Friday, December 26, 2003
Top Ten Words of 2003
(from yourDictionary.com)
1. Embedded -- News correspondents embedded in military units suggested to many that news correspondents were in bed with the military.
2. Blog -- Web logs have come of age and, regrettably, this lexical mutation with them.
3. SARS -- Farm animals strike back at the humans who eat them again with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome. The Flu (with a capital "F") is pushing right behind.
4. Spam -- This old word now refers to a plague contending with SARS for destructive potential. Could the Flu (with a capital "F") be any worse?
5. Taikonaut -- The Chinese astronaut distracted our attention from textiles and copyrights to remind us that China is a rising industrial power.
6. Bushism -- This word now has a real possibility for remaining in the language. (Dan Quayle has lost his chance of making solecisms his contribution to political history.)
7. Allision -- The National Transportation and Safety Board in investigating the Staten Island ferry tragedy concluded it wasn't a collision (between two moving objects) but an allision (a crash with an immoveable object).
8. Recall -- As in California Recall that resulted in the election of Ahh-nold as the Governator.
9. Middangeard -- Middle English for Middle Earth in the movies of Tolkien's trilogy, still fascinating millions around the world with its characters and insights into the origins of the English language.
10. Celibacy -- The word which holds the key to ending the seemingly eternal scandal of the US Catholic Church. ¶ 12/26/2003 12:28:00 PM
1. Embedded -- News correspondents embedded in military units suggested to many that news correspondents were in bed with the military.
2. Blog -- Web logs have come of age and, regrettably, this lexical mutation with them.
3. SARS -- Farm animals strike back at the humans who eat them again with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome. The Flu (with a capital "F") is pushing right behind.
4. Spam -- This old word now refers to a plague contending with SARS for destructive potential. Could the Flu (with a capital "F") be any worse?
5. Taikonaut -- The Chinese astronaut distracted our attention from textiles and copyrights to remind us that China is a rising industrial power.
6. Bushism -- This word now has a real possibility for remaining in the language. (Dan Quayle has lost his chance of making solecisms his contribution to political history.)
7. Allision -- The National Transportation and Safety Board in investigating the Staten Island ferry tragedy concluded it wasn't a collision (between two moving objects) but an allision (a crash with an immoveable object).
8. Recall -- As in California Recall that resulted in the election of Ahh-nold as the Governator.
9. Middangeard -- Middle English for Middle Earth in the movies of Tolkien's trilogy, still fascinating millions around the world with its characters and insights into the origins of the English language.
10. Celibacy -- The word which holds the key to ending the seemingly eternal scandal of the US Catholic Church. ¶ 12/26/2003 12:28:00 PM
