Omnishambles Named Word of the Year by Oxford English Dictionary
"Omnishambles" has been named word of the year by the Oxford English Dictionary. The word – meaning a situation which is shambolic from every possible angle – was coined in 2009 by the writers of BBC political satire The Thick of It. But it has crossed over into real life this year, said the judges. Other words included "Eurogeddon" – the threatened financial collapse in the eurozone – and "mummy porn" – a genre inspired by the 50 Shades books. "Green-on-blue" – military attacks by forces regarded as neutral, such as when members of the Afghan army or police attack foreign troops – was also on the shortlist. The London Olympics threw up several contenders including the verb "to medal", "Games Maker" – the name given to thousands of Olympic volunteers – and distance runner Mo Farah's victory celebration "the Mobot". 'Pleb' New words from the world of technology included "second screening" – watching TV while simultaneously using a computer, phone or tablet – and social media popularised the acronym "Yolo", you only live once. "Pleb" – an old word given new life by claims Conservative Chief Whip Andrew Mitchell used it to describe police officers in Downing Street – was also shortlisted.
He denied using the word, a derogatory term for the lower classes, but was forced to resign as a minister. But it was omnishambles that most impressed the judges. Fiona McPherson, one of the lexicographers on the judging panel, said: "It was a word everyone liked, which seemed to sum up so many of the events over the last 366 days in a beautiful way. "It's funny, it's quirky, and it has broken free of its fictional political beginnings, firstly by spilling over into real politics, and then into other contexts. "If influence is any indication of staying power, it has already staked its claim by being linguistically productive in its own right, producing a number of related coinages. "While many of them are probably humorous one-offs, their very existence shows that the omnishambles itself has entered at least the familiar parlance, if not quite the common parlance." November 16, 2012 Copyright © 2012 BBC
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