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Digital News Report: The Urban Dictionary has been around since 1999 but recently picked up steam especially with name look-ups. The reference pages are filled with off-beat slang definitions you will not find in Webster’s or even Wikipedia.
Typically the dictionary will feature a standard definition in the top slot, but if you dig a little deeper you will find a less flattering slang or “urban” definition.
For instance, Tom is “the man responsible for the monstrosity known as Myspace”. But if you look down further you will see the name also stands for “Time of Month”.
Sometimes you might get lucky and the name has no negative connotations. For instance, Nikki is: “Quite possibly the cutest, sweetest, and most attractive girl you’ll ever meet.”
Not everyone supports the efforts of the Urban Dictionary editors. The Christian Science Monitor said “The user-submitted definitions on Urban Dictionary are often intentionally revolting passages that appeal to the lowest forms of scatalogical humor. We endorse neither the site nor the activity we’re about to describe”.
The Huffington Post proclaimed this the Urban Dictionary Week on Facebook.
Whether you like it or not, the Urban Dictionary will likely be around for a while. Today they are promoting the name lookup on their homepage. “To look up your own name on Urban Dictionary, either for definition or myspace useage…”
Remember, you don’t have to purchase their coffee mugs.
By: Sam Lee
Science Writer