That word is so last year

In its annual international survey of the English language, The Global Language Monitor tracks the most popular words and phrases from 2010In its annual international survey of the English language, The Global Language Monitor tracks the most popular words and phrases from around the world. So what were we all talking about last year? It may not surprise you to see “spillcam” and “vuvuzela” (byproducts of the BP oil spill and the World Cup), at numbers one and two on the list. But what about number five, “Guido/Guidette” (from the American reality show Jersey Shore )? Or number nine, “shellacking”?

Some of the words on the GLM’s list aren’t words at all. Or rather, not yet, like the seemingly paradoxical “simplexity,” or politician Sarah Palin’s invention “refudiate”—a bewildering combination of ‘repudiate’ and ‘refute’. Honorable mention goes to “Obamacare” and “twenty-ten,” which was apparently the most preferred way to say 2010. Our favorite, however, is number seven: “Snowmaggedden,” used to describe the record snowfalls last year.   

In the most popular phrases category, “Lady Gaga” lends the list a little star power, entering at number seven—not as a name, but as a cultural phenomenon. The inevitable “Great Recession” and “climate change” make subdued appearances at three and two, respectively, while “Man up” (number eight) was an oft-used phrase during the US election cycle; oddly, it was mostly exhorted by female politicians!

Unfortunately, “anger and rage” topped the list of phrases from 2010, a characterization of the political climates not only in the US, but in France, Spain and Greece as well.  However, honorable mention goes to our favorite, a phrase made famous by a man protesting the new TSA airport security measures: “Don’t touch my junk!”

But who was on everyone’s lips and keyboards last year? Well, not “who,” but Hu. That’s right, President Hu Jintao, paramount leader of China, was the personality of the year in conjunction with myriad stories on the rise of China. Other top names include three-time listee Barack Obama, Nicolas Sarkozy and Kate Middleton. Interestingly, Steve Jobs was eclipsed by his own creation: “iPad” is the second biggest “name” from 2010. 

Conceived in 1999, the GLM’s survey was designed, according to the organization’s website, as a way to “create a cultural record of the year as reflected in the world’s current global language, English.” To determine the year’s top words and phrases, the GLM monitors millions of websites, including blogs and social networks, as well as over 80,000 print and electronic media outlets.

Was there anything from the 2010 list that surprised you? It’s early days yet, but what do you think might make the list next year?