Word of the Year 2007

175 Responses

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  • Russell Brown,

    __But it did piss me off that it always pulled me up for using the passive voice, or any sentence with more than 15 words. Would have been good if you could turn certain warnings off, as 'my style' settings.__

    Umm, you can - Tools, Options, Spelling & Grammar, Grammar Settings.

    It never ceases to amaze me how much stuff you have to turn off in Word -- usually in two places for each "feature" -- to make it usable.

    Oh, and I'll work on a summary of candidates from this thread over the weekend, put them into Survey Monkey -- and see who gets the goodies ...

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • BenWilson,

    A classic one for me was the first line in a sales document I had to proofread:

    "The savings generated by our system cannot be underestimated".

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • Volnay,

    I hereby nominate: "my first life"

    Since Dec 2007 • 5 posts Report Reply

  • Sonia Braid,

    "Sub prime" does it for me

    Queen of the CBD • Since Nov 2006 • 9 posts Report Reply

  • InternationalObserver,

    "Sub prime" does it for me too!

    Since Jun 2007 • 909 posts Report Reply

  • Deborah,

    "Sub prime" does it for me

    Not for me. It's just too, well, foreign. I mcuch preferred Emma's "underwhelming". Such an understated, NZ way of saying that it's been a poor year. Of course, if you were a cricket commentator, you would talk about it being "very average". I just don't understand that construction at all.

    New Lynn • Since Nov 2006 • 1447 posts Report Reply

  • Jeremy Andrew,

    Of course, if you were a cricket commentator, you would talk about it being "very average". I just don't understand that construction at all.

    Its fairly simple. In fields where one is expected to excel, an average result is a bad thing.

    See the rugby world cup and americas cup for more detail. In both events 'our' teams performed well above the international average, but were seen to have failed.

    In sport average = bad.

    Hamiltron - City of the F… • Since Nov 2006 • 900 posts Report Reply

  • Jeremy Andrew,

    The Society of the German Language (GfdS) has picked “Klimakatastrophe” (climate disaster) as its “word of the year”, an annual honour awarded to the term the prestigious Wiesbaden-based group feels has captured the spirit or dominated the headlines and public discussion of the year.

    I do like the way the German language can pack a whole sentence into one word. It makes coining new words so much more fun, while us English speakers get stuck trying to nominate phrases for word of the year.

    Hamiltron - City of the F… • Since Nov 2006 • 900 posts Report Reply

  • Lyndon Hood,

    The class might find it instructive to compare the 'average'/'very average' judgement - which had a far wider currency than sport commentators when I was yoof - to 'mediocre', both in terms of meaning and derivation.

    It might provide hope to people who think of NZ as a nation of tall-poppy-lopping sheep that we seem to have a disparaging view of the statistically ordinary.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1115 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    "Sub prime" does it for me too!

    I can report that "sub prime" is indeed in the leading group.

    Have you voted?

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Emma Hart,

    Of course, if you were a cricket commentator, you would talk about it being "very average".

    Ah, a sport I can care about in December... I wrote a blog once about the unique vocab of cricket commentary. I think we're beyond 'very average' and into 'decidedly average' at this point, 'decidedly average' meaning 'abysmal', and coming just above 'poor' meaning 'somebody's arm just fell off'.

    But I think it reflects a grain of laconic understatement in our game which compares very well (for vocab purposes, not game results) with Australia's brashness and England's formality before their players started forgetting words like 'bus' and calling Tony Blair a twat.

    Christchurch • Since Nov 2006 • 4651 posts Report Reply

  • Brent Jackson,

    Russell Brown wrote :

    I can report that "sub prime" is indeed in the leading group.

    Objection, your honour. Leading the witness !

    How come "underwhelming" didn't make the list - I thought it was the best on offer !

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 620 posts Report Reply

  • Deborah,

    How come "underwhelming" didn't make the list - I thought it was the best on offer !

    Me too!

    New Lynn • Since Nov 2006 • 1447 posts Report Reply

  • Emma Hart,

    Aw, you guys are sweet. If'n any of you wanna send my whiskey, just let me know.

    Christchurch • Since Nov 2006 • 4651 posts Report Reply

  • Andy Milne,

    I know Im about a fortnight late with this, but I thought I'd chuck it in here anyway:

    McClarkthyism: a moral panic which causes the afflicted to suffer excessive fear of a minority group and see members of said group under every bed. In extreme cases, sufferers may use their fears to justify poorly-conceived laws. Famous sufferers include Annette King and Chris Carter.

    Christchurch • Since Aug 2007 • 59 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    How come "underwhelming" didn't make the list - I thought it was the best on offer !

    Um, not quite sure, but it's a bit late now. Sorry.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • BenWilson,

    I do like the way the German language can pack a whole sentence into one word.

    Like "Donaudampfshiffahrtselektricitatenhauptbetriebswerkbauunterbeamptengesellschaft"?

    The longest word I've ever tried to say. Something about the Danube and boats I think.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • BenWilson,

    Oops and I missed a 'c'...see if you can spot where.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • Tom Ackroyd,

    This just in: Merriam-Webster's have just nominated w00t as their WOTY. W00t! for WOTY!

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 159 posts Report Reply

  • Jeremy Andrew,

    Oops and I missed a 'c'...see if you can spot where.

    Beside that 's'?

    Hamiltron - City of the F… • Since Nov 2006 • 900 posts Report Reply

  • BenWilson,

    Impressive Jeremy. Your prize is you get to translate it.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • Russell C,

    I'd vote for administrivia (that's all the stuff you do at you job that isn't really the core stuff you're paid to do), also I have do kinda like blamestorming.

    In a related vein, am I the only person who find Radio NZ National's new favorite word incredibly grating - 'agin' as in Geoff says 'What are you agin it?' WTF what's wrong with against?

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 37 posts Report Reply

  • Russell C,

    Of course more accurately he'd probably say - 'Why are you agin it? because he reads his stuff before he presses send.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 37 posts Report Reply

  • David Hamilton,

    This just in: Merriam-Webster's have just nominated w00t as their WOTY. W00t! for WOTY!

    As someone who both plays a fair amount of games and also likes English, I find this incredibly lame - firstly because no one says woot in a non ironic fashion anymore, and secondly because it has the 0 character in it. If 'u' for 'you' or '2' for 'to' ever make it into a serious dictionary so help me I'm switching to Japanese.

    Hamiltron • Since Nov 2006 • 111 posts Report Reply

  • Sam F,

    My money's on "sub-prime", thankfully not literally.

    "Te Qaeda" comes a natural second, followed by "the beltway" - which is so openly American-imported and ludicrous it's got to be emblematic of something.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 1611 posts Report Reply

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