The Oxford English Dictionary’s quarterly update has released and the editors have added some of the commonly used slangs to dictionary. A word needs to be used for 10 years in news columns as well as fiction works to be eligible to be added in OED. The words with their references and meaning not only suggest their usages but also some really cool fun facts about them.
1. Hot mess (n): In the 1800s, “hot mess” was a warm meal, served to a group like troops. In the 1900s, people used the word to refer to a difficult or uncomfortable situation. And in the 2000s, one used it to refer to Amy Schumer (or, as they put it, something or someone in extreme confusion or disorder).
2. boiler room (n., 1892): a place used as a center of operations for an election campaign, especially a room equipped for teams of volunteers to make telephone calls soliciting support for a party or candidate. This phrase has been used to describe an actual room that contains boilers, as on a steamship, since 1820.
3. fo’ shizzle (phr., 2001): in the language of rap and hip-hop this means “for sure.” Shizzle, as a euphemism for sh-t, dates back to the ’90s. One can also be “the shizzle,” which is the best or most popular thing.
4. half-ass (v., 1954): to perform (an action or task) poorly or incompetently; to do (something) in a desultory or half-hearted manner. One can also insult someone by calling them an “ass,” referring to the horse-like creature who has appeared in stories as the type who is clumsy or stupid since the time of the Greeks.
5. Masshole (n., 1989): term of contempt for a native or inhabitant of the state of Massachusetts. This is what is known as a blended word, which Lewis Carroll called portmanteaus, naming them after a suitcase that unfolds into two equal parts.
6. sext (n., 2001): a sexually explicit or suggestive message or image sent electronically, typically using a mobile phone. Back in the 1500s, when someone referred to a “sext,” they were talking about a Christian worship ritual that involved chanting around midday.
7. stanky (adj., 1972): having a strong (usually unpleasant) smell. The OED editors offer the comparison to skanky, which means unattractive or offensive, as well as janky, which refers to something that is untrustworthy or of poor quality.
8. freegan (n): A person who eats discarded food, typically collected from the refuse of shops or restaurants, for ethical or ecological reasons [1997]. It can also be used as an adjective.
9. bae (n): A person’s boyfriend or girlfriend (often as a form of addressing them)
10. meh (interjection): This interjection, expressing indifference or a lack of enthusiasm, was probably popularized by the cartoon series The Simpsons, but it was already in use online by 1992 – two years before it was used in the programme.
11. Brain fade (n): A temporary inability to concentrate or think clearly:it was a poor decision—the big fella had a brain fade
Some of the popular Indian words too made it in the OED.
12. churidar (n): Tight trousers made with excess material at the bottom of the legs, which falls in folds around the ankles, traditionally worn by people from South Asia
13. arrey (interjection) yaar (n):
‘arrey’: express a range of emotions and commands, especially annoyance, surprise, or interest, or to attract someone’s attention.
‘yaar’: familiar form of address: friend, mate.
14. bhelpuri (n): Indian cookery: a dish or snack typically consisting of puffed rice, onions, potatoes, and spicy and sweet chutneys, sometimes served on a puri.
15. dhaba (n): In India or in Indian contexts – a roadside food stall or restaurant.
Interesting, isn’t it?
