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LACMA And Merriam-Webster Are Now Officially BFF On Twitter
Like all great love stories of our time, it began with a tweet. It was a Monday morning like any other when someone on LACMA's social media team decided it was time to start a conversation/challenge with presidential subtweet champion Merriam-Webster.
Hey, @merriamwebster wordsmiths—we have a challenge for you! Here’s a mysterious work that could use a definition: https://t.co/BVzFGSj4yV pic.twitter.com/e5LMgr35FZ
— LACMA (@LACMA) March 6, 2017
Merriam-Webster's social person appeared more than happy to engage on the correct name for the slip-painted Xochipala style ceramic sculpture from 900-500 B.C.
.@LACMA Hmm. Looks like a kinker to us. https://t.co/nJLQ8zcgkz
— Merriam-Webster (@MerriamWebster) March 6, 2017
Oh, a kinker... Duh! Next up...
.@MerriamWebster Couldn't be more spot-on! What about this piece? https://t.co/RvvhXoiQ3A pic.twitter.com/AeFNx5Pokq
— LACMA (@LACMA) March 6, 2017
OOH. Flabellate! It means “resembling a fan in shape.” https://t.co/TP6EZGRBKN https://t.co/EyW1MbNEFG
— Merriam-Webster (@MerriamWebster) March 6, 2017
LACMA was apparently super excited about the newfound thing they had going with the dictionary, because this was their next tweet... which, TBH, felt a little needy to us, but then again Merriam-Webster still hasn't adequately responded to my multiple questions about whether or not their social person is single, so what do I know.
.@MerriamWebster Thanks! 🙌 Let’s keep this game going!!!
— LACMA (@LACMA) March 6, 2017
Merriam-Webster didn't seem to take it that way though, and they UPPED their game:
.@LACMA Cool--watch this space, and we'll send you some words on our https://t.co/yL79nqPw3c
— Merriam-Webster (@MerriamWebster) March 6, 2017
A little less than two hours later, Merriam-Webster's social person appeared to have taken their aforementioned lunch break, because they responded with this:
Hey @LACMA, how would you illustrate 'impedimenta'? https://t.co/8g5K52GAqC
— Merriam-Webster (@MerriamWebster) March 6, 2017
And so it continued...
.@MerriamWebster No contest. https://t.co/aXKwND8lZw pic.twitter.com/g3aT6BTZeF
— LACMA (@LACMA) March 6, 2017
And continued...
.@LACMA You've never looked better.
— Merriam-Webster (@MerriamWebster) March 6, 2017
What about 'psittaceous'? https://t.co/FwXPoVaUGq
*ransacks parrot archive* This is our favorite psittaceous piece—an ewer made in China: https://t.co/W5Ad94hU6R pic.twitter.com/tA1BNHlE03
— LACMA (@LACMA) March 6, 2017
Parrot archive. They have a parrot archive. https://t.co/FwXPoVaUGq https://t.co/w1egNXE1zB
— Merriam-Webster (@MerriamWebster) March 6, 2017
Commodify. https://t.co/wTqUH1LtEM https://t.co/2z8QotNDQt
— Merriam-Webster (@MerriamWebster) March 6, 2017
That's an idyll. Which sounds pretty good right now. https://t.co/DMQKI16GzM https://t.co/zLcyt3O2Xc
— Merriam-Webster (@MerriamWebster) March 6, 2017
By 2:40 p.m. PST, someone at Merriam-Webster must have realized that this kind of social media engagement is what web traffic clicks ARE MADE OF, because they had transformed the tweetstorm into an actual post:
That's an idyll. Which sounds pretty good right now. https://t.co/DMQKI16GzM https://t.co/zLcyt3O2Xc
— Merriam-Webster (@MerriamWebster) March 6, 2017
(We added some background on the words and pictures involved, too.)
— Merriam-Webster (@MerriamWebster) March 6, 2017
LACMA got the ball rolling again this morning, and the back and forth has been continuing all day.
.@MerriamWebster Let's pick up where we left off yesterday... do you have a word to describe this striking necklace? https://t.co/m4AZicgaKC pic.twitter.com/f39rS2QxFR
— LACMA (@LACMA) March 7, 2017
(1) Ursine
— Merriam-Webster (@MerriamWebster) March 7, 2017
(2) we've found our spring look.https://t.co/d2lHYAiHya https://t.co/JEHY5BLlfd
Our turn: can you illustrate 'fard', @LACMA? https://t.co/CUzjutrRNr
— Merriam-Webster (@MerriamWebster) March 7, 2017
Why yes, @MerriamWebster, we can with this lovely Japanese woodcut: https://t.co/8Xh7DZoNk7 pic.twitter.com/x0SHI2aVIk
— LACMA (@LACMA) March 7, 2017
'Fard' means "to paint the face with cosmetics"; in the past, it was used with the meaning "to gloss over." https://t.co/CUzjutrRNr https://t.co/HlPYwne8M6
— Merriam-Webster (@MerriamWebster) March 7, 2017
.@MerriamWebster We're taking a lunch break, but we'll search for another artwork for you before we leave today!
— LACMA (@LACMA) March 7, 2017
That was three hours ago, but LACMA does not yet appear to have returned from lunch. Or maybe they finally read The Rules and decided it was time to play a little harder to get. Regardless, Merriam-Webster is still hyping the budding romance:
ICYMI: We're playing a words/pictures game with @LACMA all week. Just updated the gallery with today's words! https://t.co/MI7NGKl4Bm
— Merriam-Webster (@MerriamWebster) March 7, 2017
We anxiously await the inevitable Urban Light engagement photos.