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December 15, 2015 7:54 AM Subscribe
The Oxford English Dictionary and Merriam-Webster have both picked their words of the year for 2015. Neither one is a word. Of course, the 2015 Scrabble "Dictionary" was a little ahead of these two in redefining the word "word."
this is going to be so embarassing one day
posted by thelonius at 8:10 AM on December 15, 2015 [7 favorites]
posted by thelonius at 8:10 AM on December 15, 2015 [7 favorites]
this is going to be so embarassing one day
Embarrassing because one day we'll look back on all the slang words and emoji and wonder why we ever used them? Or embarrassing because one day we'll look back on the people who steadfastly refused to accept the evolution of the English language and wonder where they thought their language came from in the first place?
posted by rorgy at 8:22 AM on December 15, 2015 [18 favorites]
Embarrassing because one day we'll look back on all the slang words and emoji and wonder why we ever used them? Or embarrassing because one day we'll look back on the people who steadfastly refused to accept the evolution of the English language and wonder where they thought their language came from in the first place?
posted by rorgy at 8:22 AM on December 15, 2015 [18 favorites]
Today is one day.😂
posted by louche mustachio at 8:22 AM on December 15, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by louche mustachio at 8:22 AM on December 15, 2015 [1 favorite]
So, wait, does that mean that the Oxford English Dictionary is going to start defining emojis? Because if not then why pick something as a "word of the year" if you don't consider it to be a word that you'll include in the dictionary?
posted by I-baLL at 8:23 AM on December 15, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by I-baLL at 8:23 AM on December 15, 2015 [2 favorites]
😂 was chosen as the ‘word’ that best reflected the ethos, mood, and preoccupations of 2015
I've experienced a very different 2015 then.
posted by bigendian at 8:25 AM on December 15, 2015 [18 favorites]
I've experienced a very different 2015 then.
posted by bigendian at 8:25 AM on December 15, 2015 [18 favorites]
Embarrassing because the OED is engaging in blatant publicity pandering to trends rather than discussing language. It's like if they named "giving a raspberry" as the word of the year.
(And in any case, the emoji of the year is the eggplant, but the OED is too cowardly to go there)
posted by deanc at 8:29 AM on December 15, 2015 [16 favorites]
(And in any case, the emoji of the year is the eggplant, but the OED is too cowardly to go there)
posted by deanc at 8:29 AM on December 15, 2015 [16 favorites]
Ev'rybody's talking about
Bagism, Shagism, Dragism, Madism, Ragism, Tagism
This-ism, that-ism, is-m, is-m, is-m
posted by TedW at 8:32 AM on December 15, 2015 [6 favorites]
Bagism, Shagism, Dragism, Madism, Ragism, Tagism
This-ism, that-ism, is-m, is-m, is-m
posted by TedW at 8:32 AM on December 15, 2015 [6 favorites]
While we're at it, 安 is Japan's Kanji of the year.
posted by Gev at 8:35 AM on December 15, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by Gev at 8:35 AM on December 15, 2015 [3 favorites]
Or embarrassing because one day we'll look back on the people who steadfastly refused to accept the evolution of the English language and wonder where they thought their language came from in the first place?
They're redefining our language! ðeos woruld is on ofste, and hit nealæcð þam ende!
posted by protocoach at 8:39 AM on December 15, 2015 [5 favorites]
They're redefining our language! ðeos woruld is on ofste, and hit nealæcð þam ende!
posted by protocoach at 8:39 AM on December 15, 2015 [5 favorites]
😂 was chosen as the ‘word’ that best reflected the ethos, mood, and preoccupations of 2015
You can italicize emoji? I need no more proof they're legit.
posted by klarck at 8:46 AM on December 15, 2015 [9 favorites]
You can italicize emoji? I need no more proof they're legit.
posted by klarck at 8:46 AM on December 15, 2015 [9 favorites]
Sure, but if they are going to pick an emoji to "reflect the ethos, mood, and preoccupations of 2015," they clearly chose the wrong one.
posted by The Bellman at 8:47 AM on December 15, 2015 [7 favorites]
posted by The Bellman at 8:47 AM on December 15, 2015 [7 favorites]
Sure, but if they are going to pick an emoji to "reflect the ethos, mood, and preoccupations of 2015," they clearly chose the wrong one.
But that emoji makes me feel 😂. Soooo...
posted by protocoach at 8:50 AM on December 15, 2015 [1 favorite]
But that emoji makes me feel 😂. Soooo...
posted by protocoach at 8:50 AM on December 15, 2015 [1 favorite]
An interesting point from the Scrabble article: We base the formal definition of our language on its present written form, and thanks to the internet, more people are writing and leaving evidence than ever before.
When will it be time to adjust the letter values, though?
posted by WCWedin at 9:03 AM on December 15, 2015 [2 favorites]
When will it be time to adjust the letter values, though?
posted by WCWedin at 9:03 AM on December 15, 2015 [2 favorites]
My favorite 9-letter word of the year: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I hope the letterati are able to catch up to this until their 2016 voting.
posted by KMB at 9:13 AM on December 15, 2015 [8 favorites]
I hope the letterati are able to catch up to this until their 2016 voting.
posted by KMB at 9:13 AM on December 15, 2015 [8 favorites]
Wait, I'm confused. How many points is 😂?
posted by biogeo at 9:18 AM on December 15, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by biogeo at 9:18 AM on December 15, 2015 [3 favorites]
How to dictionary:
1. Choose wacky unconventional non-words for "word of the year"
2. Make news headlines and watch the world react in disbelief
3. ????
4. Stay relevant
posted by rocket88 at 9:29 AM on December 15, 2015 [3 favorites]
1. Choose wacky unconventional non-words for "word of the year"
2. Make news headlines and watch the world react in disbelief
3. ????
4. Stay relevant
posted by rocket88 at 9:29 AM on December 15, 2015 [3 favorites]
💩
posted by ardgedee at 9:29 AM on December 15, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by ardgedee at 9:29 AM on December 15, 2015 [3 favorites]
Isms in my opinion are not good. A person should not believe in an ism, he should believe in himself. I quote John Lennon, "I don't believe in Beatles, I just believe in me." Good point there. After all, he was the walrus. —Ferris Bueller, 1986
posted by Sys Rq at 9:34 AM on December 15, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Sys Rq at 9:34 AM on December 15, 2015 [1 favorite]
So, wait, does that mean that the Oxford English Dictionary is going to start defining emojis? Because if not then why pick something as a "word of the year" if you don't consider it to be a word that you'll include in the dictionary?
Yeah... this is clearly an attempt to seem adaptive and current, but when you take a step back all they're really doing is conceding their own irrelevance. Thanx but no thanx.
posted by mama casserole at 9:35 AM on December 15, 2015 [1 favorite]
Yeah... this is clearly an attempt to seem adaptive and current, but when you take a step back all they're really doing is conceding their own irrelevance. Thanx but no thanx.
posted by mama casserole at 9:35 AM on December 15, 2015 [1 favorite]
Emoji are great and all, but I'd be much more interested in exploring the syntactical flexibility of Modern Internet English. Guess the OED isn't the place to go for that. I'll stick to LangLog.
posted by enjoymoreradio at 9:36 AM on December 15, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by enjoymoreradio at 9:36 AM on December 15, 2015 [1 favorite]
Wait, I'm confused. How many points is 😂?
℥
posted by notbuddha at 9:40 AM on December 15, 2015 [5 favorites]
℥
posted by notbuddha at 9:40 AM on December 15, 2015 [5 favorites]
This should be the emoji of the year. Although maybe also having a word on it disqualifies it.
posted by dng at 9:49 AM on December 15, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by dng at 9:49 AM on December 15, 2015 [2 favorites]
😟😨😰😔
posted by Mr.Encyclopedia at 9:58 AM on December 15, 2015
posted by Mr.Encyclopedia at 9:58 AM on December 15, 2015
We need Language🎩 to weigh in on this.
posted by Atom Eyes at 10:03 AM on December 15, 2015 [4 favorites]
posted by Atom Eyes at 10:03 AM on December 15, 2015 [4 favorites]
When will it be time to adjust the letter values, though?
That's exactly what I was thinking when I was reading the article. Z is way over-valued relative to its frequency now (shizzle, lolz, za, etc). I wonder how long until Collins and Hasbro start 1-2 punching Scrabble players. Collins adds new words every year that force a change in the value of tiles, Hasbro issues a new tile set that people have to buy in order to continue playing a "balanced" game.
Alternatively, I can see a trend in fan-driven "Retro" Scrabble games popping up, where players use a tileset & wordlist from a specific year/period. 1963 Scrabble anyone?
posted by KingEdRa at 10:15 AM on December 15, 2015 [2 favorites]
That's exactly what I was thinking when I was reading the article. Z is way over-valued relative to its frequency now (shizzle, lolz, za, etc). I wonder how long until Collins and Hasbro start 1-2 punching Scrabble players. Collins adds new words every year that force a change in the value of tiles, Hasbro issues a new tile set that people have to buy in order to continue playing a "balanced" game.
Alternatively, I can see a trend in fan-driven "Retro" Scrabble games popping up, where players use a tileset & wordlist from a specific year/period. 1963 Scrabble anyone?
posted by KingEdRa at 10:15 AM on December 15, 2015 [2 favorites]
From the Scrabble Dictionary article:
Others, like “bezzy” and “thanx,” are straight up slang. You probably wouldn’t find them in a high school English essay, let alone the Oxford English Dictionary.
OED entries for:
bezzy
thanx
(The first citation for "thanx" is H.L. Mencken in 1936.)
posted by mr_roboto at 10:25 AM on December 15, 2015 [1 favorite]
Others, like “bezzy” and “thanx,” are straight up slang. You probably wouldn’t find them in a high school English essay, let alone the Oxford English Dictionary.
OED entries for:
bezzy
thanx
(The first citation for "thanx" is H.L. Mencken in 1936.)
posted by mr_roboto at 10:25 AM on December 15, 2015 [1 favorite]
> The Oxford English Dictionary and Merriam-Webster have both picked their words of the year for 2015.
> So, wait, does that mean that the Oxford English Dictionary is going to start defining emojis?
No no no no NO! It's the Oxford Dictionaries Word of the Year; the OED has nothing to do with it! Sheesh, learn to read, people. A dictionary might help.
> when you take a step back all they're really doing is conceding their own irrelevance.
You seriously think dictionaries are irrelevant? This is going to be so embarassing one day.
posted by languagehat at 10:39 AM on December 15, 2015 [3 favorites]
> So, wait, does that mean that the Oxford English Dictionary is going to start defining emojis?
No no no no NO! It's the Oxford Dictionaries Word of the Year; the OED has nothing to do with it! Sheesh, learn to read, people. A dictionary might help.
> when you take a step back all they're really doing is conceding their own irrelevance.
You seriously think dictionaries are irrelevant? This is going to be so embarassing one day.
posted by languagehat at 10:39 AM on December 15, 2015 [3 favorites]
in fact 😂 does appear in the only dictionary that's relevant today
posted by a car full of lions at 10:43 AM on December 15, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by a car full of lions at 10:43 AM on December 15, 2015 [1 favorite]
What no
If any emoji deserves to be recognized by the OED it is Smiling Swirly Poop
💩💩💩
xpost to Ardgedee: this guy knows what's up
posted by Merzbau at 10:52 AM on December 15, 2015
If any emoji deserves to be recognized by the OED it is Smiling Swirly Poop
💩💩💩
xpost to Ardgedee: this guy knows what's up
posted by Merzbau at 10:52 AM on December 15, 2015
Read my lips: NOT THE OED
posted by languagehat at 10:54 AM on December 15, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by languagehat at 10:54 AM on December 15, 2015 [3 favorites]
Read my lips: NOT THE OED
Read their web page: As the creators of the OED, we take pride in our language expertise, and we strive to bring the results of our daily research straight to you in the format you choose.
So -- genuinely curious here -- how are they materially "not the OED?"
posted by The Bellman at 11:14 AM on December 15, 2015
Read their web page: As the creators of the OED, we take pride in our language expertise, and we strive to bring the results of our daily research straight to you in the format you choose.
So -- genuinely curious here -- how are they materially "not the OED?"
posted by The Bellman at 11:14 AM on December 15, 2015
I can't find the emoji button on my keyboard? D=
Anyway, I've seen a few of my social network nodes use 'on fleek' recently, and I took their meaning without understanding where that term came from. Thinking about how it could have come to be used this way, I hypothesized that it originated with some college kid hipsters who were going through their Nouvelle Vague phase and equated 'being on point' with un flic. After reading the link I stand corrected. Thanks for clearing that up.
posted by carsonb at 11:29 AM on December 15, 2015
Anyway, I've seen a few of my social network nodes use 'on fleek' recently, and I took their meaning without understanding where that term came from. Thinking about how it could have come to be used this way, I hypothesized that it originated with some college kid hipsters who were going through their Nouvelle Vague phase and equated 'being on point' with un flic. After reading the link I stand corrected. Thanks for clearing that up.
posted by carsonb at 11:29 AM on December 15, 2015
Here's where I have a problem. From the Scrabble article:
posted by cardioid at 12:25 PM on December 15, 2015 [1 favorite]
“Facetime” (15 points, to speak with someone over video chat using the Facetime application on a phone)Look, you can do whatever you want with slang, but you can't get around your inability to play a proper noun by saying it's the verb form. You have to wait until the trademark becomes genericized.
posted by cardioid at 12:25 PM on December 15, 2015 [1 favorite]
Slang is slang. I love slang. Pandering to trends is not new, watch movies or TV from an earlier decade and note how ridiculous their attempts are at being hip by using what they think is language that will appeal to the kids.
Every time the argument comes up about the legitimacy of slang I imagine posters saying; "You just don’t get it Pops, language is evolving, man. You gotta let go of your stone age hangups and let it all hang out if you don’t want to be a jive turkey. Ya dig Daddy-O? Far out!" It helps if I imagine the space hippies from Star Trek talking to Ponch from CHiPs while Joe Friday from Dragnet stands to the side and shakes his head.
Catch ya on the flip flop.
posted by bongo_x at 12:50 PM on December 15, 2015 [1 favorite]
Every time the argument comes up about the legitimacy of slang I imagine posters saying; "You just don’t get it Pops, language is evolving, man. You gotta let go of your stone age hangups and let it all hang out if you don’t want to be a jive turkey. Ya dig Daddy-O? Far out!" It helps if I imagine the space hippies from Star Trek talking to Ponch from CHiPs while Joe Friday from Dragnet stands to the side and shakes his head.
Catch ya on the flip flop.
posted by bongo_x at 12:50 PM on December 15, 2015 [1 favorite]
I just wish the Scrabble dictionary would collect all the slang terms in a separate section so we can house-rule it as unusable. Ever since we found out that "za" is a word (apparently it means "pizza" somewhere) the Z tile has been too easy to use.
posted by Rangi at 1:03 PM on December 15, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Rangi at 1:03 PM on December 15, 2015 [1 favorite]
KMB: My favorite 9-letter word of the year: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Ditto! So much so that I tattooed it on me.
posted by gucci mane at 1:04 PM on December 15, 2015
Ditto! So much so that I tattooed it on me.
posted by gucci mane at 1:04 PM on December 15, 2015
Read their web page: As the creators of the OED, we take pride in our language expertise, and we strive to bring the results of our daily research straight to you in the format you choose.
So -- genuinely curious here -- how are they materially "not the OED?"
Think of it this way: Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! were both created by Merv Griffin, but they are not the same show.
posted by Sys Rq at 2:24 PM on December 15, 2015
So -- genuinely curious here -- how are they materially "not the OED?"
Think of it this way: Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! were both created by Merv Griffin, but they are not the same show.
posted by Sys Rq at 2:24 PM on December 15, 2015
So can we now use emojis in our usernames here on the blue?
because 🚅🗿☄ really reflects who i am on the inside
posted by Dee Grim at 2:36 PM on December 15, 2015
because 🚅🗿☄ really reflects who i am on the inside
posted by Dee Grim at 2:36 PM on December 15, 2015
> Read their web page: As the creators of the OED, we take pride in our language expertise, and we strive to bring the results of our daily research straight to you in the format you choose.
So -- genuinely curious here -- how are they materially "not the OED?"
By "the creators of the OED," I assume they mean "affiliated with Oxford University Press, which originally (and very reluctantly) took on the project that became the OED and now mines it for their lucrative series of dictionaries that now come under the corporate heading of Oxford Dictionaries." I guarantee you the editors who work on the actual OED are not the ones who chose the emoji.
Or what Sys Rq said about Merv Griffin.
posted by languagehat at 3:13 PM on December 15, 2015 [2 favorites]
So -- genuinely curious here -- how are they materially "not the OED?"
By "the creators of the OED," I assume they mean "affiliated with Oxford University Press, which originally (and very reluctantly) took on the project that became the OED and now mines it for their lucrative series of dictionaries that now come under the corporate heading of Oxford Dictionaries." I guarantee you the editors who work on the actual OED are not the ones who chose the emoji.
Or what Sys Rq said about Merv Griffin.
posted by languagehat at 3:13 PM on December 15, 2015 [2 favorites]
Doesn't that have ten characters?
posted by persona au gratin at 3:24 PM on December 15, 2015
posted by persona au gratin at 3:24 PM on December 15, 2015
Doesn't that have ten characters?
It's 9, the middle character is a katakana symbol (Japanese, pronounced "tsu").
posted by thefoxgod at 6:23 PM on December 15, 2015 [1 favorite]
It's 9, the middle character is a katakana symbol (Japanese, pronounced "tsu").
posted by thefoxgod at 6:23 PM on December 15, 2015 [1 favorite]
Don't care about the dictionary choices but the scrabble one bothers me. If you can use slang, why should I accept the judgment of editors of a marketing tie-in to a boardgame on what "official" slang is? It's like saying spontaneity has a time and a place.
And yes, I'm still bitter about our family New Year's Day 2002 game where "voxel" was disallowed on account of it not appearing in any accepted dictionary despite being a totally legit, if a dated, tech term.
posted by mark k at 9:06 PM on December 15, 2015 [2 favorites]
And yes, I'm still bitter about our family New Year's Day 2002 game where "voxel" was disallowed on account of it not appearing in any accepted dictionary despite being a totally legit, if a dated, tech term.
posted by mark k at 9:06 PM on December 15, 2015 [2 favorites]
That’s one reason I don’t play with the scrabble dictionary. We go with whatever regular old dictionary is around. If it’s from the 1800’s so be it.
posted by bongo_x at 9:10 PM on December 15, 2015
posted by bongo_x at 9:10 PM on December 15, 2015
why should I accept the judgment of editors of a marketing tie-in to a boardgame on what "official" slang is?
basically, to have a decision procedure for disputes
posted by thelonius at 12:20 AM on December 16, 2015
basically, to have a decision procedure for disputes
posted by thelonius at 12:20 AM on December 16, 2015
▯ was chosen as the ‘word’ that best reflected the ethos, mood, and preoccupations of 2015
Yeah, that sounds about right. (I really need to update this browser.)
posted by sebastienbailard at 4:35 AM on December 16, 2015
Yeah, that sounds about right. (I really need to update this browser.)
posted by sebastienbailard at 4:35 AM on December 16, 2015
Huh. I always thought that was the emoji for "bukake" :/
posted by sexyrobot at 8:37 AM on December 16, 2015
posted by sexyrobot at 8:37 AM on December 16, 2015
THAT'S NUMBERWANG
posted by Rev. Syung Myung Me at 8:27 PM on December 25, 2015
posted by Rev. Syung Myung Me at 8:27 PM on December 25, 2015
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posted by belarius at 8:01 AM on December 15, 2015 [2 favorites]