If I make up a word how do I get it into the dictionary?

[bomekked]

Who decides when a word is common enough to get in the dictionary?

[TheHitMaker]

The dictionary editors decide when a word is common enough. There is a famous story about a couple of Irish men (can't remember who) who had a competition to see which could get a made up word to be used. One of them stuck up his word over everywhere and it is now in the dictionary. The word was quiz.

[mikewith]

For a detailed explanation of the origins of the word'quiz' - see http://www.askoxford.com/asktheexperts/faq/aboutwo
rdorigins/quiz There's an Answerbank article on the Oxford English Dictionary. They are keen to have members of the public contribute to their work: http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/Article.go?id=3420&
category_id=null

[ravenhair]

I am a dictionary editor and what we do is this. We firstly employ freelance readers who read a selection of newspapers, magazines, journals and books every week and enter all the new words they come across in a database. We also keep an eye ourselves on any new words we find (either from reading them or hearing them on TV/radio or in conversations). Every couple of weeks we get together and see what new words have been spotted in different sources; we then discuss if the word in question is likely to have staying power or if (as is often the case with slang terms) it's going to be used a lot for a couple of weeks then disappear. If a word fulfills the two criteria of having appeared in at least five different sources over a reasonable time period, plus seems to be a word which will have good longevity, then it will go into the next edition of the dictionary.

[mikewith]

Fascinating ravenhair - how long 'til we see Eqquiba in the dictionary? It appearts to fill most of your criteria;-)