How was your 2022? Did you spend it going into full goblin mode, trying to distract yourself from the general feeling of permacrisis brewing about you? Perhaps you had to stave off gaslighting of some sort, or learned more about the theatrical (literally) origins of the term.
Every year, the top arbiters of the English language tease out the most noteworthy, zeitgeist-y words to describe the current moment. Sometimes they’re fun, or educational. Sometimes, they reveal a world that’s gone, well, a little feral. Here’s quick look at this year’s offerings:
Oxford Languages: goblin mode
“a type of behaviour which is unapologetically self-indulgent, lazy, slovenly, or greedy, typically in a way that rejects social norms or expectations.”
This term was popular on social media, and despite its negative implications, it isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Sometimes our inner goblin must be fed.
Collins Dictionary: permacrisis
“an extended period of instability and insecurity”
Collins, a British dictionary, also noted nine other words of the year, most of which have a very “permacrisis” air to them, especially partygate, Kiev and lawfare. Oh, there’s also splooting: “the act of lying flat on the stomach with the legs stretched out.”
Merriam-Webster: gaslighting
“the act or practice of grossly misleading someone especially for one’s own advantage.”
Merriam-Webster noted that searches for this term increased 1740% this year. Never an organization to shy away from the political side of things, MW specifically connected this term to the ubiquity of fake news and conspiracy theories.
Other top words from MW this year were oligarch, omicron, codify and queen consort. Truly a mini tour of international news, from Roe v. Wade to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Oh, but that’s not all! Choices from other international English language giants really add some color to the confusing tapestry that was 2022:
Cambridge Dictionary: homer
“Short for home run: a point scored in baseball when you hit the ball, usually out of the playing field, and are able to run around all the bases at one time to the starting base”
Don’t be fooled! You can draw a direct through-line between this common sports term and “goblin mode,” since interest in “homer” spiked after it was featured in the online game “Wordle” – a daily staple for goblins and wordsmiths everywhere. Non-American English speakers, however, were not pleased. (This is also an absolutely hilarious definition to American baseball fans, and hopefully we say a lot of sports things that give our British friends a chuckle in return.)
Macquarie Dictionary (an Australian English dictionary): teal
“A political candidate who holds generally ideologically moderate views, but who supports strong action regarding environmental and climate action policies, and the prioritising of integrity in politics”.
The term comes from the fact that many of these candidates wore the color teal. Several such candidates prevailed in Australia’s federal elections this year. “Teal embodies the year that’s been, and truth-telling is the year that’s to come – let’s hope that’s the case,” the Macquarie committee said. “They’re both really important concepts, central to Australian culture and politics.”