Language changes with the times, and 2021 has been no exception, with Oxford English Dictionary naming “vax” its word of the year as Merriam-Webster adds a slew of new words to its pages.
Oxford lexicographers, in making their decision, noted that “vax” was 72 times more popular by September this year than at the same time in 2020, despite being comparatively rare before then.
“It has generated numerous derivatives that we are now seeing in a wide range of informal contexts, from vax sites and vax cards to getting vaxxed and being fully vaxxed. No word better captures the atmosphere of the past year than vax,” they said.
Meanwhile, if you’re having trouble understanding younger people and their lingo, Merriam-Webster is here to help you out, with 455 new words including “FTW” (an abbreviation for “for the win” – used especially to express approval or support) and “TBH” (an abbreviation for “to be honest”) entering the dictionary as of this month.
Other new words joining them in the Merriam-Webster pages include “whataboutism” (the act or practice of responding to an accusation of wrongdoing by claiming that an offense committed by another is similar or worse), “air fryer” (an airtight, usually small electrical appliance for quick cooking of foods by means of convection currents circulated rapidly by a fan), and “dad bod” (a physique regarded as typical of an average father; especially: one that is slightly overweight and not extremely muscular).
Guess it’s time to brush up on our reading, amirite (slang used in writing for “am I right” to represent or imitate the use of this phrase as a tag question in informal speech)?
