Monday, 29 June 2015

Additions to the Dictionary- Out with the old and in with the new

The year 2014 saw a plethora of words and phrases being officially added to the dictionary. Here's a small recap looking back at some of those whacky, out-of-the box words.

FEBRUARY 2014

Death stare- (informal noun) A hostile or contemptuous look directed towards a particular person.
Cyberespionage- (formal noun) The use of computer networks to gain illicit access to confidential information usually held by a government or another organisation.

MAY 2014

Perf- (informal noun) A performance.
Ship- (informal noun) Romantic pairing between two fictional characters usually portrayed by fans rather than being depicted in the series itself.

AUGUST 2014

WDTY- (informal abbreviation) What do you think.
YOLO- (informal abbreviation) You only live once, emphasising on the importance of living the moment.

DECEMBER 2014

Five-second-rule - (informal humorous) A notional rule stating that food which has been dropped on the ground is safe to eat if retrieved within five seconds.
Duck-face - (informal noun) An exaggerated pouting expression in which the lips are thrust outwards, usually seen as a pose in photographs.

FEBRUARY 2015

McTwist- (noun) Seen in skateboarding and snowboarding, it's an aerial manoeuvre in which the broader does one and a half spins while holding the edge of the board with one hand.
Unboxing- (noun) An act of opening a newly purchased product and examining its features which is usually recorded and shared in social media.

MAY 2015

Bae- (informal noun) A person's boyfriend or girlfriend.
Cyber warrior- (noun) A computer expert engaged in infiltration or sabotage of information systems, or defence of information systems from outside attacks, typically for strategic or military purposes.

A few of these words may sound completely insane, a few maybe frivolous and a few may just make you inquisitive about them, but there's no denying that the English language is one that continues to grow and adapt itself to modern times.









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