These are all of the words-of-the-year winners from the American Dialect Society, from the year the vote was first held, 1990, to today. The vote takes place at our annual conference each January. Look for conference information on this site.

2017 |2016 |2015 |2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009; Word of the Decade | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000 | Words of the Millennium, Century, and Decade | 1999 | 1998 | 1997 | 1996 | 1995 | 1994 | 1993 | 1992 | 1991 | 1990

If there are numbers after a word and its definition, they represent the final vote tallies at the annual meeting. If there are two numbers separated by a forward slash, then there was a runoff vote and each number represents a different vote.

Our criteria for words of the year are that the words be:

— demonstrably new or newly popular in the year in question

— widely and/or prominently used in the year in question

— indicative or reflective of the popular discourse

— not a peeve or a complaint about overuse or misuse

2017 WORD OF THE YEAR

☛ fake news Disinformation or falsehoods presented as real news. Actual news that is claimed to be untrue. 196 alternative facts Contrary information that matches one’s preferred narrative or interpretation of events. 12 #MeToo Indication by women that they have experienced sexual harassment or assault. 35 milkshake duck Person or thing that is deeply loved until problematic behavior is revealed or unearthed. 5 persisterhood, persister Blend of “persist” and “sister(hood),” an expression of solidarity for women who persist in the face of sexism and gender bias. 6 pussyhat Pink knitted hat worn by demonstrators at the Women’s March. 2 take a knee Kneel in protest, especially during a time when others are standing. 30 whomst Humorous variant of “whom” used as a sarcastic display of intelligence. 3

POLITICAL WORD OF THE YEAR

☛ take a knee Kneel in protest, especially during a time when others are standing. 181 antifa Anti-fascist movements and organizations, treated as a whole. 16 persister, persisterhood Blend of “persist” and “sister(hood),” an expression of solidarity for women who persist in the face of sexism and gender bias. 62

DIGITAL WORD OF THE YEAR

☛ shitpost Posting of worthless or irrelevant online content intended to derail a conversation or to provoke others. 78 blockchain Technology underlying cryptocurrencies like bitcoin, which exploded in value this year. 18 digital blackface When a (usu. white) person uses images of black people as a proxy for themselves on social media. 19 emergency podcast An audio show prepared at a moment of dire political need. 20 get the zucc Be banned from Facebook (from the name of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg). 24 initial coin offering Capital-raising process to collect funds to start up a new cryptocurrency. 21 ratio On Twitter, amount of replies to a tweet compared to the number of retweets and likes. 25 rogue adj. Describing someone ostensibly working in an administration who is posting messages against it. 34

SLANG/INFORMAL WORD OF THE YEAR

☛ wypipo Humorous phonetic spelling of “white people” used to flag white privilege, cluelessness, or absurdity. 168 RIP Humorous expression of being overwhelmed by emotions or other factors, as if dying. 5 shooketh Mock-archaic way of expressing shock or excitement. 18 snatched Good-looking, attractive. 22

MOST USEFUL

☛ die by suicide A variant of “to commit suicide” that does not suggest a criminal act. 108 millennial pink angry react, sad react Expression of anger or sorrow (describing reaction emoji, e.g. on Facebook). 38 ‑burger Combining form modeled on “nothingburger.” 60 Tint of pink used in goods and social media by and for millennials. 8

MOST LIKELY TO SUCCEED

☛ fake news Disinformation or falsehoods presented as real news. Actual news that is claimed to be untrue. 196 stan v. Be a big fan (from Eminem song “Stan”). 2 unicorn A one-of-a-kind person or thing. 20

MOST CREATIVE

☛ broflake Man or boy who lacks resilience or coping skills in the face of disagreements or setbacks. 100 askhole Person who continuously asks ridiculous or obnoxious questions. 78 caucacity Blatantly exhibiting white privilege or acting in a stereotypically white way (a blend of “Caucasian” and “audacity”). 36 milkshake duck Person or thing that is deeply loved until problematic behavior is revealed or unearthed. 50

EUPHEMISM OF THE YEAR

☛ alternative facts Contrary information that matches one’s preferred narrative or interpretation of events. 181 avocado toast A minor indulgence for which people unfairly judge others, esp. millennials. 43 Internet freedom Removal of net-neutrality regulations by the FCC. 23 problematic An understated way to say something is very wrong or unacceptably politically incorrect. 13

WTF WORD OF THE YEAR

☛ covfefe A (probably) mistyped word of unknown meaning used in a Donald Trump tweet. 113 Oh hi Mark, ohimark Catchphrase based on a line from the notoriously bad movie The Room . 34 procrastination nanny Person who moderates productivity for other adults, esp. as a group event. 16 raw water Water from natural sources without filters or treatment. 74

HASHTAG OF THE YEAR

☛ #MeToo Indication by women that they have experienced sexual harassment or assault. 231 #NeverthelessShePersisted Feminist rallying cry based on Mitch McConnell’s warning to Elizabeth Warren during a Senate debate. 12 #ReclaimingMyTime Phrase repeated by Rep. Maxine Waters when questioning Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin in a House committee hearing. 25 #Resist Slogan of the (anti-Trump) resistance. 11

EMOJI OF THE YEAR

☛ 🧕 woman with head scarf or hijab. 96 🐐 GOAT (Greatest Of All Time). 44 im🍑 impeach. 50 🤔 thinking face. 53



2016 WORD OF THE YEAR

* dumpster fire: an exceedingly disastrous or chaotic situation (🗑️🔥). 112/162

woke: socially aware or enlightened. 74/129

normalize: treat as if normal that which was previously deemed beyond acceptable bounds. 60

post-truth: belonging to a time in which facts matter less than beliefs and emotions. 25

#NoDAPL: hashtag protesting the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline. 24

🔥: fire emoji, used as a general superlative: 2

POLITICAL WORD OF THE YEAR

deplorables (basket of): epithet used by Clinton in speech about Trump supporters. 26

nasty woman: epithet used by Trump addressing Clinton in final presidential debate. 89/138

Pantsuit Nation: popular Facebook group for Clinton supporters. 2

* post-truth: belonging to a time in which facts matter less than beliefs and emotions.133/164

unpresidented: erroneous version of unprecedented in a tweet by Trump. 44

DIGITAL WORD OF THE YEAR

fam: one’s crew, squad, or circle of friends; a member thereof (used as term of address). 5

Harambe: gorilla killed at Cincinnati Zoo, launching numerous tributes and memes. 9

tweetstorm: series of connected tweets about a particular subject, often a passionate rant. 138

* @: (verb) reply on Twitter using the @ symbol. 155

SLANG WORD OF THE YEAR

fire: (adj.) cool, fun, stylish; also used as a general superlative. 7

receipts: proof (as in “show me the receipts”). 130/136

slay: succeed, be excellent or amazing. 25

* woke: socially aware or enlightened. 122/168

MOST USEFUL / MOST LIKELY TO SUCCEED

chip: (verb) insert a bank card into an electronic chip reader (as opposed to swipe). 64

* gaslight: psychologically manipulate a person into questioning their own sanity. 153

normalize: treat as if normal that which was previously deemed beyond acceptable bounds. 82

turn up: get excited, have fun, enjoy oneself. 4

MOST CREATIVE

-exit: combining form relating to departure, after Brexit (Calexit, Texit, Brangelexit) 124

facticide: killing or distortion of facts. 7

gynotician: politician seen as interfering with women’s healthcare. 31

* laissez-fairydust: magical effect brought upon by laissez-faire economics. 152

EUPHEMISM OF THE YEAR

alt-right: umbrella term for extremist racial ideologies including white nationalism and white

supremacy. 61

fake news: misinformation, hoaxes, and propaganda, especially as spread on social media sites to

boost web traffic. 15

* locker-room banter: lewd, vulgar talk (used by Trump to downplay Access Hollywood tape),

euphemizing discourse about harrassment of and aggression toward women. 187

small/tiny hands: a jab at hand size implying other anatomical deficiencies. 15

WTF WORD OF THE YEAR

* bigly: in a significant manner (from widespread mishearing of Trump’s use of big-league). 159

cuck, cuckservative: derisive term for mainstream Republicans by alt-right. 64

pussy: term for female genitalia used by Trump in Access Hollywood tape. 9

yuuuge: dialect pronunciation of huge used by Trump and Bernie Sanders. 2

HASHTAG OF THE YEAR

#blackgirlmagic: celebration of black women and their achievements. 5

* #NoDAPL: protest against construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline. 198

#OscarsSoWhite: criticism of Academy Award nominees’ lack of diversity. 8

#pussygrabsback: rallying cry responding to Trump’s “pussy” remark. 29

EMOJI OF THE YEAR

🙌 : raising hands (celebration, praise). 16

✊: raised fist (fist pump, solidarity). 33

🙃: upside-down face (silliness, sarcasm, irony). 11

*🔥: fire (“lit,” exciting); also used in : dumpster fire. 201

2015 WORD OF THE YEAR

ammosexual: someone who loves firearms in a fetishistic manner. 42

ghost: (verb) abruptly end a relationship by cutting off communication, especially online. 25

on fleek: put together, impeccable, well-arrayed. 4

thanks, Obama: sarcastic expression in which a person pretends to blame Obama for a problem. 76

* they: gender-neutral singular pronoun for a known person, particularly as a nonbinary identifier. 187

MOST USEFUL

mic drop: definitive end to a discussion after making an impressive point. 2

microaggression: subtle form of racism or bias. 62

shade: insult, criticism or disrespect, shown in a subtle or clever manner. 11

* they: gender-neutral singular pronoun for a known person, particularly as a nonbinary identifier. 214

zero fucks given, ZFG: indication of supreme indifference. 41

MOST CREATIVE

adult: (verb) behave like a grownup 71

* ammosexual: someone who loves firearms in a fetishistic manner. 153

lowkey: (adverb) to a small extent, in a subtle manner; opposite of highkey. 38

squad: one’s posse or close circle of friends. 3

yass, yaass, yaaass, etc.: expression of excitement, approval or strong agreement. 43

MOST UNNECESSARY

dadbod: the flabby physique of a typical dad. 16

* manbun: man’s hairstyle pulled up in a bun. 207

or nah: question tag expressing that something may not occur. 34

trigger warning: alert for potentially distressing material. 10

thanks, Obama: sarcastic expression in which a person pretends to blame Obama for a problem. 34

MOST OUTRAGEOUS

fish gape: posed expression with cheeks sucked in and lips slightly apart. 3

* fuckboy, fuckboi: derogatory term for a man who behaves objectionably or promiscuously. 127 / 173

schlong: (verb) defeat soundly. 93 / 148

sharewashing: deceptive marketing by companies treating services as “sharing.” 14

white student union: campus organization organized in response to a black student union. 27

MOST EUPHEMISTIC

af, asf: intensifier after an adjective (abbreviation for “as fuck”). 1

lit: amazing, exciting or fun. 2

* Netflix and chill: sexual come-on masked as a suggestion to watch Netflix and relax. 315

swipe right/left: accept or reject (based on gestures used on Tinder dating app). 24

MOST LIKELY TO SUCCEED

CRISPR: gene-editing technology allowing biologists to alter and control DNA sequences. 51

* ghost: (verb) abruptly end a relationship by cutting off communication, especially online. 223

mom: admiring term of address for a woman seen as a mother figure. 17

on fleek: put together, impeccable, well-arrayed. 23

LEAST LIKELY TO SUCCEED

Berniementum: momentum behind the candidacy of Bernie Sanders. 59

hoverboard: self-balancing motorized skateboard. 82 / 106

* sitbit: device that rewards sedentary lifestyle (play on Fitbit fitness tracker). 102 / 191

Uber for X: pitch used by startups seeking to emulate Uber in different tech sectors. 33

MOST NOTABLE HASHTAG (new category)

#JeSuisParis: expression of solidarity after the Paris terror attacks. 6

#LoveWins: celebration of Supreme Court ruling on same-sex marriage. 60

* #SayHerName: call to bring attention to violence against women of color. 178

#StayMadAbby: ridiculing plaintiff in Univ. of Texas affirmative action case. 17

#StayWoke: exhortation to remain vigilant and informed (used by #BlackLivesMatter movement). 59

MOST NOTABLE EMOJI (new category)

😍: heart eyes (romantic, passionate). 31

😉: winking face (humorous, flirtatious). 8

💁: information desk person (sassy, sarcastic). 31

* 🍆: eggplant (sexual innuendo). 138

💯: 100 (“keep it 100,” “keep it real”). 56

2014 Words of the Year

* #blacklivesmatter: hashtag used as protest over blacks killed at the hands of police (esp. Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo. and Eric Garner in Staten Island). 196

bae: a sweetheart or romantic partner. 3

columbusing: cultural appropriation, especially the act of a white person claiming to discover things already known to minority cultures.11

even: deal with or reconcile difficult situations or emotions (from “I can’t even”). 5

manspreading: of a man, to sit with one’s legs wide on public transit in a way that blocks other seats. 5

MOST USEFUL

* even: deal with or reconcile difficult situations or emotions (from “I can’t even”). 133

budtender: a person who specializes in serving marijuana to consumers, especially in legal dispensaries. 69

Ebola: deadly virus that, in 2014, killed thousands in West Africa. 9

robocar: a self-driving car. 7

unbothered: not annoyed or distracted. 15

MOST CREATIVE

* columbusing: cultural appropriation, especially the act of a white person claiming to discover things already known to minority cultures. 158

manspreading: of a man, to sit with one’s legs wide on public transit in a way that blocks other seats. 44

misogynoir: misogyny directed toward black women. 8

narcissistick (or narcisstick): pejorative term for a selfie stick. 22

MOST UNNECESSARY

* baeless: without a romantic partner (lacking a bae). 96/133

narcissistick (or narcisstick): pejorative term for a selfie stick. 57/93

basic: plain, socially awkward, unattractive, uninteresting, ignorant, pathetic, uncool, etc. 27

lumbersexual: fashionably rugged man who adopts the stereotypical dress and facial hair of a lumberjack. 43

MOST OUTRAGEOUS

* second-amendment: v. to kill (someone) with a gun, used ironically by gun control supporters. 192

God view: display mode used by ride-sharing service Uber providing employees with real-time information on all users. 11

sugar-dating: pay-to-play relationship between an older, wealthier person (sugar daddy/momma) and a younger partner (sugar baby). 6

MOST EUPHEMISTIC

* EIT: abbreviation for the already euphemistic “enhanced interrogation technique.” 108/139

conscious uncoupling:a divorce or romantic separation by polite mutual agreement. 84/103

bye, Felicia: a dismissive farewell to someone deemed unimportant. 30

thirsty: so hungry for a romantic partner as to appear desperate. 13

MOST LIKELY TO SUCCEED

* salty: exceptionally bitter, angry, or upset. 78/131

basic: plain, socially awkward, unattractive, uninteresting, ignorant, pathetic, uncool, etc. 58/89

budtender: a person who specializes in serving marijuana to consumers, especially in legal dispensaries. 44

casual: a new or inexperienced person, especially a gamer (also in filthy casual). 7

plastiglomerate: type of stone made of melted plastic, beach sediment, and organic debris. 10

selfie stick: a pole to which a smartphone is attached to take selfies from a distance. 48

LEAST LIKELY TO SUCCEED

* platisher: online media publisher that also serves as a platform for creating content. 173

normcore: “anti-fashion” trend of adopting an intentionally ordinary, inexpensive personal style from cheap off-the-shelf brands. 15

pairage: term proposed by Utah legislator Kraig Powell to refer to same-sex marriages. 53

MOST NOTABLE HASHTAG (new category)

* #blacklivesmatter: protest over blacks killed at the hands of police (esp. Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo., Eric Garner in Staten Island). 226

#icantbreathe: final words of Eric Garner, turned into rallying cry against police violence. 14

#notallmen: response by men to discussions of sexual abuse, sexism, or misogyny that they see as portraying all men as perpetrators (countered by #yesallwomen, used by women sharing stories of bias, harassment, or abuse). 1

#whyistayed: explanation by women about staying in abusive domestic relationships. 1

2013 Words of the Year

* because: introducing a noun, adjective, or other part of speech (e.g., “because reasons,” “because awesome”). 127

slash: used as a coordinating conjunction to mean “and/or” (e.g., “come and visit slash stay”) or “so” (“I love that place, slash can we go there?”). 21

twerk: A mode of dance that involves vigorous booty-shaking and booty-thrusting, usually with the feet planted. 7

Obamacare: term for the Affordable Care Act that has moved from pejorative to matter-of-fact shorthand. 39

selfie: a photo taken of oneself, typically with a smartphone and shared on social media. 20

MOST USEFUL

* because: introducing a noun, adjective, or other part of speech (e.g., “because reasons,” “because awesome”). 64/117

slash: used as a coordinating conjunction to mean “and/or” (e.g., “come and visit slash stay”) or “so” (“I love that place, slash can we go there?”). 51/79

selfie: a photo taken of oneself, typically with a smartphone and shared on social media. 37

strug(gle) bus: metaphor for a difficult situation, as in “I’m riding the struggle bus.” Also a verb. 32

ACC: “aggressive carbon-copy,” used to undermine the position of the recipient of an email, such as cc’ing the boss or legal counsel.

MOST CREATIVE

* catfish: to misrepresent oneself online, especially as part of a romantic deception. 62/94

doge: an Internet meme with intentionally ungrammatical exclamations over an image of a dog (typically the Shiba Inu breed). 70/88

bitcoin: an anonymous, decentralized, digital, encrypted currency and payment system. 4

robo sapiens: a class of robots with human-like intelligence. 51

MOST UNNECESSARY

* sharknado: a tornado full of sharks, as featured in the Syfy Channel movie of that name. 162

cronut: a croissant-doughnut hybrid. 18

stack-ranking: a method of ranking employees on a primitive curve (used and abandoned by Microsoft). 11

MOST OUTRAGEOUS

* underbutt: the underside of buttocks, made visible by certain shorts or underwear. 54/110

revenge porn: vindictive posting of sexually explicit pictures of someone without consent. 46/75

fatberg: large deposit of fat, grease, and solid sewage found in London sewers. 26

s(c)hmeat: (blend of sheet + meat): meat product grown in a lab. 17

thigh gap: a space between the thighs, taken by some as a sign of attractiveness (also box gap). 43

MOST EUPHEMISTIC

* least untruthful: involving the smallest necessary lie (used by intelligence director James Clapper). 121

demised: laid off from employment (used by the bank HSBC). 16

slimdown: reinterpretation of “shutdown” used on Fox News site. 72

MOST LIKELY TO SUCCEED

* binge-watch: to consume vast quantities of a single show or series of visual entertainment in one sitting. 117

drone: (trans. verb) to target with a drone, typically in a lethal drone strike. 19

glasshole: a person made oblivious by wearing Google Glass, a head-mounted computer. 21

Obamacare: term for the Affordable Care Act that has moved from pejorative to matter-of-fact shorthand. 51

LEAST LIKELY TO SUCCEED

* Thanksgivukkah: confluence of Thanksgiving and the first day of Hanukkah that will not be repeated for another 70,000 years. 159

birthmas: a simultaneous celebration of a birthday and Christmas. 19

Harlem Shake: a video meme featuring comic, convulsive dancing accompanied by excerpt of the song “Harlem Shake” by the DJ Baauer. 19

MOST PRODUCTIVE (new category)

* -shaming: (from slut-shaming) type of public humiliation (fat-shaming, pet-shaming). 98/132

-splaining: (from mansplaining) type of condescending explanation (whitesplaining, journosplaining). 49/68

–coin: (from bitcoin) type of cryptocurrency (peercoin, namecoin, dogecoin). 0

-(el)fie: (from selfie) type of self-portrait (drelfie ‘drunk selfie,’ twofie ‘selfie with two people’). 39

-hack: (from lifehack) type of shortcut to increase productivity. 13

-spo: (from thinspo) type of photo or video montage intended to inspire viewers to lose weight or stay fit (fitspo, sportspo). 1

2012 Words of the Year

#hashtag: a word or phrase preceded by a hash symbol (#), used on Twitter to mark a topic or make a commentary 45/118 WINNER

marriage equality: legal recognition of same-sex marriage 57/99

YOLO: acronym for “You Only Live Once,” often used sarcastically or self-deprecatingly 32

47 percent: portion of the population that does not pay federal income tax 31

fiscal cliff: threat of spending cuts and tax increases looming over end-of-year budget negotiations 25

Gangnam style: the trendy style of Seoul’s Gangnam district, as used in the Korean pop song of the same name 19

MOST USEFUL

-(po)calypse, -(ma)geddon: hyperbolic combining forms for various catastrophes 66/115 WINNER

YOLO: acronym for “You Only Live Once,” often used sarcastically or self-deprecatingly 59/62

hate-watching: continuing to follow a television show despite having an aversion to it 39

beardruff: dandruff from one’s beard 10

MOST CREATIVE

gate lice: airline passengers who crowd around a gate waiting to board 53/93 WINNER

mansplaining: a man’s condescending explanation to a female audience 54/90

alpacalypse: the Mayan apocalypse predicted for Dec. 21, 2012 (alpaca + -lypse) 50

dancelexia: inability to pull off dance moves (such as misspelling “YMCA”) 36

MOST UNNECESSARY

legitimate rape: type of rape that Missouri Senate candidate Todd Akin claimed rarely results in pregnancy 94 WINNER

HD: abbreviation for “high-definition,” used for things that could not be high-definition 21

feels: slangy shortening of “feelings” 20

Frankenstorm: term for Hurricane Sandy’s hybrid storm system (after Frankenstein’s monster) 14

MOST OUTRAGEOUS

legitimate rape: type of rape that Missouri Senate candidate Todd Akin claimed rarely results in pregnancy 156 WINNER

butt-chugging: an alcohol enema, used in college fraternity hazing rituals 36

Dunlop effect: when one’s stomach protrudes over ill-fitting pants (“belly done lop over the belt”) 3

slut-shaming: attacking a woman for socially stigmatized sexual activity 2

MOST EUPHEMISTIC

self-deportation: policy of encouraging illegal immigrants to return voluntarily to their home countries 142 WINNER

evolution: change of opinion 21

Gray Thursday: name given to Thanksgiving as a shopping day before Black Friday 12

ratchet: slang term originally referring to “urban divas” now used to mean “ghetto” 7

disruptive: destroying existing business models 3

MOST LIKELY TO SUCCEED

marriage equality: legal recognition of same-sex marriage 156 WINNER

big data: large collections of digital information used for revealing behavioral insights 20

superstorm: an unusually large and destructive storm, such as Hurricane Sandy 9

fiscal cliff: threat of spending cuts and tax increases looming over end-of-year budget negotiations 8

MOOC: acronym for “massive open online course” 4

LEAST LIKELY TO SUCCEED

phablet: mid-sized electronic device between a smartphone and a tablet 76/92 WINNER

YOLO: acronym for “You Only Live Once,” often used sarcastically or self-deprecatingly79/91 WINNER

meggings: a blend for “male leggings” 22

Windows Metro: name originally used for the Windows 8 operating system 8

cray-cray: slangy shortening and reduplication of “crazy” 5

Gangnam style: the trendy style of Seoul’s Gangnam district, as used in the Korean pop song of the same name 5

ELECTION WORDS (new category)

binders (full of women): term used by Romney in the second presidential debate to describe the resumes of female job candidates that he consulted as governor of Massachusetts 107 WINNER

47 percent: portion of the population that does not pay federal income tax 64

Romney/Obama: names of candidates used for blends (Obamaloney, Obamageddon, Romnesia, Romney Hood) 13

Eastwooding: photo fad inspired by Clint Eastwood’s unscripted speech at the RNC 10

Etch-a-Sketch: metaphor of reinvention used by Romney campaign adviser Eric Fehrnstrom 8

malarkey: nonsense, empty talk (as used by Biden in the vice-presidential debate) 8

2011 Words of the Year

occupy – verb, noun, and combining form referring to the Occupy protest movement. 82/174 WINNER

FOMO – acronym for “Fear of Missing Out,” describing anxiety over being inundated by information on social media. 41/28

the 99%, 99 percenters – those held to be at a financial or political disadvantage to the top moneymakers, the one-percenters. 43/24

humblebrag – expression of false humility, especially by celebrities on Twitter. 30

job creator – a member of the top one-percent of moneymakers. 4

MOST USEFUL

humblebrag – expression of false humility, especially by celebrities on Twitter. 87/121 WINNER

occupy – verb, noun, and combining form referring to the Occupy protest movement. 70/102

FOMO – acronym for “Fear of Missing Out,” describing anxiety over being inundated by information on social media. 25

tablet – lightweight portable computer with a touchscreen to input data. 30

MOST CREATIVE

Mellencamp – a woman who has aged out of being a “cougar” (after John Cougar Mellencamp). 103 WINNER

bunga bunga – name for sex parties allegedly involving former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. 21

kardash – unit of measurement consisting of 72 days, after the short-lived marriage of Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries (coined by Weird Al Yankovic). 82

put a bird on it – to add artistic flair to something, usu. used ironically or humorously. 23

MOST UNNECESSARY

bi-winning – term used by Charlie Sheen to describe himself pridefully, dismissing accusations of being bipolar. 77/156 WINNER

amazeballs – slang form for “amazing.” 82/85

planking – posing for a photograph, esp. in a public place, with one’s body in a stiff, prone position, for circulation online. 13

Qwikster : short-lived Netflix spinoff of its DVD rental service, separated from its streaming. 44

MOST OUTRAGEOUS

assholocracy – rule by obnoxious multi-millionaires. 166 WINNER

deather – one who doubts the official story of the killing of Osama bin Laden. 35

botoxionist – a doctor who administers Botox injections. 1

MOST EUPHEMISTIC

job creator – a member of the top one-percent of moneymakers. 111 WINNER

artisan, artisanal – faux-fancy term used to describe food and other products. 78

regime alteration – alternative to “regime change” promoted by Obama administration in some Middle Eastern countries. 19

sugar-coated Satan sandwich : something bad on the inside that looks good on the outside, as used by Missouri U.S Congressman Emanuel Cleaver. 1

MOST LIKELY TO SUCCEED

cloud – online space for the large-scale processing and storage of data. 155 WINNER

Arab Spring – a series of popular uprisings in Middle Eastern countries against dictatorial regimes. 54

tiger mom, tiger mother – an exceedingly strict parent (after Amy Chua’s memoir, “Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother”).

LEAST LIKELY TO SUCCEED

brony – adult male fan of the “My Little Pony” cartoon franchise. 103 WINNER

Tebowing – posing for photograph praying on one knee, after Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow. 47

9-9-9 – tax plan proposed by Herman Cain (9% business tax, 9% personal income tax, 9% federal sales tax). 65

OCCUPY WORDS (new category)

the 99%, 99 percenters – those held to be at a financial or political disadvantage to the top moneymakers, the one-percenters. n-percenters, n-percent. 219 WINNER

occupy – verb, noun, and combining form referring to the Occupy protest movement. 17

people’s mic, human microphone – method of amplifying a person’s speech by having surrounding people repeat it line by line 7

twinkling – system of wiggly hand gestures to register approval or disapproval. 9

2010 Word of the Year

app : application program for a computer or phone operating system. As in “there’s an app for that,” an advertising slogan for the iPhone. 52/69 WINNER

nom: Onomatopoetic form connoting eating, esp. pleasurably. Can be used as an interjection or noun to refer to delicious food. 34/51.

junk as used in junk shot (attempt to fix BP oil spill), junk status (Greece’s credit rating), don’t touch my junk (protest against TSA pat-down procedure). 17

Wikileaks as proper noun, common noun, and verb. 12

trend verb: to exhibit a burst of online buzz. 12

MOST USEFUL

nom Onomatopoetic form connoting eating, esp. pleasurably. Can be used as an interjection or noun to refer to delicious food. 49/72 WINNER

fat-finger verb: to mistype, as by accidentally striking more than one key on a keyboard/pad. 16

junk junk shot (attempt to fix BP oil spill), junk status (Greece’s credit rating), don’t touch my junk (protest against TSA pat-down procedure). 46/42

vuvuzela : South African plastic trumpet used by fans during the FIFA World Cup matches.

MOST CREATIVE

prehab Preemptive enrollment in a rehab facility to prevent relapse of an abuse problem. 45/65 WINNER

-sauce Intensive suffix, as in awesome-sauce ‘great’ and lame-sauce ‘stupid’. 37/51

spillion An immense number, especially of gallons of oil in the Gulf spill. Also spillionaire, person made rich by money from BP’s spill cleanup fund. 29

phoenix firm A troubled company that reemerges under a new name. 13

MOST UNNECESSARY

refudiate Blend of refute and repudiate used by Sarah Palin on Twitter. 72/WINNER

ironic moustache Facial hair worn as a statement of retro hipsterdom. 6

star whacker Imagined celebrity killer (alleged by actor Randy Quaid and his wife Evi). 16

hipsterdom : the state of being hip beyond all recognition. So hip you’re unhip. 14

MOST OUTRAGEOUS

gate rape Pejorative term for invasive new airport pat-down procedure. 55/67 WINNER

terror baby Baby born to a terrorist family on U.S. soil in order to establish citizenship. 52/56

bed intruder Perpetrator of a home invasion in Huntsville, Ala., made famous by viral video. 22

MOST EUPHEMISTIC

kinetic event Pentagon term for violent attacks on troops in Afghanistan. 84/WINNER

corn sugar Corn Refiners Association’s rebranding of high fructose corn syrup. 1.

enhanced pat-down TSA’s term for controversial new frisking procedure. 21

bed intruder Perpetrator of a home invasion in Huntsville, Ala., made famous by viral video. 19

MOST LIKELY TO SUCCEED

trend Verb: to exhibit a burst of online buzz. 73/WINNER

hacktivism Using computer hacking skills as a form of political or social activism. 34

-pad Combining form used by iPad and other tablet computers (ViewPad, WindPad, etc.). 22

telework Term used at federal level for work by an employee away from the office. 9

LEAST LIKELY TO SUCCEED

culturomics Research project from Google analyzing the history of language and culture 44/85 WINNER

fauxhemian Winner of a Gawker poll to replace the term “hipster.” 31

skyaking Jumping out of a plane in a kayak. 47/33

top kill / top hat / junk shot Various failed techniques to fix the BP oil spill. 11

ELECTION TERMS (new category)

All terms agreed to be losers. The entire category was deleted by acclamation.

Aqua Buddha Fictitious deity in collegiate scandal involving Rand Paul, raised during his Kentucky Senate campaign.

mama grizzly Sarah Palin’s term for a fiercely conservative female candidate.

man up Exhortation to be responsible or “act like a man,” used by Sharron Angle against Harry Reid in Nevada Senate race.

Obamacare Pejorative term for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010.

FAN WORDS (new category)

gleek A fan of the TV show “Glee” (Glee + geek) 90 WINNER

belieber A fan of pop singer Justin Bieber (Bieber + believer) 3

little monster A fan of pop singer Lady Gaga, so called by the singer herself. 0

Twihard A fan of the “Twilight” books and movies. 7

Yat Dat A native-born fan of the New Orleans Saints. 14

2009 Word of the Year: tweet, noun, a short message sent via the Twitter.com service, and verb, the act of sending such a message WORD OF THE DECADE WINNER: google Verb meaning “to search the Internet.” Generic form of the trademarked “Google,” the world’s dominant Internet search engine. MOST USEFUL fail A noun or interjection used when something is egregiously unsuccessful. Usually written as “FAIL!” MOST CREATIVE: Dracula sneeze : Covering one’s mouth with the crook of one’s elbow when sneezing, seen as similar to popular portrayals of the vampire Dracula, in which he hides the lower half of his face with a cape. MOST UNNECESSARY sea kittens fish (according to PETA) Most Outrageous death panel A supposed committee of doctors and/or bureaucrats who would decide which patients were allowed to receive treatment, ostensibly leaving the rest to die. MOST EUPHEMISTIC hike the Appalachian trail To go away to have sex with one’s illicit lover. Follows on a statement by South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford, who went to Argentina to visit his mistress. Most Likely to Succeed twenty-ten A pronunciation of the year 2010, as opposed to saying “two thousand ten” or “two thousand and ten.” (twenty- as prefix until 2099) Least Likely to Succeed name of the decade 2000-2009, such as Naughties, Aughties, Oughties, etc.

2008 Word of the Year: bailout, the rescue by the government of companies on the brink of failure, including large players in the banking industry. Most Useful: Barack Obama, both names as combining forms. Most Creative: recombobulation area, an area at Mitchell International Airport in Milwaukee in which passengers that have just passed through security screening can get their clothes and belongings back in order. Most Unnecesssary: moofing, from “mobile out of office,” meaning working on the go with a laptop and cell phone. Created by a PR firm. Most Outrageous: terrorist fist jab, A knuckle-to-knuckle fist bump, or “dap,” traditionally performed between two black people as a sign of friendship, celebration or agreement. It was called the “terrorist fist jab” by the newscaster E. D. Hill, formerly of Fox News. Most Euphemistic: scooping technician, A person whose job it is to pick up dog poop. Most Likely to Succeeed: shovel-ready, Used to describe infrastructure projects that can be started quickly when funds become available. Least Likely to Succeed: PUMA,An acronym for Party Unity My Ass, used by Democrats who were disaffected after Hillary Clinton failed to secure a sufficient number of delegates. It was later said to stand for Party Unity Means Action. New Category, Election-Related Words: maverick, a person who is beholden to no one. Widely used by the Republican Presidential and Vice-Presidential candidates, John McCain and Sarah Palin. Also in the adjectival form mavericky, used by Tina Fey portraying Palin on Saturday Night Live.

2007 Word of the Year: subprime, an adjective used to describe a risky or less than ideal loan, mortgage, or investment. Most Useful: green– prefix/compounding form, designates environmental concern, as in greenwashing. Most Creative: googlegänger, a person with your name who shows up when you google yourself. Most Unnecesssary: Happy Kwanhanamas! [Kwanza + Hanukka + Christmas] Happy holidays! Most Outrageous: toe-tapper, A homosexual. Senator Larry Craig was arrested in June for an encounter in a public restroom in which toe-tapping was said to have been used as a sexual come-on. Most Euphemistic: human terrain team, a group of social scientists employed by the US military to serve as cultural advisers in Iraq or Afghanistan. Most Likely to Succeeed: green- prefix/compounding form, designates environmental concern, as in greenwashing. Least Likely to Succeed: strand-in, protest duplicating being stranded inside an airplane on a delayed flight. New Category, Real Estate Words: subprime, used to describe a risky or poorly documented loan or mortgage.

2006 Word of the Year: to be plutoed, to pluto, to be demoted or devalued. Most Useful: climate canary, an organism or species whose poor health or declining numbers hint at a larger environmental catastrophe on the horizon. Most Creative: lactard, a person who is lactose-intolerant. Most Unnecessary: SuriKat, the supposed nickname of the baby girl of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes. Most Outrageous: Cambodian accessory, Angelina Jolie’s adopted child who is Cambodian. Most Euphemistic: waterboarding, an interrogation technique in which the subject is immobilized and doused with water to simulate drowning; reported to be used by U.S. interrogators against terrorism detainees. Most Likely to Succeed: YouTube as a verb, to use the YouTube web site or to have a video of one’s self be posted on the site. Least Likely to Succeed: grup, a Gen-Xer who does not act his or her age. New Category, Pluto-Related Words: to be plutoed, to pluto, to be demoted or devalued.

2005 Word of the Year: truthiness, what one wishes to be the truth regardless of the facts. (From the Colbert Report with Stephen Colbert, a mock news show on Comedy Central.) Most Useful: podcast, audio or video file for downloading. Most Creative: whale-tail, the appearance of thong or g-string underwaear above the waistband. Most Unnecessary: K Fed, Kevin Federline, Mr. Britney Spears. Most Outrageous: crotchfruit, a child or children. Most Euphemistic: internal nutrition force-feeding a prisoner. Most Likely to Succeed: sudoku number puzzle from Japan. Least Likely to Succeed: pope-squatting registering a likely domain name of a new pope before the pope chooses his new name in order to profit from it. Special nonce category, Best Tom Cruise-Related Word: jump the couch, to exhibit frenetic behavior like Cruise’s couch-bouncing on Oprah Winfrey’s talk show.

2004 Word of the Year: red/blue/purple states, red favoring conservative Republicans and blue favoring liberal Democrats, as well as the undecided purple states in the political map of the United States. Most Useful: phish, to induce someone to reveal private information by means of deceptive e-mail. Most Creative: pajamahadeen, bloggers who challenge and fact-check traditional media. Most Unnecessary: stalkette, a female stalker. Most Outrageous: santorum, byproduct of anal sex, using the name of a senator opposed to the practice. Most Euphemistic: badly sourced, false. Most Likely to Succeed: red/blue/purple states. Least Likely to Succeed: FLOHPA, Florida, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, important states in the 2004 presidential election.

2003 Word of the Year: metrosexual, fashion-conscious heterosexual male. Most Useful: flexitarian, vegetarian who occasionally eats meat. Most Creative: freegan, person who eats only free food. Most Unnecessary: freedom for “French,” as in fries and kisses. Most Outrageous: cliterati, feminist writers or leaders. Most Euphemistic: pre-emptive self-defense, attack before a possible attack on oneself. Most Likely to Succeed: SARS, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, viral disease first reported in Asia in February. Least Likely to Succeed: tomacco, poisonous hybrid of tomato and tobacco. Best Revival of an old term: spider hole, World War II term for a hole deeper than a foxhole used for surprise attacks; in 2003, where Saddam Hussein was hiding.

2002 Word of the Year: weapons of mass destruction or WMD, sought for in Iraq. Most Likely to Succeed: blog, from “weblog,” a website of personal events, comments, and links. Most Useful: google (verb), as in “to google someone,” to search the Web using the search engine Google for information on a person or thing. Most Creative: Iraqnophobia, strong fear of Iraq. Most Unnecessary: wombanization, feminization, from Alexander Barnes’s book “The Book Read Backwards: The Deconstruction of Patriarchy and the Wombanization of Being.” Most Outrageous: neuticles, fake testicles for neutered pets. Most Euphemistic: regime change, forced change in leadership.

2001 Word of the Year: 9-11, 9/11 or September 11, terrorist attacks on that date. Most Likely to Succeed: 9-11. Most Useful (tie): facial profiling, using video “faceprints” to identify terrorists and criminals, and second-hand speech, cell phone conversations heard by others in public places. Most Creative: shuicide bomber, terrorist with bomb in shoes. Most Unnecessary: impeachment nostalgia, longing for the superficial news of the Clinton era. Least Likely to Succeed: Osamaniac, woman sexually attracted to terrorist Osama bin Laden. Most Outrageous: assoline, methane used as fuel. Most Euphemistic: daisy cutter, large bomb that explodes a few feet above the ground. Most Inspirational: Let’s roll! words of Todd Beamer to start the attack that foiled the hijackers of United Flight 93 on September 11.

2000 Word of the Year: chad, a small scrap of paper punched from a voting card. Most Likely to Succeed: muggle, Harry Potter term for a non-wizard; a mundane, unimaginative person. Most Useful: civil union, legal same-sex marriage. Most Creative: dot bomb, a failed dot-com. Most Unnecessary: sudden loss of wealth syndrome. Least Likely to Succeed: kablokeys, used in phrases like “It scared the kablokeys out of me.” Most Outrageous: wall humping, rubbing a thigh against a security card scanner to allow access without removing the card from one’s pocket. Most Euphemistic: courtesy call, an uninvited call from a telemarketer. Brand New (coined during the year, not previously attested): unconcede, to rescind a concession as presidential candidate Al Gore did on election night. (It was later discovered that candidate Bob Dole had unconceded the presidential election in 1996, and there were occasional instances of that word going back several centuries.)

Also chosen in January 2000: Word of the Decade: web. Word of the Twentieth Century: jazz. Word of the Millennium: she.

1999 Word of the Year: Y2K. Most Likely to Succeed and Most Useful: dot-com, a company operating on the web. Most Original: cybersquat, to register a web address intending to sell it at a profit. Most unnecessary: Milly, dance commissioned by the city of Chicago for the millennium. Most Outrageous: humanitarian intervention, use of military force for humanitarian purposes. Most Euphemistic: compassionate conservative. Brand New (coined during the year, not previously attested): Pokémania, obsession with Pokémon.

1998 Word of the Year: prefix e- for “electronic” as in e-mail and newly prominent e-commerce. Most Likely to Succeed and Most Useful: e-. Most Original: multislacking, playing at the computer when one should be working. Most Unnecessary: the entire Monica Lewinsky word family, including Big She as a synonym for M.L., and the verb Lewinsky, to engage in what might be sexual relations. Least Likely to Succeed: compfusion, confusion over computers. Most Outrageous: Ejaculation Proclamation, the President’s confession. Most Euphemistic: senior moment, momentary lapse of memory due to age. Brand New (coined during the year, not previously attested): -agra or -gra (from the drug name Viagra), suffix denoting substance prompting men to perform unusually, as in Directra that causes men to ask for directions.

1997 Word of the Year: millennium bug, also known as Y2K bug or Y2K problem, that causes computers to think that the year after 1999 is 1900. Most Likely to Succeed: DVD, Digital Versatile Disk, optical disk expected to replace CDs. Most Useful: (tie) -[r]azzi, an aggressive pursuer, and duh (with a falling intonation), expression of someone else’s stupidity. Most Original: prairie dogging, popping one’s head above an office cubicle for the sake of curiosity. Most Unnecessary: heaven-o, replacement for “hello.” Most Outrageous: Florida flambe, fire caused by Florida electric chair. Most Euphemistic: exit bag, bag placed over the head to assist in suicide. Brand New (coined during the year, not previously attested): El Nonsense, illogical association of an event with El Niño.

1996 Word of the Year: mom as in soccer mom, newly significant type of voter. Most Likely to Succeed: drive-by, designating brief visits or hospital stays. Most Useful: dot, used instead of “period” in e-mail and URL addresses. Most Original: prebuttal, preemptive rebuttal. Most Unnecessary: Mexican hustle, another name for the Macarena (which is not Mexican). Most Outrageous: toy soldier, land mine. Most Euphemistic: (tie) urban camping, living homeless in a city, and food insecure, said of a country where people are starving. Most Controversial: Ebonics, African-American vernacular English.

1995 Word of the Year: (tie) World Wide Web on the Internet, and newt, to make aggressive changes as a newcomer. Most Likely to Succeed: World Wide Web and its variants the Web, WWW, W3. Most Useful: E.Q. (for Emotional Quotient), the ability to manage one’s emotions. Most Original: postal or go postal, to act irrationally, often violently, from stress at work. Most Unnecessary: Vanna White shrimp, large shrimp for the restaurant market. Most Outrageous: starter marriage, a first marriage not expected to be the last. Most Euphemistic: patriot, one who believes in using force of arms if necessary to defend individual rights against the government.

1994 Word of the Year: (tie) cyber, pertaining to computers and electronic communication, and morph, to change form. Most Promising: Infobahn, the Internet. Most Useful: gingrich, to deal with government agencies, policies, and people in the manner of U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich. Most Imaginative: guillermo, an e-mail message in a foreign language. (The Spanish name Guillermo has the nicknameMemo.) Most Trendy: dress down day or casual day, a workday when employees are allowed to dress casually. Most Euphemistic: challenged indicating an undesirable or unappealing condition. Most Beautiful: sylvanshine, night-time iridescence of certain forest trees.

1993 Word of the Year: information superhighway, network linking computers, television, telephone, and other electronic means of communication. Most Likely to Succeed: quotative like with a form of the verb be to indicate speech or thought. Most Useful: thing premodified by a noun, e.g. “a Chicago thing.” Most Imaginative: McJob, a generic, unstimulating, low-paying job. Most Amazing: cybersex, sexual stimulation by computer. Most Unnecessary: mosaic culture to describe a multicultural society. Most Outrageous: whirlpooling, assault of a female by a male group in a swimming pool. Most Euphemistic: street builder, a homeless person who constructs a shanty. Most Unpronounceable: Jurassosaurus nedegoapeferkimorum, a new dinosaur.

1992 Word of the Year: Not! expression of disagreement. Most Likely to Succeed: snail mail, s-mail, mail that is physically delivered, as opposed to e-mail. Most Useful: grunge, a style of clothing. Most Original: Franken-, genetically altered. Most Amazing: Munchhausen’s syndrome by proxy, illness fabricated to evoke sympathy for the caregiver. Most Unnecessary: gender feminism, belief that sex roles are social, not biological. Most Outrageous: ethnic cleansing, purging of ethnic minorities.

1991 Word of the Year: mother of all –, greatest, most impressive. Most Likely to Succeed: rollerblade, skate with rollers in a single row. Most Successful: in your face, aggressive, confrontational, flamboyant. Most Original: molecular pharming, pharming, genetically modifying farm animals to produce human proteins for pharmaceutical use. Most Amazing: velcroid, a person who sticks by the (U.S.) president, especially for photo opportunities. Most Unnecessary: massively parallel, many small computers yoked together.

1990 Word of the Year: bushlips, insincere political rhetoric. Most Likely to Succeed: (tie) notebook PC, a portable personal computer weighting 4-8 pounds, and rightsizing, adjusting the size of a staff by laying off employees. Most Useful: (tie) technostupidity, loss of ability through dependence on machines, and potty parity, equalization of toilet facilities for the sexes. Most Original: voice merging, the oral tradition of African-American preachers using another’s words. Most Amazing: bungee jumping, jumping from a high platform with elastic cables on the feet. Most Unnecessary: peace dividend, anticipated saving in military spending due to improved relations with the Soviet Union. Most Outrageous: politically correct, PC, adhering to principles of left-wing social concern.