As you know, I vote for "enshittification." I was vaguely disturbed by the enthusiasm the "hawk tuah" girl showed for what seems to me to be one of those porn-driven things like 20-minute fellatio and ejaculations over other people's eyelids, and then I learned that her name was spelled Haliey. So it's environmental, clearly. That might also explain her energetic leap into imaginary money.
This is a great list, Nancy. One of the most revealing seems to me to be M-W's "polarization," which is old enough that it may say more about the dictionary than a trend.
My nominee, or a word to track for next year if not on your radar: greenwashing, which I've been seeing in the U.K. and is probably turning up here, too. I think it means something like: making something else seem friendlier to the environment than it is to profit it.
Among literary terms, there's "bromantasy": gay male romantasy.
Thanks, Jan! "Polarization" came out of the political landscape of 2024 and definitely says something about the dictionary: M-W makes its selection based on sheer number of lookups rather than on, say, a public poll or some other metric.
As for "greenwashing," when I wrote about it in 2022 (along with other -washing compounds) I cited a 2017 post by Dictionary.com's John Kelly. So the term isn't new, and according to Google Trends its usage has actually *declined* since a peak in mid-2022. The "-washing" suffix, however, continues to prove productive: https://fritinancyblog.wordpress.com/2022/05/23/word-of-the-week-sportswashing/
Thanks for "bromantasy." People sure do love portmanteaus.
I hope you'll come back to this newsletter later this week when I post my choices for 2025 words of the year.
It’s a sad commentary on me that only 4 or 5 of these are new to me. Even with my own X-odus, I must spend too much time online. New to me: HENRY and HENRE are apt, snoaker is weird both in name and look, girl mossing has other connotations to me, and I’ve already forgotten that Japanese sushi bro term. (Bromakase?)
My vote—based sheerly on impact on society and the next 4 years—is sanewashing. Love your lists!
As you know, I vote for "enshittification." I was vaguely disturbed by the enthusiasm the "hawk tuah" girl showed for what seems to me to be one of those porn-driven things like 20-minute fellatio and ejaculations over other people's eyelids, and then I learned that her name was spelled Haliey. So it's environmental, clearly. That might also explain her energetic leap into imaginary money.
I also vote for ENSHITTIFICATION. Although Slop and sanewashing are good choices, ENSHITTIFICATION perfectly encapsulates our times.
ENSHITTIFICATION was the American Dialect Society's 2023 WOTY (and mine). Apt as it may be, we need a new WOTY for .2024. https://americandialect.org/2023-word-of-the-year-is-enshittification/
That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
😂
I think you might have misspelt Haliey (sic) Welch's name.
Whoops, thanks!
I am of an age where I look at those snoafers and I think both "interesting word" and "I wonder how comfortable those are"
Probably pretty comfy!
One thing is for sure: the world is no less enshittified than it was a year ago. Or two years ago.
This is a great list, Nancy. One of the most revealing seems to me to be M-W's "polarization," which is old enough that it may say more about the dictionary than a trend.
My nominee, or a word to track for next year if not on your radar: greenwashing, which I've been seeing in the U.K. and is probably turning up here, too. I think it means something like: making something else seem friendlier to the environment than it is to profit it.
Among literary terms, there's "bromantasy": gay male romantasy.
Thanks, Jan! "Polarization" came out of the political landscape of 2024 and definitely says something about the dictionary: M-W makes its selection based on sheer number of lookups rather than on, say, a public poll or some other metric.
As for "greenwashing," when I wrote about it in 2022 (along with other -washing compounds) I cited a 2017 post by Dictionary.com's John Kelly. So the term isn't new, and according to Google Trends its usage has actually *declined* since a peak in mid-2022. The "-washing" suffix, however, continues to prove productive: https://fritinancyblog.wordpress.com/2022/05/23/word-of-the-week-sportswashing/
Thanks for "bromantasy." People sure do love portmanteaus.
I hope you'll come back to this newsletter later this week when I post my choices for 2025 words of the year.
I've seen "double haters" also called "no-no voters." I wonder if there's a slight distinction between the two terms.
Interesting! I haven't come across "no-no voters," and my cursory research just now didn't turn anything up.
I learned it from Reuters: https://www.reuters.com/world/us/2024-us-election-vocab-dobbs-dads-lawfare-fetterman-democrats-2024-04-16/
I may still have the link to a list I saw it on (which may have been in a non-U.S. pub), and if I do, I’ll add it here later.
Yep, it was me!
Thank you, and apologies for not tagging you! Where did you first use the term?
It’s a sad commentary on me that only 4 or 5 of these are new to me. Even with my own X-odus, I must spend too much time online. New to me: HENRY and HENRE are apt, snoaker is weird both in name and look, girl mossing has other connotations to me, and I’ve already forgotten that Japanese sushi bro term. (Bromakase?)
My vote—based sheerly on impact on society and the next 4 years—is sanewashing. Love your lists!
what’s your word of the year is my favorite question to ask—though i give it a different frame.
i’ll ask, if you took all your intentions and goals for the year ahead, rolled them all up into just one word, what would that word be?
serves as a great kickstart to a deep convo.