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If there's one thing I love, it's the fact that we're slowly tearing our English language apart. Chavs refuse to speak proper English, the text culture has encouraged sentences to be decimated for ease of use, and ridiculous non-words are finding themselves entering the Dictionary. Oh, and "noob" could become the millionth word to officially enter the English language.

The word "noob" has its heavy roots in gamer culture, which should be obvious since we're talking about it. In case you didn't know, a "noob" is a person who is new to a particular game and is yet to learn the ropes. It's also seen a lot of use among online communities to "welcome" fresh faces, and has become an accepted term of abuse for anybody who looks like they don't know what they're doing. 

The Global Language Monitor accepts words once they have been used 25,000 times by media outlets. According to the reports, this hints at "noob" becoming the millionth word, which would happen on June 10, 2009, at 10:20am. At that moment, the word "noob" will itself become a noob in the English language, and we will all polish our specatacles and smirk at the amusing irony of it all.


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33 comments | showing # 1 to 33

wadawoodo's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/11/2009 08:42
wadawoodo
I approve of this news
wardrox's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/11/2009 08:46
wardrox
I like ironys.
Sharpless's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/11/2009 08:47
Sharpless
God, I hate humanity.

It's not even spelled properly. "<b>New</b>b" actually makes sense.
Sharpless's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/11/2009 08:49
Sharpless
And when I say "<b>New</b>b", I mean "Newb".
Magnalon's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/11/2009 08:50
Magnalon
I'm surprised they aren't allowing the numerical (and original?) spelling.

N00b
Kaspar's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/11/2009 09:04
Kaspar
There are already more than a million words in English, "The Global Language Monitor" can go suck a big one.
UglyDuck's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/11/2009 09:13
UglyDuck
Not to appear a pompous grammar nazi, but generally, newb is the abbreviation of newbie, which is someone who is new to the game - noob on the other hand is someone who just lacks skill, and is generally arrogant about it to boot.

But then again, you can hardly be a grammar nazi over words that don't really exist.
Char Aznable's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/11/2009 09:17
Char Aznable
I'm still holding out hope for "microshitting fagtart" to be officially recognized.
The Trout's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/11/2009 09:19
The Trout
I actually thought it was "newb" myself. Or n00b, but I really hope THAT doesn't make it in.
glipe's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/11/2009 09:21
glipe
It's ok UglyDuck, you can't be a grammar nazi over the meaning of words either, just the use of words. ;)

I'd always thought that "noob" (n00b) was just another way of spelling "newb", for the script-kiddie generation. As far as I'm concerned, when a word becomes common parlance, might as well have it in the dictionary. We did it with "cowabunga" and "doh", so in comparison "noob" seems quite culturally relevant!
TheToiletDuck's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/11/2009 09:30
TheToiletDuck
Whoa! i just got the whole Tobias Boon thing.


My next vote is for STFUAJPG
Sexualchocolate's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/11/2009 09:33
Sexualchocolate
The world sucks balls.
Zippyduda's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/11/2009 09:57
Zippyduda
I already had the word noob added into my PS3 dictionary, as of late it seems the majority of SF players are the word in question.

Also if it does get added into the real dictionary, it would be pointless.
Quantum Zombie's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/11/2009 09:57
Quantum Zombie
Sexualchocolate; the world is a ball.
falinter's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/11/2009 09:59
falinter
I wonder if any respectable college would allow it after its official.
Old people tend to be stuck up about their proper english.

Not that I think noob should be a word or anything.
tkyy's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/11/2009 10:02
tkyy
Can't balls suck balls?
Keyter's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/11/2009 10:27
Keyter
Language is a culture that changes daily. There are a lot of words that have been dropped and added over the years. Like glipe suggested, I hear the word "cowabunga" more than the word "shan't".

Also, it will nice to finally be able to play "noob" in Scrabble!!
Los255's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/11/2009 10:30
Los255
noob = new player

n00b = new player with a hint of retard
brosef's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/11/2009 10:31
brosef
Welcome to 1995 ToiletDuck.

Wake me when fucktard makes it into the dictionary.
DaedHead8's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/11/2009 10:40
DaedHead8
I agree that there is a difference between a newb and a noob. If one is accepted, the other should be too. Also, the english language is not made up of strictly the words in the dictionary. IMHO the english language is made up of all the words that english speaking people understand. Therefore noob and newb have been a part of the english language for quite some time.
Holyetheline's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/11/2009 11:25
Holyetheline
This is finally happening? Great!
Naim Master's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/11/2009 11:48
Naim Master
Jim , you're such a noob , a person new to the game is a newbie , a noob is a person that already played the game but still sucks at it ...
Midgetsnowman's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/11/2009 11:58
Midgetsnowman
Yeah..Last I checked most MMOs reserve the term n00b for that special sort of newbie who refuses to listen to advice form older players, plays like an absolute moron, and runs about causing a mess of things constantly with their fail
Black Nexus's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/11/2009 12:00
Black Nexus
Why are we so determined to further butcher the english language.
Freefall's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/11/2009 12:06
Freefall
Back in my day, we had to actually learn the English language, but now... well.
Blasto's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/11/2009 12:07
Blasto
DaedHead8 & Keyter speak truth, language is an everchanging clusterfuck. "Proper English" is a bit of a joke if you look at it historically. Take Shakespeare; pretty good writer but his grammarz was ass.
Chronic Logic's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/11/2009 12:36
Chronic Logic
Newbie > Newb > noob > n00b

The hirearchy of stupidity.
Raggy Mop's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/11/2009 13:35
Raggy Mop
Jim Sterling is biased against neologisms!
DR EGG's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/11/2009 16:08
DR EGG
If only we could somehow coax media outlets into saying "microshitting fagtart" over 25,000 times...
shinigamiDude's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/11/2009 21:43
shinigamiDude
wow,i never knew N00b Saibot was called N00b Saibot just bcoz he's such a N00b.Oh well,i was just a N00b back in the days.
Bodb's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/12/2009 03:02
Bodb
Hey, while we're at it, let's group English with as much slang as we can, so we can not only fill our dictionaries with vapid lingo that'll go out of style in ten years, but also classify it as part of the language that people refuse to grasp.
pedrovay2003's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/13/2009 03:03
pedrovay2003
Well, w00t's in there. Why not Noob?
Earthanet's Avatar - Comment posted on 10/03/2009 13:50
Earthanet
Noob: can i hav muneys pplsplsplsplzz!!11
Newb: Would you mind sparing me some money?
-LATER-
Noob: pl0x sir!! money plszzz!!!111111111
Newb: Okay. :(

Urban Dictionary
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