Every once in a while one of the best twitter accounts to follow, OEDonline (The Oxford English Dictionary) will have a theme day about the words added to its famous pages. Usually it’s a game of sorts where people ask about the origins of words based on the theme. For example, adjectives.
I usually try to put together a Storify about the event and group the results together for a neat resource, learning tool, and just plain fun exposure to new words or new aspects of old words.
Well, it’s that time again. A few days ago the OED played a birthday game and asked for people to tweet the year of their birth in return for a fresh new word added to the dictionary in that year.
[<a href=”//storify.com/mikecarlucci/oed-birthday-words” target=”_blank”>View the story “OED Birthday Words” on Storify</a>]<h1>OED Birthday Words</h1><h2>What words reached the pages during the year of your birth? There are plenty of good ones!</h2><p>Storified by Mike Carlucci · Tue, Nov 20 2012 14:27:11</p><div>Find out a word that first appeared in your birth year. Tweet "I want to play #OEDBirthdayWords with @OEDonline" and your birth year.The OED</div><div>@loupyloupowell 1996: gastropub, n.: A public house which specializes in serving high-quality food. #OEDBirthdayWordsThe OED</div><div>@elliedrinkz 1995: picture messaging, n.: The action of sending picture messages, esp. from one mobile phone to another. #OEDBirthdayWordsThe OED</div><div>Interesting. I would have thought this would be either much older, using postcards or something, or about six years more recent.</div><div>@urbaniserad 1991: riffage, n.: Chiefly in music journalism: riffing, esp. on a guitar. #OEDBirthdayWordsThe OED</div><div>@williamrikard 1990: cereologist, n.: One who studies or investigates crop circles. #OEDBirthdayWordsThe OED</div><div>This calls for a movie like Twister about a lovable, ragged, daredevil team of cereologists.</div><div>@joanne_bartlett 1990: shout-out, n.: A mention or acknowledgement, esp. over the radio or during a live performance. #OEDBirthdayWordsThe OED</div><div>@vjkalbraier 1989: crowd-surfing, n.: Lying flat while being passed over the heads of the audience at a rock concert #OEDBirthdayWordsThe OED</div><div>@JonesasaurusRex 1988: boo, n. Esp among teenagers: a girlfriend or boyfriend. Also as a form of address. #OEDBirthdayWordsThe OED</div><div>RT @OEDonline: @LuisPCastelo 1987: cross-trainer, n.: A training shoe suitable for a range of sporting activities. #OEDBirthdayWordsLuis P. Castelo</div><div>@AmieSparey 1987: ragazine, n.: A magazine, esp. one regarded as being of inferior quality. #OEDBirthdayWordsThe OED</div><div>@LuisPCastelo 1987: cross-trainer, n.: A training shoe suitable for a range of sporting activities. #OEDBirthdayWordsThe OED</div><div>“@OEDonline: @Littlest_Bailey 1987: bazillionaire, n.: A person of enormous wealth. #OEDBirthdayWords”Oh the irony.Cat Bailey</div><div>@chillbrowncoat 1986: dis, n.: Failure to show respect; abuse, disparagement; an expression of contempt, an insult. #OEDBirthdayWordsThe OED</div><div>@tearsonfadedink 1986: po-mo, n.: Postmodernism. #OEDBirthdayWordsThe OED</div><div>@LizzieSwann1 1986: chat-up, adj.: Designating or relating to flirtatious conversation. #OEDBirthdayWordsThe OED</div><div>@StevenOfKansas 1985: annus horribilis, n.: A disastrous or particularly unpleasant year. #OEDBirthdayWords (sorry!)The OED</div><div>RT @gerryhowley: Loving the word that first appeared in my birth year:’oak-aged’ as in wine! Thanks @OEDonline #OEDBirthdayWords @phillyrhythm may like thatPhill Howley</div><div>A brief intermission for a satisfied customer! </div><div>@AaronHeintz 1984: leccy, adj.: Esp. of an appliance or device: electric, electrical. #OEDBirthdayWordsThe OED</div><div>@artistartless 1984: perma-tan, n.: A permanent suntan. #OEDBirthdayWordsThe OED</div><div>@AdkinsJason 1984: wonga, n.: money (Brit. slang) #OEDBirthdayWordsThe OED</div><div>@AlenaBuis 1983: fuzzword, n.: A deliberately confusing or imprecise term; jargon used more to impress than to inform. #OEDBirthdayWordsThe OED</div><div>@joeaturner 1983: re-mark, n.: An act of marking an examination or piece of academic work again. #OEDBirthdayWordsThe OED</div><div>RT @OEDonline: @MrB_Helton 1982: camcorder, n.: A portable video camera incorporating a built-in video recorder. #OEDBirthdayWordsMr. Helton</div><div>@MissVickie23 1981: over-oaked, adj.: Of wine: excessively matured in an oak container; heavily flavoured by oak-ageing. #OEDBirthdayWordsThe OED</div><div>@alsmartina 1981: melony, adj.: Resembling a melon in taste, smell, or shape. #OEDBirthdayWordsThe OED</div><div>@Djsolie 1981: text messaging, n.: The action of sending text messages, (now) esp. from one mobile phone to another. #OEDBirthdayWordsThe OED</div><div>@GlobaLangMtl 1979: breatharian, n.: A person who claims to require no nutrients other than those absorbed from air. #OEDBirthdayWordsThe OED</div><div>@jahochcam 1978: bustier, n.: A short, close-fitting, sleeveless and often strapless bodice or top worn by women. #OEDBirthdayWordsThe OED</div><div>@michael_siegel 1978: scripophily, n.: The collection of old bond and share certificates as a pursuit. #OEDBirthdayWordsThe OED</div><div>@daniellempullen 1977: brewski, n.: Beer; a drink of beer, esp. in a can or bottle. #OEDBirthdayWordsThe OED</div><div>RT @OEDonline: @Canzonett 1975: brainiac, n.: A very intelligent person; an expert. #OEDBirthdayWordsCanzonett</div><div>@jigbean 1974: beefalo, n.: A cross-bred livestock animal that is three-eighths bison and five-eighths domestic cow. #OEDBirthdayWordsThe OED</div><div>@dplaister 1973: weirded out, adj.: Strange, unusual, anxious, uncomfortable. #OEDBirthdayWordsThe OED</div><div>Predating the career of “Weird Al” Yankovic by just a few years. Though people were probably weirded out by him for years.</div><div>@MmeCVE Here’s one from 1973: Marie Rose, n.: Designating a pink mayonnaise-based sauce served with seafood, esp. prawns. #OEDBirthdayWordsThe OED</div><div>@WhiskyBaker 1973: minibeast, n.: A small animal, esp. an insect, spider, or other invertebrate. #OEDBirthdayWordsThe OED</div><div>@ginnikin 1972: outie, n.: A convex navel; (also) a person having such a navel. #OEDBirthdayWordsThe OED</div><div>@MmeCVE 1972: guilt trip, n.: An episode of severe, often excessive or unjustified self-reproach. #OEDBirthdayWordsThe OED</div><div>RT @OEDonline: @Wolf_six 1972: ecocentric, adj.: Centring on environmental conservation and protection. #OEDBirthdayWordsMichelle O’Brien</div><div>@ms_emmalyon 1972: boom-boom, int.: Used to draw attention to a joke or pun, esp. one regarded as weak or obvious. #OEDBirthdayWordsThe OED</div><div>@runswithhicks 1970: humongous, adj.: Extremely large; huge, enormous. #OEDBirthdayWordsThe OED</div><div>@gotcha42 1970: metaphoricity, n.: The fact or quality of being metaphorical; metaphorical nature, figurativeness. #OEDBirthdayWordsThe OED</div><div>@schlchtmyr 1969: rockumentary, n.: A documentary (now usually a film) on the subject of rock music or rock musicians. #OEDBirthdayWordsThe OED</div><div>@ruthpnc 1967: zester, n.: A utensil designed to remove the outer rind of citrus fruit in thin shreds. #OEDBirthdayWordsThe OED</div><div>I like this. Would have thought this was just one of those cooking tools from way back. Not as far as I thought I guess.</div><div>@JPStrategy 1965: stagflation, n.: A state of the economy in which stagnant demand is accompanied by severe inflation. #OEDBirthdayWordsThe OED</div><div>@GrantCribb 1962: allogrooming, n.: The grooming of one animal by another of the same species. #OEDBirthdayWordsThe OED</div><div>@gotcha42 1962: blag, n.: An attempt to obtain or achieve something by persuasive talk or deception; a hoax or con. #OEDBirthdayWordsThe OED</div><div>@anniebeanie 1961: chocoholic, n.: A habitual and prolific eater of chocolate; a person who is very fond of chocolate. #OEDBirthdayWordsThe OED</div><div>RT @OEDonline: @PellWallPerfume 1961: people-watch, v.: To pass time in a public place by idly observing people. #OEDBirthdayWordsChris Bartlett</div><div>@tommo212 1958: film noir, n.: A cinematographic film of a gloomy or fatalistic character. #OEDBirthdayWordsThe OED</div><div>@4thEstateX 1957: Marlboro Man, n.: The American cowboy character used in advertising campaigns for Marlboro cigarettes. #OEDBirthdayWordsThe OED</div><div>@fritzanderson 1955: artificial intelligence, n.: The capacity of computers to exhibit or simulate intelligent behaviour. #OEDBirthdayWordsThe OED</div><div>@purexplorer 1955: deejay, n.: A disc-jockey. #OEDBirthdayWordsThe OED</div><div>Honorary words for 1955 include: heavy, adj,: a situation that is ponderous or serious. #BTTF</div><div>@Archergal 1952: bafflegab, n.: Official or professional jargon which confuses more than it clarifies; gobbledegook. #OEDBirthdayWordsThe OED</div>