New Oxford English Dictionary entries for 2013

• 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.

• cake pop, 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.

New English words from the Oxford Dictionary

Bling (n): Expensive, ostentatious clothing and jewelry.

Bromance (n): A close but non-sexual relationship between two men.

Chillax (v): Calm down and relax.

Crunk (adj): Very excited or full of energy.

D'oh (ex): Exclamation used to comment on a foolish or stupid action, especially one’s own.

Droolworthy (adj): Extremely attractive or desirable.

Frankenfood (n): Genetically modified food.

Grrrl (n): A young woman regarded as independent and strong or aggressive, especially in her attitude to men or in her sexuality (A blend of “Grrrr” and “Girl.”)

Guyliner (n): Eyeliner that is worn by men.

Hater (n): A person who greatly dislikes a specified person or thing.

Illiterati (n): People who are not well educated or well informed about a particular subject or sphere of activity.

Infomania (n): The compulsive desire to check or accumulate news and information, typically via mobile phone or computer.

Jeggings (n): Tight-fitting stretch trousers for women, styled to resemble a pair of denim jeans.

La-la Land (n): A fanciful state or dream world. Also, Los Angeles.

Locavore (n): A person whose diet consists only or principally of locally grown or produced food.

Mankini (n): A brief one-piece bathing garment for men, with a T-back.

Mini-Me (n): A person closely resembling a smaller or younger version of another.

Muffin Top (n): A roll of fat visible above the top of a pair of women’s tight-fitting low-waisted trousers.

Muggle (n): A person who is not conversant with a particular activity or skill.

Noob (n): A person who is inexperienced in a particular sphere or activity, especially computing or the use of the Internet.

Obvs (adv): Obviously.

OMG (ex): Used to express surprise, excitement, or disbelief. (Dates back to 1917.)

Po-po (n): The police.

Purple State (n): A US state where the Democratic and Republican parties have similar levels of support among voters.

Screenager (n): A person in their teens or twenties who has an aptitude for computers and the Internet.

Sexting (n): The sending of sexually explicit photographs or messages via mobile phone.

Textspeak (n): Language regarded as characteristic of text messages, consisting of abbreviations, acronyms, initials, emoticons. (wut hpns win u write lyk dis.)

Totes (adv): Totally.

Truthiness (n): the quality of seeming or being felt to be true, even if not necessarily true.

Twitterati (n): Keen or frequent users of the social networking site Twitter.

Unfriend (v): Remove (someone) from a list of friends or contacts on a social networking site.

Upcycle (v): Reuse (discarded objects or material) in such a way as to create a product of higher quality or value than the original.

Whatevs (ex, adv): Whatever.

Whovian (n): A fan of the British science-fiction television series Doctor Who.

Woot (ex): (Especially in electronic communication) Used to express elation, enthusiasm, or triumph.

New Words in the Oxford English Dictionary 2011

alternative vote: an electoral system whereby voters rank candidates in order of preference, candidates being eliminated and votes redistributed until one candidate achieves the required majority.

domestic goddess: (informal) a woman with exceptional domestic skills, especially cookery.

mankini: (pl. mankinis) a brief one-piece bathing garment for men, with a T-back.

retweet: (on the social networking service Twitter) repost or forward (a message posted by another user).

sexting: (informal) the sending of sexually explicit photographs or messages via mobile phone.

woot: (especially in electronic communication) used to express elation, enthusiasm, or triumph

Metrosexual

metrosexual

noun [C]:

a heterosexual male with a strong interest in fashion, appearance and other lifestyle characteristics traditionally associated with women

(adjective: metrosexual, noun [U]: metrosexuality)

‘A metrosexual, according to New York’s finest marketing men, is “a guy who is definitely straight, but has embraced the worlds of grooming facials, shopping with women and ... their feminine side”.’
(The Guardian, 16th July 2003)

‘Wild-haired revolutionaries like Che Guevara have been replaced by clean-cut metrosexual icons like soccer star David Beckham, musician Ricky Martin and Texas Rangers outfielder Juan Gonzalez. … Metrosexuality … refers to urban, heterosexual men who wax, exfoliate and perform other grooming rituals some consider strictly feminine.’
(cbsnews.com, 25th November 2003)

The term metrosexual was one of the buzz words of 2003, voted ‘word of the year’ by the American Dialect Society and listed in the UK BBCi news glossary of 2003. The word can be used both as a countable noun or an adjective, and refers to a man who, regardless of his sexual orientation, has a strong interest in fashion, beauty and his own personal appearance, the kind of values that are traditionally characterised as female attributes or associated with gay men. The term has an uncountable noun derivative metrosexuality.

Though initially mainly promoted by male style magazines such as Esquire and FHM, the concept has been popularised by intense media interest in celebrity icons like footballer David Beckham, who has epitomised the notion of metrosexuality during the past couple of years and secured the use of the term in the context of a booming health and beauty industry. The term has been the subject of some controversy, sceptics viewing it as yet another marketing ploy. However, sociologists have associated it with the concept of an insecure 21st-century male who has witnessed the rise of female power in the workplace; a man who needs to assert his position in a society which focuses on gender-equality.

Background

The terms metrosexual and metrosexuality were first used in 1994 by British journalist Mark Simpson. They are derived from a play on the word heterosexual with the prefix metro-, from metropolis or ‘city’, the idea being that the typical metrosexual is a young man with money to spend who lives close to all the best shops, clubs, salons and gyms, where he can pay careful attention to grooming.

New English Words: Wiki

"wiki" (n)

Wiki is one of those words that I knew existed (mainly from the website Wikipedia) but I never really thought about what it was or meant....until now. It has just officially entered the Oxford English Dictionary this March and so I decided to learn a bit more about the word.

A wiki is a website that allows users to add and update content on the site using their own Web browser. This is made possible by Wiki software that runs on the Web server. Wikis end up being created mainly by a collaborative effort of the site visitors.

Where does the term Wiki come from?


The word was coined by Ward Cunnigham in 1995. He heard this word on his first visit to Hawaii. An airport worker directed him to take the Wiki Wiki bus between terminals. In Hawaiian 'wiki wiki' meant quick and words are doubled for emphasis. This word from the Hawaiian language stuck in Cunningham's mind and he chose to call the technology that he was working on WikiWikiWeb. He installed the WikiWikiWeb on his company Cunningham & Cunningham's website c2.com on March 25 1995 . He chose to use the word in lower case as the progam name, thus it was the first ever wiki. The url for the technology can be found on the wiki page. From this page you can navigate via other links and find some useful and interesting information about wikis.

New English expressions (BBC)

'Ruby Murray' officially English

"Rocking up" to a restaurant for a "Ruby Murray" are now official phrases with the terms making it into the Oxford Dictionary of English.

The latest edition defines rock up as arrive, or turn up, and Ruby Murray as rhyming slang for a curry.

Other new words to make the cut include "lush" - meaning very good - and "phishing", sending fraudulent emails to get hold of personal information.

The old rhyming slang for tea, "Rosie Lee", also makes it for the first time.

And "chav" appears, an increasingly used derogatory word to describe a "young lower-class person typified by brash and loutish behaviour and the wearing of [real or imitation] designer clothes".

New words being added simply reflect the fact that the language naturally keeps expanding, said researchers at the Oxford Dictionary of English.

Lollywood

"To suit the pace of lifestyle there is even a growing tendency to mix words together to make entirely new ones called blends," they said.

A person who approaches passers-by in the street looking for donations or subscriptions to a charity is now officially a "chugger" - a mixture of charity and mugger.

A type of English used by speakers of Hindi - "Hinglish" - is another new entry this year.

And Lollywood joins Bollywood in the English language, this time describing the Pakistani popular film industry based in Lahore.

Musical references like "beatbox", "Europop", "J-pop" (Japanese pop music), and "sing-jay" (a Dj who raps and sings) also make the grade.

On the technology front, "chip and pin" (a new way of paying for goods by debit or credit card) makes it into the dictionary, as does "gamepad" (hand-held controls for video games).

"Podcast" (digital recording of a radio broadcast made available on the internet for downloading to a personal audio player) is also included.

Patootie, peach or Venus are among the 50 words describing an attractive woman, but good-looking men have inspired only 20 such tributes.

But there are almost 10 times as many ways to express negative feelings as positive ones, researchers say.

The revised second edition of the dictionary, which focuses on contemporary English, provides 350 useful insults, such as ning-nong, chucklehead or muppet, but only 40 complimentary expressions.

And while there are 30 ways to call someone mad, a mere six terms are given to explain that you are sane.

Newest Oxford English Words

New Words

Below are some of the new words to enter Oxford's most recently published dictionary of current English: the Concise Oxford English Dictionary (Revised Eleventh Edition).

abdominoplasty
n. Medicine a surgical operation involving the removal of excess flesh from the abdomen.

aerobicized or aerobicised
adj. (of a person's body) toned by aerobic exercise: aerobicized Hollywood women.

agroterrorism
n. terrorist acts intended to disrupt or damage a country's agriculture.
– derivatives
agroterrorist n.

bahookie
n. Scottish a person's buttocks.
– origin 1930s: prob. a blend of behind and hough + -ie.

best
– phrases
best of breed
· any item or product considered to be the best of its kind.

blowback
n.
2. chiefly US the unintended adverse results of a political action or situation.

celebutante
n. a celebrity who is well known in fashionable society.
– origin 1930s: blend of celebrity and debutante.

crunk
n. a type of hip-hop or rap music characterized by repeated shouted catchphrases and elements typical of electronic dance music, such as prominent bass.
adj. US, chiefly black slang (of a person) very excited or full of energy.
– origin 1990s: perh. an alt. past part. of crank1 or a blend of crazy and drunk.

elephant
– phrases
the elephant in the room a major problem or controversial issue which is obviously present but avoided as a subject for discussion because it is more comfortable to do so.

emulsion
n.
1.
· a fine dispersion of one liquid or pur饤 food substance in another: ravioli with pea and ginger emulsion.

hardscape
n. chiefly US the man-made features used in landscape architecture, e.g. paths or walls, as contrasted with vegetation.
– derivatives
hardscaping n.

hoody (also hoodie)
n.
· informal a person, especially a youth, wearing a hooded top.
– origin 1960s: of unknown origin.

mentee
n. a person who is advised, trained, or counselled by a mentor.

mesotherapy
n. (in cosmetic surgery) a procedure in which multiple tiny injections of pharmaceuticals, vitamins, etc. are delivered into the mesodermal layer of tissue under the skin, to promote the loss of fat or cellulite.

mzee
n. (in East Africa) an older person; an elder.
– origin Kiswahili, 'ancestor, parent, old person'.

obesogenic
adj. tending to cause obesity.

plank
n.
3. Brit. informal a stupid person.

ponzu
n. (in Japanese cookery) a sauce or dip made with soy sauce and citrus juice.
– origin Japanese, from pon 'smack, pop' + zu, from su 'vinegar'.

radge Scottish informal
n. a wild, crazy, or violent person.
adj. wild, crazy, or violent.
– origin 1920s: appar. an alt. of rage.

rendition
n.
3. (also extraordinary rendition) (especially in the US) the practice of sending a foreign criminal or terrorist suspect covertly to be interrogated in a country with less rigorous regulations for the humane treatment of prisoners.

retronym
n. a new term created from an existing word in order to distinguish the original referent of the existing word from a later one that is the product of progress or technological development (e.g. acoustic guitar for guitar).
– origin 1980s: blend of retro- and -onym.

riffage
n. informal guitar riffs, especially in rock music.

shoulder-surfing
n. the practice of spying on the user of a cash-dispensing machine or other electronic device in order to obtain their personal identification number, password, etc.
– derivatives
shoulder-surfer n.

SIPP
n. (in the UK) a self-invested personal pension, a pension plan that enables the holder to choose and manage the investments made.

therapize or therapise
v. subject to psychological therapy: you don't need to therapize or fix each other.

tri-band
adj. (of a mobile phone) having three frequencies, enabling it to be used in different regions (typically Europe and the US).

twonk
n. Brit. informal a stupid or foolish person.
– origin 1980s: perh. a blend of twit1 or twat and plonker.

upskill
v. [often as noun upskilling] teach (an employee) additional skills.
· (of an employee) learn additional skills.

wedge issue
n. US a very divisive political issue, regarded as a basis for drawing voters away from an opposing party whose supporters have diverging opinions on it.

Yogalates (also trademark Yogilates)
n. a fitness routine that combines Pilates exercises with the postures and breathing techniques of yoga.
– origin 1990s: blend of yoga and Pilates.

zombie
n.
3. a computer controlled by a hacker without the owner's knowledge, which is made to send large quantities of data to a website, making it inaccessible to other users.

Ask About English!!! Q10: newest words

Dear AAE

What are the last 5 newest words in English?.

Omar


Dear Omar,

It is a very difficult question, as words are continually entering the language.

Here are the most recent entries to the Oxford English Dictionary, which were entered on 14th December 2006.

I have decided to choose five from this list, and define them

corporatization, n.: a form of economic reform which takes services from the direct control of the government, and places them in the control of government-owned corporations.

insourcing, n.: the opposite of outsourcing, that is, a service performed in-house.

jobseeker, n.: a person who is actively seeking work

thigh-high, adv., adj., and n.: reaching up to the thighs, a sock or stocking that extends to cover part of the thigh.

webcast, v.: a broadcast of an event or a recording of an event over the World Wide Web

If you are looking for spoken English examples here is a slang dictionary (double-tongued) which lists the last five entries into its database:

shack-wacky adj., exploding offer n., walkshed n., gravy plane n. motarded adj.

Thanks for your question

Matt

New English Words: bouncebackability

noun [U]: the ability to be successful again after a period of failure

The word bouncebackability was first coined by ex-footballer Iain Dowie, now manager of Crystal Palace football club, who famously described his team as showing ‘… great bouncebackability’.

The noun is formed from the phrasal verb 'to bounce back', meaning ‘to become successful again after something bad has happened’

The most common context of use of the term bouncebackability is in football commentary. The majority of current usages refer to a team’s ability to come back and win after one or more defeats, for example:

'The team were determined to show their bouncebackability after losing in last week’s game …
Tomorrow’s match will be a true test of the team’s bouncebackability following last weekend’s defeat'.

The term is beginning to cross over into rugby and other team sports, and is also gradually appearing in non-sporting contexts, such as business performance or political commentary, for example:

'As a former Cabinet member of Major’s government, Michael Howard has an even harder job ahead of him. He has to show he has enough bouncebackability to get him into Number Ten.’

It is also beginning to be used in the more general contexts associated with the original phrasal verb, such as recovery from illness.

New English Words: docusoap

I was watching a docusoap on the television the other day. "A what?", you might say. A docu-soap. Well, it’s another one of these blend-words, where two words have come together to make a third word. In this particular case, I’m talking about a TV genre, which mixes a documentary programme and a soap opera.

Now documentary programmes we all know, and these are particular fly-on-the wall documentaries we’re talking about now, where people are carrying on their everyday lives, doing their ordinary things and yet being televised or radio-recorded at the same time. But why soap? Why are these things called soap operas? Well that goes back to the 1930s and it was probably because some of the early sponsors of radio programmes at the time and television programmes were soap manufacturers, and so the idea came that a soap was one of these everyday, you know, washing machine kind of dramas.

docusoap

televizní program (něco mezi dokumentem a soap operou (kamera nezúčastněně sleduje každodenní život skutečné rodiny, skupiny studentů a nebo třeba osudy doktorů a pacientů v nemocnici. Příběhy nepíší scénáristé, postavy neztvárňují herci, ale přesto se o jakýsi příběh ze života jedná.)

soap opera
(washing machine kind of dramas)

seriál ze života s obyčejnými hrdiny

fly-on-the wall

moucha na zdi

to be televised

natočit televizní kamerou

that goes back to

datuje se od…

New English Words: chav

Chav is a negative slang term in England which appeared in dictionaries in 2005 . The term “chav” refers to a subcultural stereotype who wear gold jewellery and designer clothing in the Burberry pattern (most famously a now-discontinued baseball cap) and from a variety of other casual and sportswear brands. Tracksuits, hoodies, jogging bottoms (known as sweatpants to some) and baseball caps are particularly associated with this stereotype. Musically, chavs tend to like rap, Garage, and R&B. Response to the term has ranged from amusement to criticism that it is a new version of classism. The term has also been associated with delinquency, the "ASBO Generation", and "Yob culture".

The accepted origin of the word "chav" is that it derives from the Romani word "chavi", meaning a child. Related words, from the same source, include "charva" (used in northern England in a similar sense) and perhaps the obsolescent "young shaver" (meaning a boy). In modern Spanish "chaval" means "lad". There are a large number of synonyms and regional variations of "chav", including "scally", "townie", "ned", kev and "Mallie".

Many folk etymologies have sprung up around the word. These include backronyms such as "Council Housed And Violent" and "Council House Associated Vermin". It has also been suggested that pupils at Cheltenham Ladies College and Cheltenham College used the word to describe the younger men of the town ("Cheltenham Average").

From its origins as a slang term, use of the word spread so quickly that by 2004 it had become a hugely popular word in national newspapers and a common expression in the UK. Susie Dent's Larpers and Shroomers: The Language Report, published by the Oxford University Press, designated it as the "word of the year" in 2004. A survey in 2005 found that in December 2004 alone 114 British newspaper articles used the word. The popularity of the word has led to the creation of sites devoted to cataloguing and mocking the "chav" lifestyle.