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Omnishambles, phablet, selfie among new words added to Oxford Dictionaries Online

Arthur

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Arthur

Arthur

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How many of these words have you never heard of before today?

 

Sources: The Guardian / Quartz*

 

* Contains a picture of Miley Cyrus twerking so might be NSFW.

 

Last year omnishambles was voted the word of the year by the Oxford English Dictionary.

 

Some of the more vom-worthy (vom: v. & n. informal: (be) sick; vomit) creatures of the digital undergrowth have also made the new edition, including selfie (a photograph taken of oneself, typically with a smartphone or webcam and uploaded to a social media website); unlike (v. withdraw one's liking or approval of a web page or posting on a social media website that one has previously liked); phablet (smartphone having a screen which is intermediate in size between that of a typical smartphone and a tablet computer); the dreaded "internet of things" (proposed development of the internet in which everyday objects have network connectivity, allowing them to send and receive data); and the much needed "digital detox" (a period of time during which a person refrains from using electronic devices such as smartphones or computers, regarded as an opportunity to reduce stress or focus on social interaction in the physical world).

 

Appalling fashions and hairstyles include "double denim" (often regarded as a breach of fashion etiquette); self-explanatory "chandelier earrings"; flatforms (a flat shoe with a high, thick sole); and fauxhawks (a hairstyle in which a section of hair running from the front to the back of the head stands erect). This could well be caused by Fomo (fear of missing out: anxiety that an exciting or interesting event may currently be happening elsewhere, often aroused by posts seen on a social media website).

 

Blondies and cake-pops could well bring on a "food baby" (a protruding stomach caused by eating a large quantity of food and supposedly resembling that of a woman in the early stages of pregnancy); whereas the real thing should be marked by a babymoon (a relaxing or romantic holiday taken by parents-to-be before their baby is born; a period of time following the birth of a baby during which the new parents can focus on establishing a bond with their child).

 

This may be getting a bit TL:DR (too long, didn't read: used as a dismissive response to a lengthy online post, or to introduce a summary of a lengthy post). Apols.

 

Here is a partial list of the new words along with the ODO’s definitions:

 

  • apols, pl. n. (informal): apologies.
  • A/W, abbrev.: autumn/winter (denoting or relating to fashion designed for the autumn and winter seasons of a particular year). (See also S/S)
  • babymoon, n. (informal): a relaxing or romantic holiday taken by parents-to-be before their baby is born; a period of time following the birth of a baby during which the new parents can focus on establishing a bond with their child.
  • balayage, n.: a technique for highlighting hair in which the dye is painted on in such a way as to create a graduated, natural-looking effect.
  • bitcoin, n.: a digital currency in which transactions can be performed without the need for a central bank.
  • blondie, n.: a small square of dense, pale-coloured cake, typically of a butterscotch or vanilla flavour.
  • buzzworthy, adj. (informal): likely to arouse the interest and attention of the public, either by media coverage or word of mouth.
  • BYOD, n.: abbreviation of ‘bring your own device’: the practice of allowing the employees of an organization to use their own computers, smartphones, or other devices for work purposes.
  • cakepop, n.: a small round piece of cake coated with icing or chocolate and fixed on the end of a stick so as to resemble a lollipop.
  • chandelier earring, n.: a long, elaborate dangling earring, typically consisting of various tiers of gemstones, crystals, beads, etc.
  • click and collect, n.: a shopping facility whereby a customer can buy or order goods from a store’s website and collect them from a local branch.
  • dappy, adj. (informal): silly, disorganized, or lacking concentration.
  • derp, exclam. & n. (informal): (used as a substitute for) speech regarded as meaningless or stupid, or to comment on a foolish or stupid action.
  • digital detox, n.: a period of time during which a person refrains from using electronic devices such as smartphones or computers, regarded as an opportunity to reduce stress or focus on social interaction in the physical world.
  • double denim, n.: a style of dress in which a denim jacket or shirt is worn with a pair of jeans or a denim skirt, often regarded as a breach of fashion etiquette.
  • emoji, n: a small digital image or icon used to express an idea or emotion in electronic communication.
  • fauxhawk, n: a hairstyle in which a section of hair running from the front to the back of the head stands erect, intended to resemble a Mohican haircut (in which the sides of the head are shaved).
  • FIL, n.: a person’s father-in-law (see also MIL, BIL, SIL).
  • flatform, n.: a flat shoe with a high, thick sole.
  • FOMO, n.: fear of missing out: anxiety that an exciting or interesting event may currently be happening elsewhere, often aroused by posts seen on a social media website.
  • food baby, n.: a protruding stomach caused by eating a large quantity of food and supposedly resembling that of a woman in the early stages of pregnancy.
  • geek chic, n.: the dress, appearance, and culture associated with computing and technology enthusiasts, regarded as stylish or fashionable.
  • girl crush, n. (informal): an intense and typically non-sexual liking or admiration felt by one woman or girl for another.
  • grats, pl. n. (informal): congratulations.
  • guac, n.: guacamole.
  • hackerspace, n.: a place in which people with an interest in computing or technology can gather to work on projects while sharing ideas, equipment, and knowledge.
  • Internet of things, n.: a proposed development of the Internet in which everyday objects have network connectivity, allowing them to send and receive data.
  • jorts, pl. n.: denim shorts.
  • LDR, n.: a long-distance relationship.
  • me time, n. (informal): time spent relaxing on one’s own as opposed to working or doing things for others, seen as an opportunity to reduce stress or restore energy.
  • MOOC, n.: a course of study made available over the Internet without charge to a very large number of people.
  • omnishambles, n. (informal): a situation that has been comprehensively mismanaged, characterized by a string of blunders and miscalculations.
  • pear cider, n.: an alcoholic drink made from the fermented juice of pears.
  • phablet, n.: a smartphone having a screen which is intermediate in size between that of a typical smartphone and a tablet computer.
  • pixie cut, n.: a woman’s short hairstyle in which the hair is cropped in layers, typically so as to create a slightly tousled effect.
  • selfie, n. (informal): a photograph that one has taken of oneself, typically one taken with a smartphone or webcam and uploaded to a social media website.
  • space tourism, n.: the practice of travelling into space for recreational purposes.
  • squee, exclam. & v. & n. (informal): (used to express) great delight or excitement.
  • srsly, adv. (informal): short for ‘seriously’.
  • street food, n.: prepared or cooked food sold by vendors in a street or other public location for immediate consumption.
  • TL;DR, abbrev.: ‘too long didn't read’: used as a dismissive response to a lengthy online post, or to introduce a summary of a lengthy post.
  • twerk, v.: dance to popular music in a sexually provocative manner involving thrusting hip movements and a low, squatting stance.
  • unlike, v.: withdraw one’s liking or approval of (a web page or posting on a social media website that one has previously liked).
  • vom, v. & n. (informal): (be) sick; vomit.

  • 2 months later...
6Foot2

6Foot2

Posted
Posted

Link: Oxford Dictionaries Word of the Year 2013 | OxfordWords blog

 

19 November 2013, Oxford, UK:

 

Today Oxford Dictionaries announces selfie as their international Word of the Year 2013. The Oxford Dictionaries Word of the Year is a word or expression that has attracted a great deal of interest during the year to date. Language research conducted by Oxford Dictionaries editors reveals that the frequency of the word selfie in the English language has increased by 17,000% since this time last year...

  • 3 months later...
sparkeh

sparkeh

Posted
Posted
how did THAT word become acceptable all of a sudden??

Its not about acceptability, dictionaries just list words that are in common usage. Also 'that' word has been in forever, its just the variations that are new.

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Arthur

Arthur

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  • Author
Posted

“Sexting,” “crowdfunding,” and “twitterari” hit Oxford English Dictionary « Ars Technica

 

Around 500 new words and phrases have been added to the Oxford English Dictionary in the tome"s quarterly update, including several that provide an insight into 21st century hobbies, such as "sexting," "photobombing," "vaping" and "crowdfunding."

 

Other gems included in the latest version of the dictionary are the words "meh" and "twerk," as well as more complex ones like "Enviropig"—the trademark for a genetically modified line of Yorkshire pigs with enhanced digestive capabilities—and "pharmacovigilance," which denotes the practice of monitoring the effects of drugs after they have been licensed for use.

 

These regular updates to the dictionary are designed to reflect the evolution in the English language which is, naturally, constantly in motion. Perhaps unsurprisingly given the growth in technology, many of the new words we are adopting are closely related to innovations in tech and digital culture. We have identified the new words and concepts that we believe are most likely to be used regularly by readers:

 

  • autotune, v.
  • autotuned, adj.
  • biomethane, n.
  • Blu-ray, n.
  • crowdfund, v.
  • crowdfunded, adj.
  • crowdfunding, n.
  • cyclogenesis, n.
  • deep web
  • e-cig, n.
  • e-cigarette, n.
  • ecotown, n.
  • Enviropig, n.
  • e-skin, n.
  • forensic science, n.
  • forensics, n.
  • freegan, adj. and n.
  • H2O, n.
  • hyperlocal, adj.
  • Internaut, n.
  • Interweb, n.
  • JavaScript, n.
  • kryptonite, n.
  • nanosized, adj.
  • netbook, n.2
  • on-trend, adj. and adv.
  • pageview, n.
  • pharmacovigilance, n.
  • photobomb, n.
  • photobomb, v.
  • photobomber, n.
  • photobombing, n.
  • retweet, n.
  • retweet, v.
  • retweeting, n.
  • sext, n.2
  • sext, v.
  • sexting, n.
  • SD card
  • system disk
  • system file
  • tenderpreneur, n.
  • tweeting, n.
  • thumb drive
  • twitterati, n.
  • vape, v.
  • vaper, n.
  • vaping, n.

Along with some of the new words that have been added in their own right, the OED team has also added several sub entries, many of which come under the word Internet. Here is the full list of Internet-related words added to the dictionary:

 

  • Internet address
  • Internet banking
  • Internet browser
  • Internet chat room
  • Internet connectivity
  • Internet filtering
  • Internet forum
  • Internet gateway
  • Internet kiosk
  • Internet of things
  • Internet radio
  • Internet search
  • Internet shopping
  • Internet startup
  • Internet traffic
  • Internet worm
  • Internet-capable
  • Internet-enabled
  • Internet-ready

The full list of new officially recognized words can be found over at the Oxford English Dictionary, where all good words go to thrive. Why not find one you don"t know and try using it in a sentence today?

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Garacesh

Garacesh

Posted
Posted
I am beginning to worry about us as a species. Words like 'Merica becoming a part of the dictionary??!?!?

 

It's an Abbreviation and an EXTREMELY lazy one at that.

 

OH I'M SORRY, I THOUGHT THIS WAS AMERICA‽

.. hang on..

Arthur

Arthur

Posted
  • Author
Posted (edited)
I am beginning to worry about us as a species. Words like 'Merica becoming a part of the dictionary??!?!?

'mericans often omit letters from words and words from sentences. e.g. 'erb instead of herb, "wit" instead of "with", "write you" instead of "write to you"

 

At some point in the distant future I reckon American English will diverge so much from British English that it will be unrecognisable as English. :)

 

IIRC, removing silent letters from words (like the 'u' in colour) started in the 1900s.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simplified_Spelling_Board#Handbook_of_Simplified_Spelling

Edited by Arthur
LeightonJames

LeightonJames

Posted
Posted
'mericans often omit letters from words and words from sentences. e.g. 'erb instead of herb, "wit" instead of "with", "write you" instead of "write to you"

 

At some point in the distant future I reckon American English will diverge so much from British English that it will be unrecognisable as English. :)

 

IIRC, removing silent letters from words (like the 'u' in colour) started in the 1900s.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simplified_Spelling_Board#Handbook_of_Simplified_Spelling

 

That's all well and good, however we are talking about the Oxford English Dictionary. That is to say UK English not US English, so why this ridiculous abbreviation has been included is beyond me. Scrabble games are going to be VERY interesting now that we have started to include drivel in the dictionary.

pcstru

pcstru

Posted
Posted
That's all well and good, however we are talking about the Oxford English Dictionary. That is to say UK English not US English, so why this ridiculous abbreviation has been included is beyond me.

I'd think that depends what you think a dictionary is. Most modern dictionaries are descriptive not proscriptive, so you could look at them simply as documenting how words are used rather than how words must be used.

6Foot2

6Foot2

Posted
Posted
I'd think that depends what you think a dictionary is. Most modern dictionaries are descriptive not proscriptive, so you could look at them simply as documenting how words are used rather than how words must be used.

 

Our language is changing all the time. William Shakespeare added many words that at the time probably seemed very strange:

 

Link: List of English words invented by Shakespeare – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia | dogwonder

 

William Shakespeare introduced more words into English than all other poets of his lifetime combined. Although it is often difficult to determine the true origin of a word, the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) verified the following words Shakespeare originated or words that he was the first to use in print.

 

Some of the recent additions seem like they should not have been added.

  • 2 years later...

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