Here we are again. The year's close is imminent, and already, the major dictionaries have followed tradition by announcing their words of the year. Since these choices usually offer a glimpse into the world that we inhabit, I think it's worth taking a glance at their picks.
Let's start in the UK. The lexicographers that curate the Cambridge Dictionary have chosen the adjective parasocial as the word of the year. In my view, this speaks volumes about the impact of social media on our workaday lives. How could a person possibly have a real emotional relationship (on some level) with a person they don't even know but feel close to? How about a personal relationship with a fictional character or a chatbot? All of a suddent I feel that the 2013 movie Her was eerily prescient. Anyhow, the Oxford Dictionary has also chosen a term which smacks of digital technology: rage bait. It is defined as "online content deliberately designed to elicit anger or outrage". So, basically, stuff posted by trolls on social media. The fact that speakers feel a need to name that reality is, in itself, another sign of the times, wouldn't you say? And finally, we have the Collins Dictionary, whose wordsmiths have opted for yet another term with a technological flavor: vibe coding. As it happens, it describes an AI-assisted programming technique.
Given this rather grim state of affairs, the term selected by the Merriam Webster Dictionary seems like a refreshing change of tack. However, it is not. The word of the year according to this prestigious American dictionary is a nonsensical expression that only Alpha-Gen seems to have embraced: "six seven". Yes. You read right. 6-7. If you're an adult you don't really need to understand it or worry about it because, let's face it, the fad will soon be yesterday's news, but, for the time being, it is alive and kicking and still going strong. As far as linguistics goes, it is an intriguing phenomenon. After all, it's not every day that a literally meaningless expression becomes so disproportionately popular. Those two numbers really mean nothing. Apparently its origin can be traced back to the lyric to a song by artist Skrilla, but it really doesn't mean anything at all. I suppose it's quite telling that a big part of its success can be put down to this random video:
For reasons beyond my ken, that clip went viral and turned the phrase into a global trend. These days many young kids shout "six seven" every time those figures are mentioned. And, believe it or not, they don't try to say anything at all. They just yell "sin seven" for the sake of it. Really. It's the ultimate nothing burger. I suppose this is the world we live in: a technology-obsessed reality in which even preposterous expressions enjoy public approval... for no particular reason.
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