As a self-proclaimed word nerd, I love when the word of the year is announced. You may have seen the #1 word floating about the Web, but here’s the rest of the list as determined by Merriam-Webster.com. They base their picks on words that have seen more traffic than in previous years; they can typically be tied to events that happened throughout the last 12 months.
1. Austerity: enforced or extreme economy. Merriam-Webster’s editor-at-large, Peter Sokolowski, says this was the most unusual looked-up item this year, especially after the debt crisis in Europe reared its ugly head.
2. Pragmatic: relating to matters of fact or practical affairs often to the exclusion of intellectual or artistic matters. It’s no coincidence that this was looked up while candidates were stumping last fall.
3. Moratorium: a suspension of activity. If you’re thinking BP oil spill, you’re correct, but I bet the proposed foreclosure moratorium boosted searches as well.
4. Socialism: any of various economic and political theories advocating collective or governmental ownership and administration of the means of production and distribution of goods. Editors believe this word was looked up because of media coverage of federal health care legislation.
5. Bigot: a person who is obstinately or intolerantly devoted to his or her own opinions and prejudices; especially one who regards or treats the members of a group with hatred and intolerance. Several politicians and analysts have used this phrase this year, including fired CNN host Rick Sanchez who infamously referred to Jon Stewart as a bigot.
6. Doppelganger: a ghostly counterpart of a living person. This one likely spiked because of its repeated use in the popular T.V. show Vampire Diaries.
7. Shellacking: a decisive defeat. I thought perhaps people looked this up in reference to my performance in the mental_floss fantasy football league this year, but it seems to be centered on President Obama’s reference to the beating the Democratic party took after midterm elections.
8. Ebullient: having or showing liveliness and enthusiasm. People wanted a definition of this effervescent word after the press used it to describe the rescued Chilean miners in October. And seriously, is there a better word to ascribe Edison Pena? Check out his rendition of “Suspicious Minds.”
9. Dissident: disagreeing especially with an established religious or political system, organization or belief. This year’s Nobel Peace Prize winner, Liu Xialbo, was often called a dissident in the news because he didn’t get to attend the ceremony due to his political prisoner status in China.
10. Furtive: done by stealth. Remember the guy who tried to bomb Times Square in the spring? Surveillance tapes caught him looking furtively as he fled the scene, according to the New York Times.
In 2007, “w00t” took Merriam Webster’s top honor; it’s no surprise that “bailout” was much-searched in 2008, and 2009′s #1 spot went to “admonish.”
Do you have any words you would have added to the list?
Comments (12)
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I am so very glad they didn’t go the same route as the New Oxford American Dictionary and acknowledge “refudiate.”
I know English is a living language, but do we really have to dignify Palin’s refusal to admit she misspoke?
posted by Jon on 12-20-2010 at 4:17 pm
I would say Doppleganger’s spike was b/c of the “Doppleganger Week” on Facebook…who watches Vampire Diaries?
posted by Meagan on 12-20-2010 at 4:18 pm
Shoot…Doppelganger I mean.
posted by Meagan on 12-20-2010 at 4:19 pm
bigot is not a phrase. it is a word.
posted by tolonda on 12-20-2010 at 4:46 pm
I agree with Megan…many more people use facebook than watch vampire diaries. wouldn’t it be more likley that it is because of FB that Doppelganger was looked up? you know…silly teens who have no idea what is going on, so instead of asking their FB peers, they google it…hit on the proper website and BAM!!! a statistic is made!
posted by megaroo on 12-20-2010 at 5:21 pm
I definitely agree with Meagan…. It was because of Doppelganger Week on Facebook.
posted by Samantha on 12-20-2010 at 5:34 pm
I’d like to think that How I Met Your Mother takes bigger role in doppelganger traffic than Vampire Diaries. I believe it is a more popular show because, well, it’s not about vampires and has been around for a longer time. At least everyone who I know, who uses the word doppelganger, uses it as a reference to HIMYM.
But probably it’s all three – Facebook, HIMYM and Vampire Diaries.
posted by foreigner on 12-20-2010 at 5:42 pm
I was almost afraid to look at this post. I’m sure glad they’re real words that people have looked up this year instead of the year’s nonce words. “Refudiate” is but one example of the sort of thing I don’t want to see lists of. On the other hand, I’m a little surprised that “bigot” is apparently so little known that more people than usual had to look it up.
Speaking of Doppelganger, I could sure use one so that one of us could write my blogs and the other could keep up with the reading! (To me, it’s one of only two songs by Schubert that I don’t especially like.)
posted by David Guion on 12-20-2010 at 8:56 pm
It’s worth making the point that shellacking, as used in the sense above, is a slang term.
For those who don’t know what shellac is, it’s worth looking it up (and by extension what the original meaning of shellacking was).
posted by Tom in GA on 12-21-2010 at 2:33 am
Does anybody ever use w00t anymore? I forgot that “word” existed.
posted by Sarah on 12-21-2010 at 2:43 am
Love the video clip of Edison Pena! I had never seen it before. He seems like such a fun guy and I am impressed by how well the show dealt with the language barrier.
posted by Katie Rose on 12-21-2010 at 11:22 am
“Doppleganger” was probably also aided by dual doppleganger stories on “The Young and the Restless” this past spring. It’s so believable when one person has full body plastic surgery to look like their arch enemy, but it’s even more believable when TWO super villains have the same plan!
posted by Robert on 12-22-2010 at 12:09 am