There seems to be a rash of “word(s) of the year” around this time of year. Fine by me – at least I can guarantee something to write about around Christmas! This month, it falls to the Macquarie Dictionary of Australian English. You may remember that last year’s poll gave us the splendid “muffin top” to describe the fleshy bits that poke out when women try to wear skimpy lycra clothing five sizes too small for them.
This year’s poll runs into some seventeen categories from which you may pick your favourite. Some of my favourites:
Floordrobe – a floor littered with discarded clothes, viewed ironically as a clothing storage system.
Man Flu – a minor cold contracted by a man who proceeds to exaggerate the symptoms enormously. No need to comment on this one, Mme Joad!
Tart Fuel – wine coolers and alcopops, viewed by men as deceptively alcoholic drinks that will lower a woman’s resistance to sexual advances.
Arse Antlers – a tattoo just above the buttocks, having a central section and curving extensions on each side. This one’s getting my vote!
Fauxtography – the manipulation of photographic or video images to convey a false representation of events.
Kipper – an adult child still living in the home of his or her parents, often as a result of pressure in the housing market. [singular backformation from the acronym KIPPERS Kids In Parents' Pockets Eroding Retirement Savings perceived as a plural form]
Pod Slurping – the downloading of large quantities of data to an MP3 player or memory stick from a computer.
voluntourism – tourism which combines volunteer work with sightseeing.
Voting seems to be enabled worldwide (I tried it and encountered no problems) so if you fancy influencing the new Australian word of the year, click here. Voting is open until the end of January.
Another useful titbit from this site is their introduction to cryptic crosswords. It’s a good leg-up for those who would like to have a go at the cryptics in the Times, Telegraph, New York Times or similar. It doesn’t go into great depth but should be enough to give you a head start. If you feel like frittering an hour or two of every day battling the fiendish crossword setters, click here to get started.
Arse antlers – genius!
You lazy bastard – you left out TANOREXIA. Crocodile Skinned Aussies may be most displeased…..
Autolycus: Yes, isn’t it? The rerason I like it is that it sounds even better if you imagine an Aussie saying it.
Goth: Yes, I did. I wasn’t sure if it was a bona fide “Aussieism” as I am sure I’ve read it in one of the red top papers in the UK. I can slum it too, sometimes
I quite like “manscaping” – the removal of men’s body hair (for aesthetic reasons, of course!) or “salad dodger” instead of overweight or obese…………..
Monica: You would! I didn’t include it because the very thought of a BSC makes me want to cross my legs. Nasty.
BSC???
Monica: Oh dear. It stands for Back, Sac, Crack. The lower back, the scrotum and, well, (I hope) you don’t need a diagram…