Are you a locavore?

Evidently, announcing the Word of the Year is a big PR move for dictionaries. The New Oxford American Dictionary has released its list, with locavore in the number one spot. A locavore is someone who eats only locally grown or raised food.

If you are a locavore, or if you’re just interested in supporting local agriculture and reducing your carbon footprint, local author and culinary instructor Marilou Suszko will be here at the Library April 23 to tell us about the marvelous food to be had near to home. Or if you can’t wait that long, her new book, Farms and Food of Ohio, is here in our collection. (Should you want to get your food very local, you could put yourself on the hold list for one of our bestlenders, Keeping Chickens: the essential guide to enjoying and getting the best from chickens).

Earlier, Cleveland-based Webster’s New World Dictionary (no relation to Merriam-Webster’s) had announced its 2007 Word of the Year: grass station. This is the (maybe) fuel station of the future where you’ll fill up your car with ethanol.

The granddaddy of annual word lists, the American Dialect Society, won’t vote for its 2007 word until early January. You’re invited to make your own nomination. A spirit of whimsy is recommended.