Not so much the green maverick on Main Street

Associated Press writer, Jeff Karoub, penned an article referring to the annual list of words compiled by the faculty at Lake Superior State University. What fun to read the list and think about the popularity (or over popularity) of words in common use.

The Oxford English Dictionary ,which is available to Georgia residents through GALILEO, has examples of the changes in meaning that words go through over time.

Here's what the OED offers on maverick

2. An unorthodox or independent-minded person; a person who refuses to conform to the views of a particular group or party; an individualist. Also in extended use.

1880 Galveston (Texas) Daily News 19 Aug. 4/5 We..will crush radicals, greenbackers and all other foes of democracy, especially those independent gentlemen, those political mavericks. 1892 R. KIPLING Life's Handicap 195 A very muzzy Maverick smote his sergeant on the nose. 1948 Chicago Daily News 11 June 16/7 One Republican Senator, and not by any means a conspicuous maverick, pointed out that the Senate might have acted. 1957 Oxf. Mag. 17 Oct. 22/2 The story is not just of local boy making good, but also, and more significantly, of maverick making friends. 1989 Money & Family Wealth Mar. 25/2 Although the Abbey National is one of the oldest building societies, in recent years it has cultivated an image as a maverick and a mould-breaker. 1994 Hypno 3 69/2 James is a maverick of disturbingly beautiful techno.

Yes, maverick has several meanings and a history to our understanding of what a maverick is!
What I noticed is the RSS feed that the OED offers to those who might like to add a word to their vocabulary. So here's to New Years resolutions- subscribe to the OED RSS feed and use that word twice before the next word appears in your feed reader. Amaze your acquaintances with the expansion of your vocabulary.

You may get the current password to access GALILEO at home from your Georgia librarian.

-kls