How Many of You Already Knew?

When Michael Jackson died many people went online and looked up the words used in the news coverage of his death and in the investigation and memorials that followed, according to Peter Sokolowski, editor at large for Merriam-Webster. The situation prompted a notable shift in what words were searched most on Merriam-Webster’s dictionary website.

In a recent episode of “Ask the Editor” Sokolowski said that on the morning Michael Jackson died, the most looked-up words were stricken (#1) and resuscitate (#2). By that afternoon, the words condolences and icon also ranked very highly. The next day resuscitate supplanted stricken as #1. For that weekend the most looked-up word was not a word at all, but rather an abbreviation: R.I.P. (for the Latin phrase requiescat in pace, essentially meaning may he rest in peace). The next day emaciated topped the list, and it remained at #1 for the whole week. In fact, on average, emaciated was the most looked-up word all summer long.

I’ve known the meanings of resuscitate and emaciated (and all of the above) for longer than I can remember. I learned those meanings at such a young age that I cannot tell you when. Did you already know? I'm betting you did, and that (like I am) you may be wondering who are all these masses who have to look these things up on a dictionary site.