play video resuscitate stricken icon condolences rip and other words that spiked when michael jackson died
Trend Watch

How News Coverage Impacts Dictionary Lookups

Michael Jackson's death sent many people to the dictionary. What did they look up?



TRANSCRIPT


Welcome to Ask the Editor, I'm Peter Sokolowski editor at large here at Merriam-Webster.
 
When Michael Jackson died, many people looked up the words used in the news coverage of his death and the investigation and memorials that followed. Whenever there's a big news story like this, it's possible to sort of track what people are thinking about, according to what words are being looked up online.
 
The morning that Michael Jackson died, the words stricken and resuscitate were the most looked up words. And by that afternoon, the words condolences and icon joined them near the top of the list.
 
The next day the word resuscitate replaced stricken as the most looked up word.
 
And for the weekend, the abbreviation R.I.P. for the Latin phrase Requiescat in Pace, or rest in peace was the most looked up term. It's unusual for us to see an abbreviation in the number one spot.
 
The next day, emaciated was the most looked up word, in fact, it remained the most looked-up term for the whole week and on average was the most looked-up word all summer.
 
And it shows a sort of fascinating intersection of news and vocabulary.
 
Look for more segments of Ask the Editor here at Merriam-Webster.com

Up next

play video resuscitate stricken icon condolences rip and other words that spiked when michael jackson died
How News Coverage Impacts Dictionary Lookups

 

Michael Jackson's death sent many people to the dictionary. What did they look up?

play video lay vs lie
Lay vs. Lie

 

Editor Emily Brewster clarifies the difference.

play ismo merriam webster tip
Some Odd Words with ISMO: "People Tipping"

 

Comedian ISMO on the complexities of the word 'tip'

play image1815466723
How Do You Pronounce 'Vase'?

 

And is one way more correct than the others?

play video hopefully
Hopefully

 

We believe the popular usage of this word is correct

play emily brewster and one and the same text graphic
'One in the same' or 'One and the same'?

 

Is it all the same anyway?

play video old school grammar humorsome
Old-School Grammar

 

Many of today's grammar rules can be traced to the opinions of one 18th century writer.