Asshat but not Assclown: American Heritage Dictionary executive editor talks about some of the 10,000 words added to the new edition

The newly published fifth edition of the American Heritage Dictionary is a 2,000-page book packed with thousands of definitions, etymologies, and illustrations. It’s a gorgeous volume, but have the Internet and smartphones (along with apps like the AHD’s electronic version) rendered the print dictionary redundant? In the premiere of a new Slate podcast, the AHD’s executive editor, Steve Kleinedler, talks about some of the words that have been added to the latest edition, why it matters which dictionary people use, and whether lexicographers have favorite words.

Click here to listen to the interview.

Click here for Houghton Mifflin Harcourt's page on The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition.