It was the interview heard ’round the world, so what happened when Stormy Daniels showed up on 60 Minutes to talk about her alleged affair with President Donald Trump? Let’s just say searches on Dictionary.com heated up this week, March 24–30, 2018!
Perched and affair
Twitter was abuzz the evening of March 25 as Daniels described the way the president perched on a bed. Searches for the word shot up 505%, as TV viewers checked in to find out what the word means. Searches for the word affair, which means “an intense amorous relationship, usually of short duration,” also climbed 84%.
In addition to searches for "perched," searches for the meaning of "affair" are 📈 on https://t.co/EoMLt7nGp1. The latter means "an intense amorous relationship, usually of short duration." #60Minutes #StormyDaniels https://t.co/vJZakG196k
— Dictionary.com (@Dictionarycom) March 25, 2018
Loyola
The Ramblers of Loyola University Chicago and their fervent fan Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt have captured America’s hearts, as well as a spot in the Final Four of the NCAA Men’s basketball tournament. The players face off against the Michigan Wolverines to see which team will make it to the championship game, but any wordsmiths on the team will be happy to note they’ve got a dictionary honor already earned. These ballers sent searches for Loyola skyrocketing this week. Searches for the proper noun climbed 205%. It’s the surname of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, the Jesuit university’s patron saint, who founded the Society of Jesus.
Maundy
This week is marked by Christians around the globe as Holy Week, and so searches for maundy climbed 361% on Dictionary.com as well. The word refers to “the ceremony of washing the feet of the poor, especially commemorating Jesus’ washing of His disciples’ feet on Maundy Thursday.”
It's #MaundyThursday, and searches for "maundy" are 📈 on https://t.co/OeJELgy3YL. Do you know the Roman Catholic word it's related to? https://t.co/85NukBFLlU
— Dictionary.com (@Dictionarycom) March 29, 2018
Bethphage
Searches for Bethphage were also up in honor of the week before Easter, with a jump of 205%. It’s the name of a place in ancient Israel located at the foot of the Mount of Olives known as the starting place of Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem. Its customary on Palm Sunday for many to make the walk from Bethphage to Jerusalem.
Bolster
Actor Ben Affleck’s witty response to a New Yorker article about him earned him plenty of Twitter praise this week. It also sent searches for one of his chosen words, bolster, flying into the stratosphere. Searches were up 1215% for the word, which means “to add to, support, or uphold.”
Current status: Bolstered by Ben Affleck's usage of bolstered. #WeLikeBigWordsAndWeCannotLiehttps://t.co/PvGzBfLpnc https://t.co/ZobCry826b
— Dictionary.com (@Dictionarycom) March 29, 2018
Voluminous
Searches for voluminous shot up 139% this week thanks to the president’s tweet about “fake news” being voluminous and inaccurate.
Voluminous: Of great volume, size, or extent.
Also voluminous: Having many convolutions or windings. #Trump #FakeNews #NotFakeDefinitionshttps://t.co/b3dajnuljp https://t.co/KYxliS206E— Dictionary.com (@Dictionarycom) March 26, 2018
Blue waffle
Searches for blue waffle took a 143% jump this week, just as the nation is preparing for April Fools’ Day—which is no surprise when you consider it’s the name for an internet hoax that’s been making the rounds for at least a decade. A word to the wise: If anyone tells you they have “blue waffle” disease this Sunday, they’re pulling the wool over your eyes.
