Thursday, August 2, 2007
In Other Words
The latest edition of the Merriam-Webster dictionary has about 100 new words/phrases.
One of the words/phrases on the list definitely relates to proposals. The word/phrase is “gray literature”, which is defined as “hard to get written-material”. I think most of us can relate to this.
Also added was “ginormous” (a combination of giant and enormous) which also relates because it describes precisely how some of the RFPs we receive (and occasionally our responses) feel.
The new edition also includes a section on new words introduced in 1806. Words of note from a proposal perspective on that list? The words “unmarketable” and “deliverable”. (Do you suppose it’s a coincidence that these words were introduced at the same time?)
‘Grey Literature’ is a term within the field of information science. It’s definition issuing from the Luxembourg Convention (1997) and expanded in New York (2004) reads: “Information produced on all levels government, academics, business and industry in electronic and print formats not controlled by commercial publishers i.e. where publishing is not the primary activity of the producing body”.
Both the accepted spelling of the term and the definition were supplied to Merriam-Webster; however, they instead opted for a derivative spelling of the term and an inadequate definition.