Public Address Word of the Year 2008

  • Russell Brown,

    What'll it be, customers? Last year, Public Address readers voted "Te Qaeda" as the Word of the Year 2007, followed by "sub-prime" and "it's business time". As ever, you're invited to nominate and debate words for 08 here, in advance of a final online vote. And along the way, there'll be two cases of wine from Vavasour going to the cleverest amongst you.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

268 Responses

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  • Graeme Edgeler,

    Change?

    Hope?

    [something far wittier]

    Wellington, New Zealand • Since Nov 2006 • 3215 posts Report Reply

  • Heather W.,

    Roflolnui.

    North Shore • Since Nov 2008 • 189 posts Report Reply

  • Sam F,

    "Rofflenui" or variants thereof must be in the running somewhere.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 1611 posts Report Reply

  • Heather W.,

    Trust / Change

    Trust change

    Change trusts

    North Shore • Since Nov 2008 • 189 posts Report Reply

  • Richard Llewellyn,

    maverick

    Mt Albert • Since Nov 2006 • 399 posts Report Reply

  • Newsprint,

    obamania

    my most loathed phrase: going forward

    Wellington • Since Mar 2008 • 42 posts Report Reply

  • Gareth Ward,

    Bailout
    Porcine-Lipstick

    Auckland, NZ • Since Mar 2007 • 1727 posts Report Reply

  • Lyndon Hood,

    Special spectacular-failure award for "slippery"

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1115 posts Report Reply

  • Lyndon Hood,

    "Change" does neatly combine what people voted for and what financial institutions are now worth...

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1115 posts Report Reply

  • giovanni tiso,

    Another vote for Rofflenui here.

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report Reply

  • Caleb D'Anvers,

    I've been totally obsessed with the word Obamacon for about six months now. Try slipping it into normal conversation: it freaks people out.

    London SE16 • Since Mar 2008 • 482 posts Report Reply

  • Kebabette,

    I reckon every fashion/design article I've read this year has said "bang on trend". It's godawful and it's everywhere.

    Christchurch • Since Feb 2007 • 221 posts Report Reply

  • LegBreak,

    Meltdown


    Most overused word, anyway.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1162 posts Report Reply

  • simon g,

    infrastructure

    It's the new answer to every question (previously "tax cuts").

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 1333 posts Report Reply

  • Sam F,

    Liquidity, liquidity, there's nothing like liquidity...

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 1611 posts Report Reply

  • Graeme Edgeler,

    infrastructure

    It's the new answer to every question (previously "tax cuts").

    I could check, but I'm pretty sure it's now __infa__structure.

    Wellington, New Zealand • Since Nov 2006 • 3215 posts Report Reply

  • Sam F,

    I could check, but I'm pretty sure it's now __infa__structure.

    Yup, New Zullund English has made its mark on that one.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 1611 posts Report Reply

  • James Green,

    If I could spell how how John Key says New Zealand, then I'd nominate that. It's more subtle than "mainstream New Zealander" ala Brash, but I think it serves largely the same meaning.

    Limerick, Ireland • Since Nov 2006 • 703 posts Report Reply

  • Robyn Gallagher,

    Another John Keyism: "fentestic". It's what he uses when he's trying to praise something he doesn't really understand. Like the Kiwis winning the league: that was a fentestic effort.

    You may also see this pop up in work emails, spelt "fantastic". Example "I would like to congratulate the team on the fantastic sales results for 2008."

    Fentestic.

    Since Nov 2006 • 1946 posts Report Reply

  • Zippy Gonzales,

    Helicopter. Helicopter parents, helicopter Winston, helicopter Ben Bernanke.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 186 posts Report Reply

  • simon g,

    "fentestic"

    Key is South African? The Herald's unauthorised biography glossed over that part.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 1333 posts Report Reply

  • Lyndon Hood,

    Liquidity, liquidity, there's nothing like liquidity...

    ... Our Dollars are entirely bucked;
    Our Pounds are lacking quiddity.
    In Commerce (and in Finance to)
    The balance sheets look fair:
    But when the try to operate -
    Liquidity's not there!

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1115 posts Report Reply

  • Robyn Gallagher,

    Here's another one: Current Economic Situation.

    We're not really sure what it is or how it will effect us, but we do know that it is quite bad, and might be worse, but also might not.

    In years to come, we'll tell our grandkiddies, "I lived through two Gulf Wars and the Current Economic Situation!" And they'll all be like "woteva, grandma".

    Since Nov 2006 • 1946 posts Report Reply

  • LegBreak,

    Not quite as annoying as Current Economic Climate though.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1162 posts Report Reply

  • Renee Jones,

    Beached as

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 17 posts Report Reply

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