The Oxford English Dictionary chooses two words of the year; one for the British and one for the Americans.
American word of the year: gif
'gif,' short for graphics interchange format, a common format for moving images on the Internet. The editors said 'gif' was being recognized for making the crucial transition from noun to verb, 'to gif': to create a gif file of an image or video sequence, especially relating to an event. And, inevitably, to share it online.
British word of the year: omnishambles
It is defined as "a situation that has been comprehensively mismanaged, characterized by a string of blunders and miscalculations".
With institutions like the BBC in meltdown, the EU struggling to deliver a budget, and PR gaffes from the Government including Andrew Mitchell's row with policemen, many in Britain might not argue with the choice of phrase, the Daily Mail reported.
A wonderful word and very useful on this side of the pond as well.
Posted by Jill Fallon at November 17, 2012 12:11 PM | Permalink