In a move that surely stems from our incessant, hard-hitting cheese journalism, the folks over at Merriam-Webster (dictionary extraordinaire) have announced that the 2014 Word of the Year is none other than “culture.” Some may point to a recent spike in usage among news outlets (e.g. “rape culture,” a “culture of transparency,” etc.) for culture’s uptick in popularity. Others might argue that English-speakers have started throwing around such an academic-sounding word so much that they better be sure they know exactly what it means. But the staff at culture: the word on cheese is undoubtedly certain that this tsunami of interest in the word stems from its sixth and final definition:
the act or process of cultivating living material (as bacteria or viruses) in prepared nutrient media
Thank you, Merriam-Webster, for your long overdue recognition recognition of a little cheese mag that could, and did, yawp from the rooftops our undying affection for our favorite living, breathing, and extremely delicious food. This is definitely better than “vape.”
Learn more about our lingual triumph and the Word of the Year selection process in this handy little video:
Grant Bradley
Grant Bradley is culture's former web editor and never ceases to thank his nameless human ancestor who figured that leaving some milk around for a while and then eating it was probably a great idea. Raised on California’s Central Coast, educated in the Pacific Northwest, and transplanted to New England, Grant likes to write, edit, and code things.
