Oxford Dictionary has vault of 'non-words'

source: news.com.au
August 6, 2010 02:50PM

NOT every word has what it takes to be in the dictionary and many will fade away if they're not used. The Oxford English Dictionary apparently has a vault of "non-words" which is home to contenders deemed unfit for inclusion unless they enter common parlance in the future.Graphic designer Luke Ngakane, 22, found hundreds of such words as part of a project at Kingston University, London."It's a very hush, hush vault and I struggled to find out information about it because it is so secretive," he said."They did send me some examples and I picked out the words that resonated with me and really seemed to fit the purpose they were intended for."I get really excited when I hear someone using one of them because if enough people pick them up then maybe they will make it into the dictionary."But will any of these? Fans of any of these contenders should start bandying them around today to help their case:* Furgling: the act of fumbling in pockets for keys or loose change.* Dringle: The watermark left by a glass of liquid.* Fumb: your large toe.* Museum head: Feeling mentally exhausted and no longer able to take in information.* Earworm: A catchy tune that often gets stuck in your head.* Pregreening: To creep forwards while waiting for a red light to change.* Wikism: A piece of information that claims to be true but is wildly inaccurate.* Scrax: Waxy coating scratched off an instant lottery ticket.Oxford English Dictionary's Fiona McPherson said: "I don't like calling them reject words because we will revisit them at some point and they may well go in. There's not enough evidence that people are using them."Tell us below: what words have you made up that should be in the dictionary?
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