This has been an interesting year for words. New words were added to dictionaries, some were crowdsourced and we all marveled as ‘tweeps’, ‘Lolz’ and various online terms solidified their place in our vocabulary.
Collins Dictionary has released its “12 words of 2012” list and among the words that made it is “zuckered”. The word was coined in May when Facebook went public and its share price plummeted almost immediately after its Initial Public Offering (IPO). This failure led to the word “zuckered,” named after Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg.
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Another popular term around the web to find its way to this list is “Gangnam Style” — this is hardly surprising. The South Korean sensation by musician PSY is on every list this year it seems. The catchy song became the most viewed video on YouTube in November with close to a billion views. It has since birthed many parodies in countries across the globe.
Below is the full list from Collins:
- January: Broga – January brought the launch of a new form of yoga tailored distinctly to men. The word “broga” comes from the combination of “bro” and yoga.
- February: Legbomb – During the Oscars, actress Angelina Jolie posed with her right leg jutting out of her high-slit dress. The unusual pose prompted a new word, “legbomb,” and led to many parody images being created.
- March: Eurogeddon – In 2012, Europe was abuzz with the threat of “Eurogeddon” as the economic situation in the Euro zone worsened. A second bailout package was announced for Greece in March, which fuelled fears and debate across the region.
- April: Mummy Porn – With the launch of the “50 Shades of Grey” book series in April, erotic fiction was given a new name.
- May: Zuckered – In May, the dismal performance of Facebook’s post-IPO stock lead to the creation of “zuckered,” named after Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg.
- June: Jubilympics – The summer of 2012 was filled with exciting events in the UK. In June, Brits were preparing to host the London Olympics and celebrated the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.
- July: Romneyshambles – When U.S. presidential candidate Mitt Romney travelled to London, his serial gaffes led to a new word, “Romneyshambles.”
- August: Games Makers – London’s vast team of Olympics volunteers were dubbed “Games Makers.”
- September: 47 percent – Romney was secretly taped at a private fundraiser saying that 47 percent of Americans would vote for Obama no matter what because they are dependent on the government. The video and phrase spread virally and “47 percent” became a key phrase of the election.
- October: Superstorm – In late October 2012, Superstorm Sandy wreaked havoc in portions of the Caribbean, the Mid-Atlantic and the northeastern United States.
- November: Gangnam Style – South Korean musician PSY’s catchy song became the most viewed video on YouTube in November when it beat out Justin Bieber’s ‘Baby’.
- December: Fiscal cliff – As 2012 draws to a close, the US government faces a “fiscal cliff,” or a sharp decrease in the government spending and an increase in taxes that could throw the economy back into recession.
