Will "Gangnam Style" Be Added To UK Dictionary?
Posted by Joseph Lee on 12.21.2012
Could be...
Reuters reports that the term "Gangnam Style" could be added to the British dictionary, joining terms like "fiscal cliff" and "Romneyshambles" as some new terms for Collins Dictionary.
Ian Brooks, the dictionary's consultant editor, said: "We were looking for words that told the story of the year. Some words are from events that have been and gone and so are not likely to stick around ... but others are probably here to stay."
Several new terms are political. The term "fiscal cliff" has had a lot of attention as the deadline for Congress and President Obama to agree on government spending and tax plans gets closer. "Romneyshambles" was created after Mitt Romney's disastrous visit to London in July when he questioned if the UK was ready to host the Olympics. "47 percent" will also make the list after a leaked video showed Romney telling his donors that 47% of Americans would vote for Obama because they depended on the government.
Collins received over 7,000 submissions on its online database. Twelve words of the year, one for each month, were selected based on how much they were said, how many places they appeared and how long they lasted. Appearing on the words of the year list, however, is no guarantee that it will be in the next dictionary.
Brookes added: "It's obviously a craze, so there's the possibility it will go away. But it's been heard by so many people that I think it's probably earned the right to go into the dictionary."
Other terms include "superstorm" (due to Hurricane Sandy) and "mummy porn" (thanks to Fifty Shades of Grey).
