According to the Oxford Dictionaries blog, “selfie” was short-listed for Word of the Year last year before being beaten out by “hashtag.” This year, it faced stern competition from “bitcoin,” “404,” “fail” (?), and “twerk.” The decision to pick “selfie,” though, was unanimous.
This is a little unusual. Normally there will be some good-natured debate as one person might champion their particular choice over someone else’s. But this time, everyone seemed to be in agreement almost from the start. Other words were considered, as you will see from our shortlist, but selfie was the runaway winner. It’s not a new word… But our Word of the Year need not be a new word. However, it does need to demonstrate some kind of prominence over the preceding year or so and selfie certainly fits the bill. It seems like everyone who is anyone has posted a selfie somewhere on the Internet. If it is good enough for the Obamas or The Pope, then it is good enough for Word of the Year.
Other considered words:
bedroom tax: (I don't know what this is.)
binge-watch: (Or, why this song may be permanently drilled into your head.)
olinguito: (A newly discovered mammal.)
schmeat: (Lab-grown meat.)
showrooming: (Looking at furniture in a store before buying it online; or “sociopathy.)
[H/T: The Wire]
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