Monday, July 30, 2007

TOP TEN TRENDY WORDDS

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.

No comments: