2015 has been a year for vocabulary lows.
Our regard for the English language has hit an all time low – not to mention the Rise Of The Emoji meaning that words have simply become superfluous and interminable.
But, while such terms have given us a pretty serious case of linguistic despair, they have also given us reason to lol to our hearts’ content. Here’s our selection of the 17 most incriminating offenders of 2k15.
1. Flanter
A portmanteau of the two words ‘flirty’ and ‘banter’.
We Irish have a controversial relationship with the word banter at the best of times (it’s craic) and an even worse reaction to being told that we’re flirting. It’s gotta go.
2. Twerk
Verb: To dance to popular music in a sexually provocative manner involving thrusting hip movements and a low, squatting stance.
The epitome of being absolutely sloshed and thinking ‘God, I’m such a fucking ride’ – and we just don’t need that. It can feck back to 2013.
3. YOLO
Acronym: ‘you only live once’.
Word of the year in 2012, but is still being used far more frequently than we’d like to admit. Don’t be that guy.
4. Bae
Kill it. Kill it before it lays eggs.
5. Literally
It’s not the word itself we have beef with, it’s the incessant misuse that goes through our heads.
It wasn’t literally raining cats and dogs yesterday and you definitely didn’t literally jump out of your skin when they didn’t have any almond milk left.
6. Nom nom
Just… stop, like.
7. Vibing
Urban Dictionary defines this as either ‘hanging, doing nothing or chilling’, or ‘listening to music’.
‘We just vibing in the basement’
No you weren’t.
8. Fleek
A standard at which different elements of your life must apparently reach these days.
‘eyebrows on fleek’, ‘contour on fleek’, ‘bae on fleek’
While we’re all for giving credit where credit’s due, this word is bloody rubbish and sounds more like a French man trying to say the word ‘flick’.
9. Wetser
Noun: An attractive female who instigates sexual arousal of the male usually through the wearing of provocative attire, or merely by having attractive features.
‘Wetser’ is as close to illegal as words can be and should be swiftly removed from the Irish vocabulary.
10. Basic
Adjective:
1. Forming an essential foundation or starting point; fundamental. “certain basic rules must be obeyed”
2. Chemistry. ”having the properties of a base, or containing a base; having a pH above 7.”
It definitely does not, nor has it ever meant, unsophisticated and/or uncouth. Read a book, kids.
11. Squad
The new ‘in’ thing to call your group of friends because ‘friends’ is boring and archaic.
Pity it sounds far too similar to ‘squat’ to be taken in anyway seriously.
12. Gains
A gym term which is often confused for simply gaining muscle and looking lean, but in reality ‘gains’ consists of: the process of lifting, eating healthy, and making life decisions based around one’s health.
“I’ve been making all kinds of gains”, “Lets go to the gym and make some gains”, “That bro looks pretty gainsy he must be doing roids”
Appalling.
13. Dead
The word in itself is perfectly useful and necessary… when used in the right context.
Saying you completely, wholly and literally died is not acceptable when you swiped right instead of left on Tinder is not okay.
14. Goals
No, this is not in reference to Shane Long’s beauty during the Ireland v Germany game – it actually refers to targets you want to reach in relationships, life, friend group etc.
It echoes general unhappiness and dissatisfaction and is all in all a bit lame. You gotta love yo’self before you love anybody else.
15. Bro
Gone, done, it’s over. Let’s put the past behind us and drop kick it out of our brocabulary.
Shudder.
16. Fam
Noun: A word use to describe your people, ones that you can trust dearly – someone you consider family.
‘my fam wuz mad deep up in the club the other day’
What?
17. And finally, the face with tears of joy emoji
As you remember, Oxford dictionary’s word of the year for 2015 was the face with tears of joy emoji – yes, we know.
If Oxford calls it a word, then we’re calling it a word too – a word that has to be stopped. Before we all lose our bloody minds.
Topics:
RELATED ARTICLES
MORE FROM Lovin Dublin
MORE FROM Lovin Dublin
