Oxford English Dictionary announces word of the year
42 replies, posted
[url]http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-20309441[/url]
[quote=BBC News][B]"Omnishambles" has been named word of the year by the Oxford English Dictionary.[/B]
The word - meaning a situation which is shambolic from every possible angle - was coined in 2009 by the writers of BBC political satire The Thick of It.
But it has crossed over into real life this year, said the judges.
Other words included "Eurogeddon" - the threatened financial collapse in the eurozone - and "mummy porn" - a genre inspired by the 50 Shades books.
"Green-on-blue" - military attacks by forces regarded as neutral, such as when members of the Afghan army or police attack foreign troops - was also on the shortlist.
The London Olympics threw up several contenders including the verb "to medal", "Games Maker" - the name given to thousands of Olympic volunteers - and distance runner Mo Farah's victory celebration "the Mobot".
[U]Other shortlisted words[/U]
• Eurogeddon
• Mummy porn
• Games maker
• Mobot
• Second screening
• Pleb
[B]'Pleb'[/B]
New words from the world of technology included "second screening" - watching TV while simultaneously using a computer, phone or tablet - and social media popularised the acronym "Yolo", you only live once.
"Pleb" - an old word given new life by claims Conservative Chief Whip Andrew Mitchell used it to describe police officers in Downing Street - was also shortlisted.
He denied using the word, a derogatory term for the lower classes, but was forced to resign as a minister.
But it was omnishambles that most impressed the judges.
[url=http://blog.oxforddictionaries.com/2012/11/uk-word-of-the-year-2012/]Fiona McPherson, one of the lexicographers on the judging panel, said[/url]: "It was a word everyone liked, which seemed to sum up so many of the events over the last 366 days in a beautiful way.
"It's funny, it's quirky, and it has broken free of its fictional political beginnings, firstly by spilling over into real politics, and then into other contexts.
"If influence is any indication of staying power, it has already staked its claim by being linguistically productive in its own right, producing a number of related coinages.
"While many of them are probably humorous one-offs, their very existence shows that the omnishambles itself has entered at least the familiar parlance, if not quite the common parlance."
[B]'Romneyshambles'[/B]
Labour leader Ed Miliband, whose phrase "squeezed middle" - referring to those hit hardest by falling living standards - was word of the year in 2011, made the first recorded use of omnishambles in the House of Commons in April.
"Over the last month we have seen the charity tax shambles, the churches tax shambles, the caravan tax shambles and the pasty tax shambles," said the Labour leader at Prime Minister's Questions.
"We are all keen to hear the prime minister's view as to why, four weeks on from the Budget, even people within Downing Street are calling it an omnishambles Budget."
The word swiftly took off as a favourite term of abuse for opposition politicians attacking the government.
But it also mutated on social media into humorous new variants such as "Romneyshambles" - used to describe gaffes by US presidential candidate Mitt Romney during his visit to the UK - and omnivoreshambles, referring to the row about a planned badger cull in England and Wales.
Omnishambles was first heard at the end of an episode in the third series of The Thick of It, during a characteristically foul-mouthed rant by spin doctor Malcolm Tucker, played by Peter Capaldi.
Tucker berates head of the fictional Department of Social Affairs and Citizenship Nicola Murray, played by Rebecca Front, over her husband's involvement in a private finance initiative contract and her plan to send her daughter to a private school.
There is no guarantee omnishambles, or any of the other shortlisted words, will make it on to the pages of the Oxford English Dictionary.[/quote]
that's cool and all but
why do we care?
Mummy porn
what
[editline]13th November 2012[/editline]
[QUOTE=altern;38439823]that's cool and all but
why do we care?[/QUOTE]
Because the English language is fascinating and dynamic.
shame to see spakatrocious didn't win this year
should've been yolo
[QUOTE=altern;38439823]that's cool and all but
why do we care?[/QUOTE]
Because The Thick of It is hilarious and managed to invent a new word.
[QUOTE=carcarcargo;38439887]Because The Thick of It is hilarious and managed to invent a new word.[/QUOTE]
The best word from The Thick Of It is easily 'catastrofuck'
ive honestly never heard of this word in my life
I don't even know what shambolic means.
[quote]"Omnishambles" - a situation which is shambolic from every possible angle[/quote]
That's a wierd way of spelling Facepunch[I]dadumcha[/I]
[QUOTE=altern;38439823]that's cool and all but
why do we care?[/QUOTE]
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdbaC9zMyWM&feature=related[/media]
I tought its going to be swag or yolo. Faith in humanity restored
I don't want to google 'mummy porn' to find out what that phrase means.
[QUOTE=Sobotnik;38440008][media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdbaC9zMyWM&feature=related[/media][/QUOTE][video=youtube;JjAyazqtQj8]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjAyazqtQj8&feature=related[/video]
"MAYBE YOU CAN DOWNLOAD RICE"
Oh god this show is just a goldmine for fantastic quotes, it deserves this honour.
[editline]13th November 2012[/editline]
[QUOTE=Scot;38440128]I don't want to google 'mummy porn' to find out what that phrase means.[/QUOTE]
50 shades of gray essentially.
[QUOTE=altern;38439823]that's cool and all but
why do we care?[/QUOTE]
From bean to cup
you fuck up
Pleb? I've heard people use that word for the best part of my life
[QUOTE=RobbL;38440320]Pleb? I've heard people use that word for the best part of my life[/QUOTE]
It's also commonly used ["ironically"] on Facepunch every now and then.
.
What, is shagadelic too hizzle and off the chain for these pops?
[QUOTE=RobbL;38440320]Pleb? I've heard people use that word for the best part of my life[/QUOTE]
You a pleb?
I was hoping for tnetennba. Oh well, there's always next year.
[QUOTE=smurfy;38440430]You a pleb?[/QUOTE]
I am a commoner, yes
[QUOTE=RobbL;38440504]I am a commoner, yes[/QUOTE]
[img]http://i.imgur.com/seN0y.jpg[/img]
[QUOTE=NoDachi;38439828]Mummy porn
what
[/QUOTE]I thought it was porn with mummies.
As in, preserved dead bodies.
Also "mommy" porn, as in porn for moms.
[QUOTE=XanaToast.;38439854]shame to see spakatrocious didn't win this year[/QUOTE]
[img]https://dl.dropbox.com/u/5483751/Photos/2012-11-14_02-11-06.png[/img]
??
[QUOTE=mobrockers2;38442524][img]https://dl.dropbox.com/u/5483751/Photos/2012-11-14_02-11-06.png[/img]
??[/QUOTE]
did you know gullible isn't in the dictionary??
[QUOTE=Ghostwork;38442541]did you know gullible isn't in the dictionary??[/QUOTE]
[img]https://dl.dropbox.com/u/5483751/Photos/2012-11-14_02-13-33.png[/img]
lies
[i]Thundercunt[/i] is still the slickest swear invented though
[QUOTE=Conspiracy;38439926]ive honestly never heard of this word in my life[/QUOTE]
That's because its made up!
Also the scene that coined the phrase.
[img]http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lq536pAqx31qaql1uo1_500.png[/img]
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