Tuesday, December 8, 2009

~ Top Words for 2009 ~

I checked the Global Language Monitor in an effort to keep up with the lingo of the day. Middle aged baby boomers like me can’t get stuck with words like cool, hip and groovy for the rest of our lives. Believe it or not, the top word of 2009 is Twitter, the new form of social interaction, where all communication is reduced to 140 characters. Call me old fashioned, but there’s something scary about that. The next few most popular words of the year include: H1N1, the formal and politically correct name for Swine Flu. Stimulus, the multi billion dollar aid packages meant to help mend the economy. Vampire, because for some reason vampires are very much back in vogue these days. Go figure that one, I can't. 2.0, a suffix that seems to be attached to the next generation of everything I really don't get that one and I could be wrong but 2.0 is a number not a word at least when I last checked. Deficit, which makes one wonder if we’ve learned any lessons from history. Obama, which has become a word stem for new words like Obamacare. Transparency, that elusive goal many governments strive for but can’t quite reach. The top phrase of 2009 is King of Pop (Elvis was the King so MJ had to settle for King of Pop but so be it). Climate Change is also big, considered politically neutral compared to Global Warming. Another is Mayan Calendar, consisting of various cycles, one of which has the world ending on December 21st, 2012, Hmm okidoki. And finally, the Top Two names of 2009. You'd be correct if you guessed Barack Obama and Michael Jackson. And by the way, the English language gains a new word every 98 minutes and officially passed the one million mark on June 10th, 2009.

34 comments:

  1. Okidoki? hmmm ... that's a Filipino slang word meant to mean "its ok." Where did you learned it from Jack?
    And I don't believed the world will end on 2012 ... oh no! Not yet, I still want to be happy ... gosh! Where did you get that Jack?

    ... and last, its past 2am on your side. Its not that I am mothering Jack [laughs] but I think its quiet late for you. Sleep now please. smiles*
    Good night. Hugs

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  2. LOL, you should hear the words the teens say around here on a daily basis!

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  3. I like the word cool.....and it's so much better than....kewl. lol ;P

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  4. those words are not fun! not even Twitter sounds good to me LOL

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  5. Cool is an ageless/timeless word, still used by all generations. Now hip and groovy definitely age identify a person : )

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  6. No I logged off at 1am........hi mother lol

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  7. Arielle the diction I can't believe it you know. Good english is good english and when I looked at this it really startled me as where are we going to with
    our language - I never new what 2.0 was not meant and I don't see nor deem it as a word. It's rather scary, as there is slang and then there is the
    proper english language of course there are many versions of english but this gives new meaning to you say Patatooo and I say Patatoe! :)

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  8. So you're awake ... hi father! [laughs]

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  9. Suzie, I remember so often when I was a kid using the term "wicked" and now it seemed to have come back with the younger generation. (Getting Old....).
    Here is one that was all to interesting for me. In parts of the USA the word "bad". "Oh man that is so bad" - which actually meant good. When I moved back into Canada there was a change with how people spoke and another was this term excuse my french - "pissed". "I am so pissed" > which would mean I am so angry, whereas in Canada it the term "pissed" within slang mean drunk....so slang is all good and open to a variety of things but we never placed them into our vocabulary of words nor really recognized them...

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  10. Our language is changing and seems that slang now is being incorporated and included. I have a huge old Websters Dictionary. I rarely use it but it's symbolic for good language. Twitter - it's kind of scary and are you developing good language skills and are our youth?

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  11. Jack tell me ... how old is middle age in your side of the globe. Here they say forty is the new 30. When I reach my 70, I hope I could still parade my fragile body and say Hey am only 60! What's that for a change eh! Now if that's the case ... 70 is the new middle age ... now tell me, are you in your 70's now [laughs] ...

    ... just wanna' stir your morning Jack! Hugs.

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  12. I just got in from getting a boost with the car as well as helping two other.......middle aged I think is from 37 upwards.

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  13. I can't help it but I saw the title Top Words for 2009 and I thought of one of the songs of my day..70's Bee Gees Words..I have it on my music page :-)

    http://cheryljasper.multiply.com/music/item/115/The_Bee_Gees

    I think it was King Solomon who said "A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver"
    Smile & have a great day!

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  14. ... 37 upwards, that is sad :( it means you and me is pass our middle aged. I was thinking I am still young ouch*
    Many thanks Jack :)

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  15. Shall do just waiting for the car to warm up it's unbelieveable this weather here going to take a look Cheryl....

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  16. Well, if they compile that according to what we type into our computers, then we can have an influence on which words show up. Peace, love, peace, love, peace, love. :-)

    In my watercolour class, we strive not to lose transparency.

    Middle age is like the 1300's. :-))

    And I have used okey-dokey also.

    A living language will change, that is proof it is alive.

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  17. Smiling and yeah! Hi DJ, right now my word for the day is cold and freezing :)

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  18. LOL, tomatooo, tomatoe! it's all random you know! :)

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  19. That Twitter is on th top of the list, just reveals the shallowness of communication these days. That scares me.

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  20. LOL Twitter, okidoki!(had to use that its fun) we are going into the lower quadrant of Intellectuality and Communication, I guess. Those words just arent as fun as I thought it would be.. wonder what generation I fall into.. Today I feel like a seven year old while yesterday I was brain dead old.

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  21. Nope, I don't tweet ... but I twitter with laughter over those who do ...

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  22. Hahahaha... I still use awesome..(giggle)... ;-D! If it makes me happy I use whatever... **"Nope, I don't tweet ... but I twitter with laughter over those who do ..." .. Thanxs Kennedy ;-D! You have my thoughts.. !

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  23. I don't even know much about what Twitter is only that I have heard of it. It's fun to write though I've always enjoyed Creative Writing it's the side of my brain that works better. Numbers and math that is a whole different story...But photography is fun too & you have a lot of nice photographs. If a picture paints a thousand words my family will probably say that I have spoken enough for a good long while because I get teased for taking pictures of anything and everything.

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  24. OMG if 37 is middle aged, than I am ancient. sigh

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  25. Rashmi when I looked at this wow we are going down to a lower standard. And yeah they did not list "okidoki" - hey I am used to that as a slang but I think it has some origins but it's not on the ........................list :). Tomorrow you will be young at heart but still higher within your own brain waves I would assume.

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  26. I don't tweeter either but if I see a blue bird I will tweet along with it - why am I thinking of the small bird from Bugs Bunny....

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  27. Gotcha Peeks! We still do use slang but we never thought these would be new words - are they? ~Smiling~

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  28. There are some tremendous writers on here and still it amazes me to this day Cheryl. I have been taunted with how I take pictures but frankly, I could not care what others feel I just do as I desire and I think that your pictures are tremendous as are other. We all have been there but we all have that thing (see I have a lack of words in this communication - thing) think element that what we do is our own option. Photos are fun I am not sure if tweets would be as fun just my own thoughts here in getting online.

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  29. Patty and if 37 is then I am a compusoarous - it's a breed of of dinasours I am told that used to work by way of computers...:)

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  30. you are all making me feel older than dirt

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