OPINION:
Could UrbanDictionary.com be suffering from early onset Trump Derangement Syndrome?
The crowdsourced lexicon of slang words and phrases has featured an anti-Donald Trump “word of the day” for every day of the 45th president’s time in office, some of which are inappropriate to publish in a family newspaper.
In addition to publishing the terms on its main page, words of the day are sent out to subscribers in a daily email as well as tweeted and posted on the site’s Facebook page.
While the definitions on the site are submitted and voted on by users, the word of the day itself is chosen by website staff.
“Every day we choose words that we think are funny, and that Urban Dictionary readers might like,” Urban Dictionary says in its help section. “If you have any suggestions, we are happy to hear them!”
The website had also often chosen anti-Trump definitions as its “word of the day” selection in the transition period between the election and Mr. Trump’s inauguration. For example, for the day after the election, Nov. 9, the term selected by editors was “Trumpence,” defined as “The punishment or fate a society deserves to receive.”
The website’s obsession seems to meet the criteria for Trump Derangement Syndrome, the most popular definition for which on Urban Dictionary is “[a] mental dysfunction causing those detractors with hateful thoughts and feelings about Donald Trump to go unhinged.”
• Ken Shepherd can be reached at kshepherd@washingtontimes.com.
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