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Posted on 28 November 2023

Announcing the Macquarie Dictionary Word of the Year 2023

Announcing the Macquarie Dictionary Committee's Choice and People's Choice Word of the Year 2023. You can review the final shortlist here (and for those interested, the longlist here). Thank you for helping us decide the defining new word for 2023! Committee's Choice Word of the Year 2023 “Although cozzie livs was coined in the UK, it has resonated soundly with Australians, with its -ie suffix and its clipped formation, reminiscent of menty b and locky d. And what could be a more Australian approach to a major social and economic problem than to treat it with a bit of humour and informality?” – COMMITTEE This year, our Committee consisted of Macquarie Dictionary Editors, Alison Moore, Victoria Morgan and Jack Steyn. They were joined by crossword maker, radio host and writer, David Astle, and language research specialist at the ABC, Tiger Webb. After a robust discussion of the both the longlist and shortlist, the Word of the Year was settled – cozzie livs. Committee's Choice Honourable Mentions With the winning Word of the Year decided, it was time to note the Honourable Mentions. Words that could easily have illustrated the year that was just as well. There are two this year, blue-sky flood and algospeak. On these words, the Committee had this to say: "The floods so many have endured in recent times make blue-sky flood a topical expression, and it resonates more broadly. The idea that there is a deluge coming, even though the sun is shining, is almost like the time bomb we’re all sitting on with climate change." – COMMITTEE   "AI is increasingly a major part of our lives. Making good use of the productive (and sometimes a bit sinister) word part -speak (think Orwell’s newspeak), algospeak describes an attempt to circumvent AI surveillance. But how long will it be before the moderating software learns the code words?" – COMMITTEE   People's Choice Word of the Year 2023 And finally, after leading the voting throughout the entire voting period, the People's Choice Word of the Year 2023 was decided by Australia as generative AI. "Unlike many other previous People’s Choice winners, generative AI isn’t a clever or humorous construction, but it has touched a nerve. A clear winner, it shows that AI is figuring prominently in our minds this year." – COMMITTEE People's Choice Honourable Mentions Runners-up skimpflation and rizz show a return to form, each demonstrating a bit of fun, even though the meaning of skimpflation is far from amusing. Rizz seems to be appealing to younger voters – it’s succinct, has a satisfying sound, and is proving flexible in use. Hostile architecture and doorway effect also scored well in the People’s Choice vote.
Posted on 20 November 2023

Word of the Year 2023 Shortlist | Vote Now!

The Macquarie Dictionary People’s Choice Word of the Year voting is open now. The shortlist was chosen from the 13 categories under consideration for Word of the Year 2023. VOTE FOR YOUR WORD OF THE YEAR 2023 You can review the words and definitions below. Access a pdf of the shortlist here. SHORTLIST algospeaknoun a form of coded language used on digital platforms in which words, such as those relating to sex, violence, etc., which would be triggers for a site’s moderation rules to shadowban a user or remove a post, are replaced, by convention, with innocuous words which are sometimes similar in sound or form, as seggs for ‘sex’ and unalive for ‘dead’ or ‘kill’. angry waternoun Colloquial (humorous) carbonated water. Bazballnoun Cricket Colloquial an aggressive style of play, especially of the batting side.[named after NZ former cricketer Brendon Barrie (Baz) McCullum (born 1981), who, as coach of the England test team from 2022, trained the team to play in such a manner] blue-sky floodnoun a flood in low-lying areas caused by the flow of floodwater which has made its way from higher ground after the cessation of substantial rainfall. boponoun Colloquial body positivity. boreoutnoun Colloquial a state of demotivation or dissatisfaction in one’s job, brought about by a lack of interesting work.[BORE2 + (BURN)OUT, modelled on BURNOUT] bridesmaid suburbnoun Colloquial any of various suburbs which surround the most expensive or sought-after suburb in a particular area.[from the notion that a BRIDESMAID supports and is secondary to a bride, the centre of attention at a wedding] cozzie livs(say kozee 'livz)noun Colloquial cost of living.[humorous play on COST OF LIVING] crash blossomnoun a phrase or sentence, especially in a news headline, that is ambiguous due to its wording or punctuation.[from such an ambiguous headline in the newspaper Japan Today in 2009: ‘Violinist Linked to JAL Crash Blossoms’] doof sticknoun Colloquial a long pole topped by a placard, decoration, etc., used as a location marker for a group of friends at a dance or music festival. debt-trap diplomacynoun Politics a strategy, employed by a country or other institution, of lending to a foreign nation in order to increase political leverage, as by imposing conditions which the borrower is unable to fulfil, thereby forcing them to accept political or economic concessions in lieu of repayment. doorway effectnoun a psychological phenomenon in which a person’s short-term memory is disrupted when they cross some kind of boundary, such as moving from one room to another. generative AInoun an artificial-intelligence application which is capable of producing new content, such as text, images, videos, etc., through use of machine learning. Also, generative artificial intelligence. gravy daynoun Colloquial 21 December.[in reference to this date in the lyrics of How to Make Gravy (1996) by Australian singer Paul KELLY] hostile architecturenoun a style of architecture for shared public spaces which utilises design features that discourage unwanted behaviour, such as anti-homeless spikes or benches with armrests, to prevent people, especially the homeless, from lying down and sleeping.Also, defensive architecture. rizzColloquial noun 1. charisma.–verb (t) 2. to attract (a partner), especially for a sexual encounter.[shortening and respelling of CHARISMA; popularised on social media from 2022] scrotoxnoun Colloquial a botox preparation for the scrotum, especially as used for cosmetic purposes to make the skin appear less wrinkled, and to reduce sweating.[blend of BOTOX and SCROTUM] shadow worknoun the practice of identifying and accepting one’s repressed or unacknowledged behaviours or traits, thought to improve self-awareness and self-realisation.[popularised by Swiss psychiatrist and psychologist, CG Jung] skimpflationnoun Commerce a reduction in the quality or availability of a product or service despite the cost to the customer remaining the same, as by reducing the number of service staff or the frequency of a service, or by using lower-quality ingredients in a product. YIMBY(say 'yimbee)noun a person who is actively supportive of developments such as high- and medium-density housing, prisons, hospitals, airports, military installations, disabled housing, etc., being located in the vicinity of their home. Compare NIMBY. Also, yimby. [y(es) i(n) m(y) b(ack)y(ard); modelled on NIMBY] –yimbyism, noun
Word of the Day
Posted on 19 March 2024

whitebeard

A man having a white or grey beard; an old man.