Public Address Word of the Year 2008

268 Responses

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  • Sue,

    obama

    no extras just the plain ole obama

    although i am extremely fond of obamarama

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 527 posts Report

  • Sue,

    something special just for giovanni who'd

    like meme banned

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/wasabicube/3110367544/

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 527 posts Report

  • giovanni tiso,

    When a word gets spelt in polystirene it's the death knell, I tell you. Nobody will be using it in, oh, two weeks from now.

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report

  • Kyle Matthews,

    Tosh.

    What will happen, is that people will spell their own names in polystyrene, take photos of it, post it on livejournal, and call it a poly-name-meme.

    Since Nov 2006 • 6243 posts Report

  • Sam F,

    Given recent threads, I'd like to nominate "false equivalence" as a PAS phrase of the year. Famously applied by someone to almost anything Craig Ranapia posts, to the point where everytime I see it I bypass the meaning and wonder if I should make a drinking game out of its many occurrences.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 1611 posts Report

  • Sacha,

    wonder if I should make a drinking game out of its many occurrences

    Not bad judging criteria.. :)

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report

  • Russell Brown,

    Okay folks, here's a finalists' list. I'll pass it on to Hadyn, who has kindly created a groovy little voting thing in Google Docs and hopefully have voting going by tomorrow:

    So, the list. Thoughts? Bear in mind that I'm probably looking to take words out than add them at this stage ...


    Change
    Hope
    "Credit crunch"
    Crunch
    Crisis
    Climate
    Melamine
    Rofflenui/Roflnui
    Trust
    Issues
    "Going forward"
    Maverick
    Obamania
    Bailout
    Slippery
    Meltdown
    Infrastructure
    Liquidity
    Obamarama
    "Labour Plus"
    "Labour Light"
    Emissions
    "No"
    Kitteh
    Absolutely
    "Nanny state"
    "Hockey mom"
    "Yes we can"
    Twitter
    MACTional
    Defnlee
    Urgency

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report

  • Graeme Edgeler,

    So, the list. Thoughts?

    I think it's "Labour lite".

    If you're wanting to get rid of some, my suggestion for that would be "Going forward" (apologies to whomever proposed it). It seems pretty generic, not really 2008 etc. That could obviously be recognised with voting (i.e. few will vote for it), but if you're trying to make voting simpler, I give that one the chop.

    Maybe also Obamarama. Obamamania got way more traction, and one should be enough.

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

  • Graeme Edgeler,

    And I obviously meant to write Obamania there; however, given my typo got more traction than Obamarama (according to the number of google hits), I think even my argument is somewhat vindicated.

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

  • Sacha,

    These also seem to be very generic and long-standing words:
    change, hope, climate, trust, issues.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report

  • Caleb D'Anvers,

    I don't want to knock the list in any way, but seeing it in one block like that really brings home what a depressing year it's (largely) been.

    London SE16 • Since Mar 2008 • 482 posts Report

  • giovanni tiso,

    I don't want to knock the list in any way, but seeing it in one block like that really brings home what a depressing year it's (largely) been.

    You gotta rofflenui not to cryenui.

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report

  • Joe Wylie,

    Is "Yes we can" related to / derived from "I can has" ?

    flat earth • Since Jan 2007 • 4593 posts Report

  • Matthew Littlewood,

    Obamania

    Out of curiosity, was it the Daily Show which first popularised the term? I remember they did a sketch on it back in early January 2007.

    http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml?videoId=81465&title=obamania

    Actually, looking back on that video, it's amazing how many of the FOX/neocon smears in Obama were already in place. Of course, Slate would go even further and create an entire vocabulary based on the possibilities...

    http://www.slate.com/id/2184502/

    Today, Tomorrow, Timaru • Since Jan 2007 • 449 posts Report

  • Sam F,

    My favourite US political neologism of the year is still the Daily Show's "10,000 McCainiacs".

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 1611 posts Report

  • 3410,

    "Yes we can has changeburger?"

    Auckland • Since Jan 2007 • 2618 posts Report

  • Brent Jackson,

    Hey,

    What happened to "volatility" ?

    I found 2008 to be a very volatile year.

    Cheers,
    Brent.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 620 posts Report

  • Sofie Bribiesca,

    I must admit that, having a chance to vote t'other day, tried for one I suggested (crunch) but although it was on the list it don't appear in the choice box. The onomatopoeic quality helps me to like it. I 'll go sulk now cos I accepted Credit crunch and now I don't want that but alas I have voted.

    here and there. • Since Nov 2007 • 6796 posts Report

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