Unfriend is Oxford “Word of the Year”

Monday, November 16, 2009, 04:11 PM | Remaindered Links
Tags: Oxford University Press, Unfriend, Word of the Year

unfriend – verb – To remove someone as a “friend” on a social networking site such as Facebook.

Uses:
“I decided to unfriend my roommate on Facebook after we had a fight.”
“Don’t you dare unfriend me on Facebook, Rickey!”

Actually, if I have unfriended you on Facebook, you can still become a fan of my Facebook page.

Here are other new words in consideration for Oxford’s Word of the Year:

hashtag – a # [hash] sign added to a word or phrase that enables Twitter users to search for tweets (postings on the Twitter site) that contain similarly tagged items and view thematic sets

intexticated – distracted because texting on a cellphone while driving a vehicle

netbook – a small, very portable laptop computer with limited memory

paywall – a way of blocking access to a part of a website which is only available to paying subscribers

sexting – the sending of sexually explicit texts and pictures by cellphone

freemium – a business model in which some basic services are provided for free, with the aim of enticing users to pay for additional, premium features or content

funemployed – taking advantage of one’s newly unemployed status to have fun or pursue other interests

zombie bank – a financial institution whose liabilities are greater than its assets, but which continues to operate because of government support

Ardi – (Ardipithecus ramidus) oldest known hominid, discovered in Ethiopia during the 1990s and announced to the public in 2009

birther – a conspiracy theorist who challenges President Obama’s birth certificate

choice mom – a person who chooses to be a single mother

death panel – a theoretical body that determines which patients deserve to live, when care is rationed

teabagger -a person, who protests President Obama’s tax policies and stimulus package, often through local demonstrations known as “Tea Party” protests (in allusion to the Boston Tea Party of 1773)

brown state – a US state that does not have strict environmental regulations

green state – a US state that has strict environmental regulations

ecotown – a town built and run on eco-friendly principles

deleb – a dead celebrity

tramp stamp – a tattoo on the lower back, usually on a woman

4 Comments for Unfriend is Oxford “Word of the Year”

1

i always use “defriend”… hadn’t heard “unfriend”

Kyle on November 16, 2009 at 8:39 pm
2

I am waiting for “fantard” to become legit.

lotus on November 17, 2009 at 12:07 am
3

haha “tramp stamp”

Kat on November 17, 2009 at 2:36 pm
4

Is “google” (as a verb) included in the Oxford American Dictionary?

Chrystal K. on November 17, 2009 at 6:44 pm