We all know Eminem for being a master wordsmith and rap artist and actor – but did you know he created an entirely new term that made its way into the Oxford English Dictionary?
No, us neither.
Well, remember his song Stan? It was a song on his classic album The Marshall Mathers EP, about a crazed, obsessive fan who wrote countless letters to the rapper, gradually getting more irate each time he received no response.
Well, would you believe it – Stan has been added to the dictionary under the definition: “An overzealous or obsessive fan of a particular celebrity.”
Origin: “Early 21st century: probably with allusion to the 2000 song ‘Stan’ by the American rapper Eminem, about an obsessed fan.”
So how does a word qualify for the OED?
According to their website, the OED requires ‘several independent examples’ of the word being used as well as evidence that the word has been in use for a ‘reasonable amount of time’.
So there we have it, he’s made waves in music and movies, raised a heap of money for Manchester terror attack victims and has inspired a word in the Oxford English Dictionary – is there no end to this man’s talents?
