without terms like "crusader-like zeal" "extremely hostile to different things" and "dipshit" in it.
hpv's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/09/2008 02:01
hpv
I disagree with the premise of anything in any Merriam-Webster dictionary.
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