Merriam-Webster Not McFriendly
My poor sister and aunt has to hear this...Merriam-Webster just defined their current vocations as "a low paying job that requires little skill and provides little opportunity for advancement"--a McJob.
The definition is really offensive to people who have worked at McDonald's beyond adolescence; I've found many make decent wages, have moved up in the fast food heirarchy, and have great benefits from the company.
Bias looks like it is sneaking into the dictionary.
When coined phrases, such as "McJob", are included many people have different opinions on what that definition is. I think the Merriam-Webster company should rethink its stance before the America begins to call their employees "WebsterGeeks" or "Girly-Merriam-Definition-Dorks".
Lots of people work for McDonald's. There is power in french-fry-making numbers. And coining words is one of the most common practices around.
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Dictionaries are indeed cultural barometers, and dictionary editors have a lot of power over language. I'm not sure whether it is Mirriam-Webster's fault for including this term... I remember when I was in graduate school, I mentioned to my students that I "had a McDonalds Job" when I was 15, and later when the student found out I didn't actually work at McDonalds, the student was surprised. I hadn't meant that I literally worked at McDonalds, and was surprised when this student took me literally. So I think M-W is simply recording that a word has made its way into common speech. I don't dispute that the word shows a bias; I once got into an argument in a newsgroup over whether the word "pontificate" is subtly anti-Catholic. (I said it was.)