The Oxford English Dictionary Adds Chillax, Promposal, And Other Weirdness
It's that time of year again where we take a look at a few of the many words and phrases added to the Oxford English Dictionary.
Some of these I understand. There are some Star Wars terms that were added. Star Wars has been in pop culture for over 40 years. So, it makes sense that lightsaber, Jedi, Padawan, Force, and Jedi mind trick be added.
What doesn't make a lot of sense to me is Chillax. I feel like that was a blip on the radar of time when people unfortunately used that. Why does it need to be documented?
There's also Promposal that was added. So, when we just stick two words together because we're just too lazy, even though it's not a contraction of any sort, we should just put it into the dictionary?
Whatevs is also in the dictionary now. People say that a lot. But the definition isn't just "a form of whatever." It has it's own definition.
Here are some words that were added to the Oxford English Dictionary that stood out:
chillax (verb). To calm down and relax.
nomophobia (noun). Anxiety about not having access to a mobile phone.
promposal (noun). An invitation to be someone's date to a school prom, especially one which is elaborately staged, filmed, and made available on social media.
whatevs (interjection). Used, typically in response to a question or statement, to indicate that the speaker is disinclined to engage with, or is indifferent to, the matter.
fake news (noun). News that conveys or incorporates false, fabricated, or deliberately misleading information . . . or is accused of doing so.