Sunday, January 5, 2014

Buzzwords, insults and jargon...

A Decade of Buzzwords

Didn't it seem like it was maybe only two or three years ago that the first "flashmob" burst out and thereby added a new buzzword into the lexical scene? What about that now infamous "wardrobe malfunction" incident in which Janet Jackson's nipple was momentarily exposed during a Super Bowl event? Surprise, surprise... flashmobs first appeared in 2003 while that very first wardrobe malfunction occurred in 2004. Macmillan Dictionary recently compiled a list of buzzwords although it incorrectly said 2005 saw the first appearance of the phrase wardrobe malfunction:

http://www.macmillandictionary.com/buzzword/entries/decade-of-buzzwords.html

Other noteworthy terms in the list include: metrosexual, photobomb, troll, redact and fracking
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From the fashion scene, TODAY recently carried this wickedly funny Washington Post article:




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Still on the art of being creative with words, British Pathe compiled this:

History's Greatest Replies And Insults

http://www.britishpathe.com/gallery/best-insults
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Jargon, however, is the nemesis of word wizards. Anyone who indulges in jargon in ordinary speech, writing or presentation (see below) -- should be Voldermortified.


Incidentally, in my earlier blog entry, I was pleased as Punch when I thought I had coined the term "Voldermortified". Alas, I cannot claim the credit for it. A Google check showed that at least four other online users had -- separately -- come up with this word before I did!

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