‘Jawn’ is now in Dictionary.com. So what?

Jawn has been added to Dictionary.com.

And I couldn’t care less. Neither should you.

Earlier this month the online dictionary announced it was adding the classic Phillyism and all-purpose noun to its virtual pages: “something or someone for which the speaker does not know or does not need a specific name.” Many viewed this as victory or validation … or at least with excitement for Philadelphia getting widespread press for something not overtly negative.

But everyone should calm down for one clear reason: Dictionary.com isn’t a real dictionary.

Going to Dictionary.com for definitions is like going to Olive Garden for an authentic Italian experience. You’ll find something that approximates the real deal, but the natives are probably laughing at you.

And you might feel a little ill afterward.

Way back in 2019, I described in these pages how jawn had already jumped the shark. At the time, it was appearing everywhere from Christmas “Jawnaments” to ads for a boutique Fishtown hotel. I argued the word was finished not because of its ubiquity, but because it was being used inorganically — as a way to sell products rather than as a natural way of speaking. Such abuse tends to fetishize those regionalisms that make our vernacular distinct and beautiful.

» READ MORE: Jawn is dead: The Philly word’s journey from quirky regionalism to overused cliche | The Angry Grammarian

Since then, the word’s popularity has exploded even further, appearing everywhere from Abbott Elementary (which toyed with jawn to great comedic effect) to those dumb “Jawn Morgan” billboards (which, uh, didn’t).

Now Dictionary.com thinks that, just by being first out of the gate, it can plant its jawn in the sand.

No reputable dictionaries include jawn yet. In 2017, Merriam-Webster included jawn in its “Words We’re Watching” feature, which highlights words that are prevalent but haven’t shown enough staying power to merit inclusion in its august pages. The Oxford English Dictionary does have jawn, but not as we know it; rather, it’s a variation of the obsolete Elizabethan-era verb chawn, meaning “to gape open” (as in, “My mouth was chawning at that jawn”).

Among word nerds, no one takes Dictionary.com seriously. The site was smart enough to register the ideal dictionary domain name, but otherwise, it relies primarily on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, while also including content from American Heritage and Harper Collins. This hodgepodge of source materials translates to inconsistent editing rules, as well as inclusion of more entries than almost any other dictionary out there.

No one takes Dictionary.com seriously.

Bigger isn’t necessarily better. Just because a word is in the dictionary doesn’t mean it should be. I wrote recently that many dictionaries’ inclusion of tweet as a verb came too early; they jumped on a tech bandwagon, and now that Twitter has been rebranded as X, no one knows what to call the action of posting on the site (except maybe “shouting into an increasingly irrelevant, hate-speech-filled void”).

While Dictionary.com fancies itself “the world’s leading digital dictionary,” other resources that don’t take themselves as seriously are, in their own ways, more useful. Take the crowdsourced UrbanDictionary.com, which I appreciate: It has dozens of jawn definitions dating back to 2002. Many of them are junk, but collectively, they help a novice understand what the young bouls are saying. Using UrbanDictionary.com is akin to eating at a classic diner: The menu options are seemingly limitless, but pick the wrong one, and you will regret it.

Jawn’s inclusion in Dictionary.com doesn’t mean that it’s now, finally, a word. It’s been a word for a long time — one with a clear definition, and standard usage rules, and consistent spelling. Rather, its inclusion is a sign only that one gatekeeper — a not especially respected one — decided to make a cheap local headline in its increasingly Sisyphean quest for relevance and respect.

Feast on that jawn awhile.

The Grammarian, otherwise known as Jeffrey Barg, looks at how language, grammar, and punctuation shape our world, and appears biweekly. Send comments, questions, and Samuel Johnson to jeff@theangrygrammarian.com.