Social networking terms abound as the Oxford New American Dictionary announced its 2009 “Word of the Year”: Unfriend, as in removing someone from a Facebook friends list. Runner-up? Hashtag.
Unlike other “un” words, generally adjectives and some verbs, “unfriend” uses the verb tense of friend, “that is really not used (at least not since maybe the 17th century!),” Lindberg wrote.
Is it a comment on the times that our “word of the year” is about rejecting people we once embraced? Or at least momentarily added to our friend list before realizing they were stupid, opinionated, boors?
Here is the specific definition, in case mine was a tad general
unfriend – verb – To remove someone as a ‘friend’ on a social networking site such as Facebook.
“As in, ‘I decided to unfriend my roommate on Facebook after we had a fight.'”
Note that the dictionary did not define unfriend as something done in order to get a free hamburger, a Burger King promotion that briefly ran on Facebook back in January. The chain offered a free Whopper to anyone who would unfriend or “sacrifice” 10 people in order to get the burger.
The “Whopper Sacrifice” promotion, which seemed quite perverse to me, was pulled by Facebook after complaints from users. It did, however, result in 233,906 friends being sacrificed by about 60,000 participants.
Dictionary officials said twitterisms comprised a “notable word cluster” in 2009, including the following terms related to the social network: tweeps, tweetup, twitt, twitterati, twitterature, twitterverse/sphere, retweet, twibe, sweeple,tweepish, tweetaholic, twittermob, and twitterhea.
Words considered for “word of the year” were taken from technology, the economy, politics and current affairs, environment, and novelty words. They included the following, with links pointing to the usages that were considered:
Technology
hashtag – a # [hash] sign added to a word or phrase that enables Twitter users to search for tweets (postings on the Twitter site) that contain similarly tagged items and view thematic sets
intexticated – distracted because texting on a cellphone while driving a vehicle
netbook – a small, very portable laptop computer with limited memory
paywall – a way of blocking access to a part of a website which is only available to paying subscribers
sexting – the sending of sexually explicit texts and pictures by cellphone
Economy
freemium – a business model in which some basic services are provided for free, with the aim of enticing users to pay for additional, premium features or content
funemployed – taking advantage of one’s newly unemployed status to have fun or pursue other interests
zombie bank – a financial institution whose liabilities are greater than its assets, but which continues to operate because of government support
Politics and Current Affairs
Ardi – (Ardipithecus ramidus) oldest known hominid, discovered in Ethiopia during the 1990s and announced to the public in 2009
birther – a conspiracy theorist who challenges President Obama’s birth certificate
choice mom – a person who chooses to be a single mother
death panel – a theoretical body that determines which patients deserve to live, when care is rationed
teabagger -a person, who protests President Obama’s tax policies and stimulus package, often through local demonstrations known as “Tea Party” protests (in allusion to the Boston Tea Party of 1773)
Environment
brown state – a US state that does not have strict environmental regulations
green state – a US state that has strict environmental regulations
ecotown – a town built and run on eco-friendly principles
Novelty Words
deleb – a dead celebrity
tramp stamp – a tattoo on the lower back, usually on a woman
David Coursey tweets as @techinciter and can be contacted via his Web site.