[Ads-l] Fictional Materials for OED (UNCLASSIFIED)

[Baker, John]

"Carbonite" is also included.  Still no entry for "kryptonite," which I would have said has the strongest claim of all.


John Baker


-----Original Message-----
From: American Dialect Society [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf Of Mullins, Bill CIV (US)
Sent: Thursday, January 08, 2015 5:22 PM
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Subject: Re: Fictional Materials for OED (UNCLASSIFIED)

Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
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Fred's prediction has come true -- "unobtanium" is now listed in the OED.


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> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       "Shapiro, Fred" <fred.shapiro at YALE.EDU>
> Subject:      Fictional Materials for OED
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> I have previously suggested that OED should have entries for "kryptonite"
> (Superman), the spice "melange" (Dune) and "ice-nine" (Cat's Cradle).  No
> one seemed particularly to agree with me, as I remember.
>
> I am inspired to return to this topic by noticing that Wikipedia has an
> article, "List of Fictional Elements, Materials, Isotopes and Atomic
> Particles."  This list supplies me with some additional candidates:
>
> adamantium (Wolverine)
> carbonite (The Empire Strikes Back)
> dilithium (Star Trek)
>
> After its use in the film Avatar, "unobtanium" may also merit OED
> inclusion.
>
> Fred Shapiro
>
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