Eek! The Wordnik List of the Day yesterday was titled "Hugonyms" and was explained as "Anything hugging related". The Facebook announcement of this included several people excited about learning the new-to-them BrE (though not marked as such) word snog. One went so far as to comment:
Because it's a BrE slang word, it's not in most of the dictionaries that American-based Wordnik uses. So, if one clicks on snog in the "Hugonym" list, the only "definition" one gets is from WordNet. But WordNet is not a dictionary--it's a lexical database that is closer to being a thesaurus. It links words together into "synsets"--i.e. synonym sets. So the "definition" that we get for snog is essentially a definition for the central word in its synset, kiss:
Snog happened to be fodder for my Valentine's Day Difference of the Day tweet:
Lessons of the day:
Read more
I'm gonna go snog my kids.........*snog* (love it!)Eek! Eek! Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek! Eeky eekness!
Because it's a BrE slang word, it's not in most of the dictionaries that American-based Wordnik uses. So, if one clicks on snog in the "Hugonym" list, the only "definition" one gets is from WordNet. But WordNet is not a dictionary--it's a lexical database that is closer to being a thesaurus. It links words together into "synsets"--i.e. synonym sets. So the "definition" that we get for snog is essentially a definition for the central word in its synset, kiss:
touch with the lips or press the lips (against someone's mouth or other body part) as an expression of love, greeting, etc.But one would not snog a person in greeting. Well, I wouldn't, and I'm betting most of you wouldn't either. (Did I mention eek?!)
Snog happened to be fodder for my Valentine's Day Difference of the Day tweet:
Difference of the day: (orig. & chiefly) AmE 'make out' vs. BrE 'snog'. Happy Valentine's Day!Commenters on that tweet differed on whether making out required activities other than deep, passionate kissing (which, eek, is the meaning of snog). But compare Urban Dictionary definitions:
make out the act of swapping spit with your significant other... or perhaps just some hottie you met at a party, but anyway, you just sit there sucking at each other's faces for an extended period of time and if you're lucky there might even be a little romming around of the hands if ya get my drift :p
snog 1. verb; to interface passionately with another being, creating a field of physical obsession and focused arousal +centered+ on the lips, mouth and tongue.Parents: please do not snog your children. Or announce that you will do so on the internet.
2. verb; to play tonsil hockey
Lessons of the day:
- a little knowledge is a dangerous thing
- WordNet should not be used as a dictionary