After the lame attempt of the “big brains” at the Oxford Dictionary who “searched high and low — mostly low — to determine the [2022] word of the year” only to come up with the phrase “goblin mode,” thank goodness author and language expert Adam Jacot de Boinod set out to compile a list of 2022’s bizarre new words.
While de Boinod’s list won’t leave you feeling any smarter, it may actually help you understand your Millennial and GenZ holiday guests since it’s heavy on social media speak — because of course, it is.
Meatspace — The physical world, in contrast to cyberspace; FUNFACT: The human body is also known as a ‘meat tractor.’
Sponcon — Content posted on social media that appears as a typical post but which is actually a paid-for advertisement; [Sponsored Content]
Fexting — The act of fighting with someone by text messages rather than speaking on the phone or face-to-face; [Fight Texting]
Copypasta — Data that’s been copied and spread online; BONUS: It’s fun to say.
Quiet Quitting — Doing no more work than one is contractually obliged to do; Otherwise known as what every dissatisfied worker has done forever and ever, amen.
Fluffernutter — A sandwich of marshmallow spread and peanut butter on white bread; I have to call baloney on this “new” word. My college roommate ate these monstrosities almost daily and that was, you know, back in the day.
Vibe Shift — A significant change in the prevailing culture; As opposed to say, a fundamental transformation? Some things never change.
Splooting — The act of usually a dog lying flat on its stomach with its legs stretched out to counter unusually high temperatures; Let’s hope they mean dogs do this.
Manicule — A typographic mark depicting a hand with a pointing forefinger; [mani- + ridicule emoji]
Sharenting — The act of sharing news, images or videos of one’s children on social media; Facebook guilty, so sue me or follow me on Twitter where I don’t sharent often.
Scream Pot — A clay vessel used to scream into to release anger and frustration; Sounds as productive as feminists doing this. No thanks.
Soysage — A
vegetarian sausagefake meat monstrosity made with soy protein in the shape of a delicious, yummy sausage; I soytanly wouldn’t order one. Hard pass.Wearapy — The choosing of clothes to make the wearer feel comforted; Unless we’re talking comfy leggings, it’s time to take off the pajama bottoms, guys and put on your Big Boy pants. You’re not fooling anyone.
De Boinod’s complete list can be found here.
For Our VIP Members: Am I The Only One Who Remembers When Dictionaries Were the Authority on Words?
If you find these words — dare I say it? — cringy, you’re not alone. I too remember the days when language meant something and dictionary editors were the trusted authorities who recognized slang when they heard it. Sadly, those days have been replaced by ones where their staff now wait breathlessly to declare every teen utterance a “new word.” It used to be understood that although these words and phrases were in use by some for a time, they were not generally words that would end up worthy of addition to the overall canon. Let’s hope none of these strange and mostly annoying words make it into Merriam Webster’s 2023 edition, amirite?
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