- Elon Musk's Twitter Blue $8 monthly subscription service has attracted controversy in recent months.
- Merriam-Webster appeared to mock Twitter Blue with its own "Merriam-Webster Red."
Merriam-Webster appeared to poke fun at Elon Musk's Twitter Blue service on Tuesday, tweeting about its own parody subscription service.
In a post seen over 2.5 million times, it said: "People who subscribe to Merriam-Webster Red™ will get exclusive access to the real definitions."
About two hours later, the country's oldest dictionary publisher said its joke subscription service had been discontinued.
"It has been brought to our attention that we've been giving everyone the real definitions since 1828," it added.
Musk announced Twitter Blue in November. For an $8 monthly fee, users can keep their blue checkmark, edit tweets, see fewer ads, and have priority in search, according to Musk. The new charge has been criticized by some celebrities.
Merriam-Webster's tweets come after news that only paying subscribers of Twitter Blue will be able to vote in polls or appear in its "For You" tab. After a backlash, Musk clarified that users will still be able to see accounts they follow in the "For You" feed.
The person managing Merriam-Webster's Twitter account also had some fun with the replies. When one user asked about a pro service, it responded "Looking into it" – a phrase Musk has tweeted on several occasions since taking over Twitter, including in reply to right-wing journalists complaining about tweet visibility.
Merriam-Webster has a history of mocking comments on social media too, including trolling the Trump administration.
Insider contacted Twitter for comment. The company responded with an automated message that didn't address the inquiry.
Merriam-Webster did not immediately respond to Insider's request, sent outside US working hours.