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The slow decline of Urban Dictionary
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As slang finds its way into lexical institutions, experts ponder its place on the internet.
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: KEVIN VAN AELST/NYTIMES
Julia Carpenter
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NEW YORK - There was a time when Urban Dictionary felt essential. Twenty-six years ago, when then first-year college student Aaron Peckham founded the lo-fi website, internet lingo was making its way into the mainstream faster than the slang of any earlier, offline communities.
Users submitted their own comprehensive definitions and colourful example sentences.
