How old is the spell-checker on my Outlook e-mail software? Well, today I was sending an email with the word "iPhone" and noticed that it was flagged as a misspelling. Same for iPhone. And Facebook.

Somehow app got through, but that's due to its origins a couple of decades ago as the shorthand for an application program on a computer.

I pity the poor dictionary employees who have to keep track of the language today, when new words appear out of the ether and gain instantaneous traction from social media. They must be overwhelmed by mutants such as chillax, bromance, frenemy and staycation. Let alone the new words spawned entirely by social media: defriend or TTFN.

I've updated my spell-checker (a word that is not flagged by the spell-checker) for iPhone, iPad and some other new words, but I know I can't keep up completely.