Words of the Times

It has been announced that the New Oxford American Dictionary has named "unfriend" its word of the year. Which, I suppose is perfectly fine, as it is something not previously in the dictionary and a word that is increasingly used today.

In fact I unfriended about twenty people the other day, because I didn't actually know them at all. I receive random friend requests from all over the world and I used to just hit "Confirm" but I decided that was a stupid idea. So I removed the people I've never talked to, and I've been ignoring all other such requests for quite some time now. Actually, I haven't actually clicked "Ignore" so they keep accumulating. I currently have 93 friend requests on hold from people I don't know.

Anyway, either I'm really out of tune with the times (very probable) or someone at the Oxford University Press has been hanging out with people that use eccentric lingo, because pretty much all of the other finalists are words that I've never heard in the past.

Hashtag (n) - The hash sign added to a word or phrase that lets Twitter users search for tweets similarly tagged.
Fair enough, I don't use Twitter.

Intexticated (v, past tense) - When people are distracted by texting while driving.
I live in California, where people drive everywhere and text all the time (though legally, not at the same time) and I have never heard anyone use this frankly embarrassing word.

Sexting (n) - The sending of sexually explicit SMSes and pictures by cellphone.
Same as above.

Freemium (n) - A business model in which some basic services are provided for free.
I can just picture the typical American consumer demanding that things be provided for free. That doesn't mean I've heard the word before.

Funemployed (n) - People taking advantage of newly unemployed status to have fun or pursue other interests.
Now, I'm sorry, but why didn't you just quit your job earlier? These people are living off my tax dollars? Again, never heard it used anywhere.

Birthers (n) - Conspiracy theorists challenging President Barack Obama's U.S. birth certificate.
Okay maybe I just haven't been following the news. I know the Japanese Prime Minister and his wife both claim to be aliens.

Choice mom (n) - A person who chooses to be a single mother.
Umm... So she says, "I'm filing for divorce because I'd rather be a single mother than a married mother"? Or is it a way of feeling better after guys turn her down because she has children from a previous marriage?

Deleb (n) - A dead celebrity.
Okay now that's just idiotic.

Tramp stamp (n) - A tattoo on the lower back, usually on a woman.
This is actually the only one I've ever heard used outside of this article, aside from "unfriend."

It strikes me that none of these is actually a completely novel word, just a combination of others, and mostly what a second grader would do. Portmanteaus, if you will, but not particularly sophisticated ones.