428.1 Vocabulary: Here a w00t, There a w00t, Everywhere a w00t, w00t

Merriam-Webster Dictionary announced today its word for 2007 ...w00t...an interjection originally created in gamers' language known as "l33t (elite) speak" that means "yay", or a sound that is made after a "win" in a game. Texas Aggies might consider it a cousin of their own "Whoop" (and if they don't, I'm sure I'll hear about it!)

Among the other Top Ten is another 2.0 contribution...facebook (as a verb!), condundrum, a condition I think I find myself in way too often, and blamestorming, another interesting action word.

As for what l33t speak is...it is a combination of letter and numbers (those are zeros in w00t, not ohs).

Earlier this year, I wrote about Blog Day and the symbol of the that event 3108...reflecting also why it is held on August 31. Can you see B-l-o-g? That's l33t speak!

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From Wikipedia comes this explanation of another l33t... n00t and newb(ie) (something I know a lot about being these days, but now I'm afraid I might be a n00t and I'll have to work on that!)

Within Leet, the term noob, and derivations thereof, is used extensively. The word means, and derives from, newbie (as in new and inexperienced or uninformed),[12][15][20] and is used as a means of segregating the "elite" members of a group from outsiders. Though they are often used interchangeably, there is a widely accepted
separation of the definitions of newb and n00b: a newb is merely new to
something, which is forgivable, while a n00b continues to engage in "newb" behaviors long after they should know better. It implies that the target is being ignorant of his or her own failures, blames others without reason, has
failed to learn, etc. The word noob is a very common insult in most online games.