Countdown's Susie Dent says 'chav' is the word of the year

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Chav: The Word of 2004?

OXFORD, England, October 19 /PRNewswire/ --

This is one of the questions Countdown's Susie Dent asks in her new book larpers and shroomers: the language report, published on 19 October 2004 by Oxford University Press.

What is it that defines the language of the moment? Is it that curious word CHAV, virtually unknown until this year and used to describe loutish young people exhibiting COUNCIL ESTATE CHIC? Or is it the creeping of text and chat-room language into every aspect of our written life? Are our favourite TV programmes and SLEBS now directing our choice of words? Or are they all SHTUPID? Word on the SHTREET is that this is the latest trend in pronunciation. Grammar, too, is on the move-or are you SO not liking that?

A WORD A YEAR

However short its life, each word tells a tale about its environment. larpers and shroomers selects a single word born in each year of the 20th century and the opening years of the 21st. Each of them says something about the preoccupations of their time, including DEMOB in 1920, RACISM in 1935, BIG BROTHER in 1949, BEATNIK in 1958, MINISKIRT in 1965, TOY-BOY in 1981, HAVING IT LARGE in 1993, and SEXING UP for 2003. The dates of CHEESEBURGER or MOBILE PHONE may surprise.

BUBBLING UNDER: WORDS OF THE MOMENT

Only a tiny percentage of words will ever achieve permanence in the Oxford English Dictionary, but the waiting list of words is long. Among those words currently jockeying for recognition are FREEGANISM (a philosophy which promotes getting as much of one's food as possible from free sources), MOVIEOKE, (like karaoke, but when you act out scenes from a film), and RETROSEXUALS - men who spend as little time and money as possible on their appearance. How many of these will make it into a dictionary is anybody's guess, but whatever their chances, each of them reflects today's trends.

BIZ WORDS AND BUZZ WORDS

Business talk can be exciting too! Far from bland 'jargonics', how about some of these marvellously inventive phrases: PUTTING SKIN IN THE GAME (making a financial commitment to a company) and DROPPING YOUR PANTS (lowering the price of a product in order to close a sale). Work and play (or language play at least) do not always need to occupy separate spaces: MOOSE ON THE TABLE (an issue which everyone in a meeting knows is a problem but no one wants to address), and PRAWN-SANDWICH MAN (a corporate freeloader) are both terms in the modern business portfolio.

ARE YOU SHTUPID?

Are we less precise in our pronunciation nowadays? Have Thatcherism and therapy given way to FATCHERISM and FERAPY? Do you go to work on Tuesday or CHEWSDAY? Is LORA NORDER ('law and order') a friend of yours? Do your kids outrage you with their glottal stops? Susie Dent has been out on the street finding out if anyone still speaks the Queen's English.

Larpers and shroomers: the language report is the frontline account of today's English. It publishes on 19 October 2004, priced £9.99 in hardback.

English is the fastest-moving language in the world, and the largest. Around one third of the world's population uses English in their daily life and some 80% of the world's websites are in English. Tracking its course is a huge and important task, but Oxford University Press, with the largest language research programme in the world, is in prime position to undertake it.

A WORD A YEAR: 1904-2004

1904 hip 1955 boogie
1905 whizzo 1956 sexy
1906 teddy bear 1957 psychedelic
1907 egghead 1958 beatnik
1908 realpolitik 1959 cruise missile
1909 tiddly-om-pom-pom 1960 cyborg
1910 sacred cow 1961 awesome
1911 gene 1962 bossa nova
1912 blues 1963 peacenik
1913 celeb 1964 byte
1914 cheerio 1965 miniskirt
1915 civvy street 1966 acid
1916 U-boat 1967 love-in
1917 tailspin 1968 It-girl
1918 ceasefire 1969 microchip
1919 ad-lib 1970 hypermarket
1920 demob 1971 green
1921 pop 1972 Watergate
1922 wizard 1973 F-word
1923 hem-line 1974 punk
1924 lumpenproletariat 1975 detox
1925 avant garde 1976 Trekkie
1926 kitsch 1977 naff all
1927 sudden death 1978 trainers
1928 Big Apple 1979 karaoke
1929 sex 1980 power dressing
1930 drive-in 1981 toy-boy
1931 Mickey Mouse 1982 hip-hop
1932 bagel 1983 beatbox
1933 dumb down 1984 double-click
1934 pesticide 1985 OK yah
1935 racism 1986 mobile
1936 spliff 1987 virtual reality
1937 dunk 1988 gangsta
1938 cheeseburger 1989 latte
1939 Blitzkrieg 1990 applet
1940 Molotov cocktail 1991 hot-desking
1941 snafu 1992 URL
1942 buzz 1993 have it large
1943 pissed off 1994 Botox
1944 DNA 1995 kitten heels
1945 mobile phone 1996 ghetto fabulous
1946 megabucks 1997 dot-commer
1947 Wonderbra 1998 text message
1948 cool 1999 google
1949 Big Brother 2000 bling bling
1950 brainwashing 2001 9/11
1951 fast food 2002 axis of evil
1952 Generation X 2003 sex up
1953 hippy 2004 chav
1954 non-U

― Alba (Alba), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 05:30 (twenty-one years ago)

Chav my ride!

― Huk-L, Tuesday, 19 October 2004 05:44 (twenty-one years ago)

Business talk can be exciting too! If you want to look like a character from The Office yeah, sure.

Nice article tho N.. I love this kind of stuff.

― Trayce (trayce), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 05:48 (twenty-one years ago)

Never ever heard "chav" before though, it is a UK thing I suppose.

― Trayce (trayce), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 05:48 (twenty-one years ago)

I think a Chav is what we call a Ned north of the border.

The replacing 'Th' with 'F' really galls me, I think it's horrible sounding and lazy.

― Rumpy Pumpkin (rumpypumpkin), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 05:56 (twenty-one years ago)

Think "bogan", Trayce! It's like the English version.

― Haaaaaitch (haitch), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 05:58 (twenty-one years ago)

funny, i'd never ever heard it before today either trayce. but it's also just popped up on another forum i frequent when i'm pretending to work. weird when that happens.

― gem (trisk), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 05:59 (twenty-one years ago)

I used to be in love with Susie Dent. Something about her ears...anyway I hate the word chav, not that I want another argument about such words, I'm just saying.

― Kevin Gilchrist (Mr Fusion), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 06:20 (twenty-one years ago)

yea, i well used to fancu Suzie Dent she allways had that sexy, librarian "not over the periodicals" thing going on.

― lukey (Lukey G), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 07:09 (twenty-one years ago)

i still do

― koogs (koogs), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 07:19 (twenty-one years ago)

I've only heard chav twice this year, it's a crap word.

I must've been asleep in 1996, I don't remember 'ghetto fabulous' at all.

― Ste (Fuzzy), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 07:26 (twenty-one years ago)

moose on the table vs elephant in the room - FITE

― Freelance Hiveminder (blueski), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 07:47 (twenty-one years ago)

Bull in a china shop was robbed.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 08:01 (twenty-one years ago)

There's something I like a lot about that list, it seems to neatly encapsulate things and I've no idea why. Surely the Wonderbra hasn't been around since 1947, though?

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 08:05 (twenty-one years ago)

DROPPING YOUR PANTS (lowering the price of a product in order to close a sale)

wtf? i now imagine scores of old pervs in dirty macs running up to young women yelling 'Huge Reductions!'

― Freelance Hiveminder (blueski), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 08:05 (twenty-one years ago)

we used to say 'chav' a lot as kids - it was associated with poverty ala 'pikey' - but Del used to refer to newborn babies as 'the chavvy' in Only Fools & Horses from time to time. i don't get why this year it's considered Best Breakthrough or whatever

― Freelance Hiveminder (blueski), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 08:07 (twenty-one years ago)

next year: BOUNCEBACKABILITY obv.

― CarsmileSteve (CarsmileSteve), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 08:16 (twenty-one years ago)

hot-desking in 1991? i only heard the stupid term six months ago

― Freelance Hiveminder (blueski), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 08:20 (twenty-one years ago)

I like the way the words are paired together in the list with one from 51 years later.

tiddly-om-pom-pom cyborg
civvy street acid
avant garde Trekkie
drive-in toy-boy
dumb down double-click
cheeseburger latte
fast food axis of evil
brainwashing 9/11

― Onimo (GerryNemo), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 08:57 (twenty-one years ago)

Mickey Mouse hip-hop

― Freelance Hiveminder (blueski), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 09:02 (twenty-one years ago)

surely big brother was word of the year twice.. for 1949 and also 2000. (well three times if you count 1984 again)

― ken c (ken c), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 09:10 (twenty-one years ago)

if "big brother" really counts as "a word", that is.

― ken c (ken c), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 09:10 (twenty-one years ago)

Why 'dot-commer' (does anyone say this?) rather than just dot.com?

― Alba (Alba), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 09:14 (twenty-one years ago)

Maybe it means "dot comma". The punctuation craze of 1997. You were at it yourself on the S******r list, admit it.,

― Michael Jones (MichaelJ), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 09:15 (twenty-one years ago)

I was never at it on the Sinister list. You are confusing me with Stevie Trousers.

― Alba (Alba), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 09:17 (twenty-one years ago)

1996-ghetto fabulous?

"erm quick we need a word for this year!!!"

― Ronan (Ronan), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 09:23 (twenty-one years ago)

baxendale - so much to answer for...

― CarsmileSteve (CarsmileSteve), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 09:26 (twenty-one years ago)

what the fuck are kitten heels?

― Ronan (Ronan), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 09:27 (twenty-one years ago)

and 'sex up' WTF? Surely it was 'lez up'?

― Ste (Fuzzy), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 09:27 (twenty-one years ago)

It's that time of year again when chat about words get press released and eaten up, seeing how it neatly symbolises so many other things (Oh No! Language is fucked! And the people who should no better say it all great instead of having a pop at da kidz. And ther's immigrants too! We're doomed! etc)

PS - What is ghetto fabulous? I spent 1996 with head up the arse of cultural theory, so wasn't hip to the groove.

― It's that time of year again (daveb), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 09:50 (twenty-one years ago)

Adlib was the word of the year in 1919 - not a lot of people know that

― Serghei Daduismus (Dada), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 09:52 (twenty-one years ago)

Something to do with Destiny's Child?

Kitten heels:
http://www.bewitchedby.com/fashion/graphics/ff02.04/aerosolespixie.jpg

― Archel (Archel), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 09:53 (twenty-one years ago)

Ronan's post confirms my suspicion that blokes in general are completely unaware of the existence of kitten heels until such time as a girl has to sit them down and teach them about shoes. It happens to all of us eventually.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 09:54 (twenty-one years ago)

Surely everyone in the UK knows the exact connotations of the phrase 'sex up' by now?

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 09:54 (twenty-one years ago)

It probably says something rather depressing about me that I associate kitten heels with Theresa May before I associate them with Beyonce Knowlss

― Serghei Daduismus (Dada), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 09:56 (twenty-one years ago)

yes but it wasn't really a huge word was it? or did i miss out on one big 'sex up' that year.

― Ste (Fuzzy), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 09:56 (twenty-one years ago)

Color Me Badd came too soon. kitten heels < cha cha heels.

― Freelance Hiveminder (blueski), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 09:56 (twenty-one years ago)

oh so kitten heels aren't food related? /chinese omnivore

― ken c (ken c), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 09:56 (twenty-one years ago)

ste OMG TONY BLAIR SEXED UP THE WEAPONS DOSSIER AND ILLEGALLY TOOK OUR COUNTRY TO WAR SHOCKAH WTF ARRRGH WHAT A TWAT ETC.

― ken c (ken c), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 09:57 (twenty-one years ago)

WHAT WAS HE THINKING etc.

― ken c (ken c), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 09:58 (twenty-one years ago)

Tony BLIAR!!!!!!!!!!

― Serghei Daduismus (Dada), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 09:59 (twenty-one years ago)

brief history of the war, innit.

bascially that america geezer needed excitement (he's not addicted honestly) and so he asked "who got the funk?" and thought, "Iraq have too much brandy".

So, he asked the british geezer "hey, let's push things forward". The britain guy was like "why but we don't even know if he has any sharp darts!!"

but the american chap wouldn't have it any other way, and he was like "well, we don't know for sure, but if we look, the weapons could well be in!" the british geezer was like "has it come to this? well ok", american chap was supportive "com'on.. who dares wins!" british guy was like "guess you're right, stay positive".

so, the british guy turned the page, and really sexed up his essay with flashing lights and everything. He looked at it and he was like "my god, this essay it's so fit, but you know it!" The public, blinded by the lights, thought "yeah! got for it, just don't mug yourself ok?"

and woosh! they went there and blew the shit out of the iraqi dudes, "weak became heroes today", they chanted, and started going around the place. All they found were empty cans! The same old thing everywhere. Where were these weapons? And they realised that it was all a lie.

But it was too late!! they've blown the place to shit. What was he thinking?? such a twat. the british geezer went to the american geezer "hey you told me there were definitely weapons and finding it was supposed to be so easy!!".

"dry your eyes mate", said american geezer.

The end.

― ken c (ken c), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 10:17 (twenty-one years ago)

What are the saying about this on the Arab Streets?

― Serghei Daduismus (Dada), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 10:19 (twenty-one years ago)

a koran don't come for free

― ken c (ken c), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 10:20 (twenty-one years ago)

'give me my lighter back' pleaded Saddam as he was soaked by the ale

― Freelance Hiveminder (blueski), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 10:24 (twenty-one years ago)

(that's made my day)

― suzy (suzy), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 11:20 (twenty-one years ago)

i think ken deserves a treat

― Freelance Hiveminder (blueski), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 11:23 (twenty-one years ago)

Some furry dice for his new wheels.

― Penelope_111 (Penelope_111), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 11:24 (twenty-one years ago)

if you guys wanna pimp my ride for me i'm game.

― ken c (ken c), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 11:24 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm good for a pine tree air freshner.

― Penelope_111 (Penelope_111), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 11:25 (twenty-one years ago)

aw yeah!

― ken c (ken c), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 11:26 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.scottishstore.com/acatalog/tunnockteacake.jpg

― Serghei Daduismus (Dada), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 11:26 (twenty-one years ago)

i'm current contemplating replacing the AFC wimbledon stickers with MK Dons.

― ken c (ken c), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 11:26 (twenty-one years ago)

i don't get why this year it's considered Best Breakthrough or whatever

Yeah, it seems to be quite old in some places, but it's spreading. I've heard it a few times in Scotland now, though I doubt it will edge out 'ned'.

― Kevin Gilchrist (Mr Fusion), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 11:28 (twenty-one years ago)

I don't think it's quite the same thing as "ned" but we've had this conversation on ILX hundreds of times before

― Serghei Daduismus (Dada), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 11:30 (twenty-one years ago)

It's made no inroads whatsoever against "charver" up here, though it's a pretty similar word, I suppose.

I've only ever heard the term "pikey" (as mentioned upthread I think?) used to describe a "crusty" IE combats, dreads, dog on twine.

― Pashmina (Pashmina), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 11:31 (twenty-one years ago)

Plus, I have no idea who susie dent is.

― Pashmina (Pashmina), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 11:31 (twenty-one years ago)

she's the dictionary woman in Countdown quite a lot

― Freelance Hiveminder (blueski), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 11:34 (twenty-one years ago)

Toothy, big-eared - just my type

― Serghei Daduismus (Dada), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 11:35 (twenty-one years ago)

you make her sound like Shrek

― Freelance Hiveminder (blueski), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 11:36 (twenty-one years ago)

Haha. No TV for 3ys, I think = a lot of these people are fading from my memory.

― Pashmina (Pashmina), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 11:37 (twenty-one years ago)

you're only a pikey if you live in a caravan no?

― ken c (ken c), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 11:38 (twenty-one years ago)

Max Schreck shurely (xpost)

― Serghei Daduismus (Dada), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 11:39 (twenty-one years ago)

I have no idea (x-post)

― Pashmina (Pashmina), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 11:41 (twenty-one years ago)

This guy lives in a caravan under the A1 bridge, I pedal past it on the way to work most mornings. The other day he was having a pee. He didn't have dreads, wasn't wearin comb hang on what the fuck am i on about here?

― Pashmina (Pashmina), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 11:42 (twenty-one years ago)

I have never encountered this 'chav' word. It seems a bit ridiculous.

I love this list though. Some of the eighties and nineties words are terrible, but most things before are terrific. 'Spliff' before 'cheeseburger'! Wizards since 1922! I like the idea that the colour green was only given a name in 1971.

― Ally C (Ally C), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 11:43 (twenty-one years ago)

yes ken.

― Ste (Fuzzy), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 11:44 (twenty-one years ago)

'whizzo' in 1905 is doing it for me.

― Ste (Fuzzy), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 11:46 (twenty-one years ago)

Hang on - these years are supposed to be when the word was invented, rather than popularised, yes? Or else why would applet be there in 1990 and URL be there in 1992. So is plug-eared Susie really claiming that 'chav' didn't exist before this year?

― Alba (Alba), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 11:48 (twenty-one years ago)

is that wizard as a perjorative tho? if not what did Merlin put down whenever he had to fill out a form?

― Freelance Hiveminder (blueski), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 11:49 (twenty-one years ago)

No, these are the years when these words were became the "buzzwords" for that year, not when they were invented. How they worked them out I don't know - guesswork I'd imagine.

― Serghei Daduismus (Dada), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 11:49 (twenty-one years ago)

it's popularised not invented - green in '71 obv. referring to the environmentally friendly

― Freelance Hiveminder (blueski), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 11:50 (twenty-one years ago)

I like 'naff all' for 1977. Does this coincide with the beginning of Grange Hill?

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 11:50 (twenty-one years ago)

i think it's when they become part of the dictionary, and not the slang type, perhaps?

[sexpost]

― Ste (Fuzzy), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 11:51 (twenty-one years ago)

"Porridge" popularised "naff all" I think

― Serghei Daduismus (Dada), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 11:51 (twenty-one years ago)

ignore me, how could Green escape the dictionary.

― Ste (Fuzzy), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 11:52 (twenty-one years ago)

i wonder why 'awesome' became significantly more popular as a exclamation in '61

― Freelance Hiveminder (blueski), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 11:53 (twenty-one years ago)

In fact, I think I'm right saying that the use of "naff" as a verb was invented by Clement and Le Frenais when writing "Porridge" as a replacement for ruder words - as was "nerk", which never caught on

― Serghei Daduismus (Dada), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 11:53 (twenty-one years ago)

This is fascinating. I wonder what happened in 1929 to suddenly make 'sex' such a buzzword?

But 'Generation X' from 1952? Explain, someone...

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 11:54 (twenty-one years ago)

"schav" is a russian soup made of sorrel.

― Cynthia Nixon Now More Than Ever (Jody Beth Rosen), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 11:55 (twenty-one years ago)

But who the fuck was saying 'applet' in 1990 and 'URL' in 1992, outside of a few computer scientists?

― Alba (Alba), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 11:55 (twenty-one years ago)

"Generation X" = book or magazine article about juvenile delinquency?

― Serghei Daduismus (Dada), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 11:56 (twenty-one years ago)

'Generation X' wasn't invented by Eddie Vedder, Matt.

― Alba (Alba), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 11:56 (twenty-one years ago)

1990 and 1992 must have been really dull years

― Serghei Daduismus (Dada), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 11:56 (twenty-one years ago)

I think it when words got significant new meanings, whether or not they existed before. Don't think contemporary popularity has got that much to do with it in some cases (see 1945 mobile phone).

I like the fact that hip hop is there, followed straightaway by beatbox.

― NickB (NickB), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 11:56 (twenty-one years ago)

Some of them are pretty unsurprising:

1918 = ceasefire

― Serghei Daduismus (Dada), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 11:57 (twenty-one years ago)

The first world war only lasted so long because they couldn't think of a name for the thing where you call for everyone to stop shooting.

― Alba (Alba), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 11:59 (twenty-one years ago)

yeh applet and URL are absurd - surely website/surf the net didn't even exist as a word/term til '92 and would be a more logical choice

― Freelance Hiveminder (blueski), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 11:59 (twenty-one years ago)

1924 must've been equally dull, as opposed to 1929

― Ste (Fuzzy), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 12:01 (twenty-one years ago)

I wonder what happened in 1929 to suddenly make 'sex' such a buzzword?

Am I right in thinking that Lady Chatterley was banned in 1929?

― NickB (NickB), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 12:03 (twenty-one years ago)

and I'm a bit confused at the choice of double click in 1984 ?

― Ste (Fuzzy), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 12:03 (twenty-one years ago)

On the contrary, 1924 sounds fascinating

― Serghei Daduismus (Dada), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 12:04 (twenty-one years ago)

Oh; Mike., you are droll,'

― the bluefox, Tuesday, 19 October 2004 12:04 (twenty-one years ago)

Quite poignant that 'cheerio' was the word of 1914.

― NickB (NickB), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 12:04 (twenty-one years ago)

"and I'm a bit confused at the choice of double click in 1984"

First WIMP invented probably.

― Jarlr'mai (jarlrmai), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 12:05 (twenty-one years ago)

Susie is my daytime goddess.

― B.A.R.M.S. (Barima), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 12:11 (twenty-one years ago)

Breakdance 3: Double-click-a-loo never made it past the storyboard stage.

― Alba (Alba), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 12:12 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm surprised 'spam' didn't make it for this year or 2003.

and 'Y2k' should have been for 2000

'GTA' for next year? Oh that's just me isn't it.

― Ste (Fuzzy), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 12:20 (twenty-one years ago)

Spam was probably the word of the year in 1897

― Serghei Daduismus (Dada), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 12:21 (twenty-one years ago)

2005 = pwn3d

― Serghei Daduismus (Dada), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 12:22 (twenty-one years ago)

Go back a decade or three, whippersnapper.

― B.A.R.M.S. (Barima), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 12:28 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm still confused by Generation X - I knew it predated the 90s but not by that much. Its especially weird given that 'baby boom' isn't in there.

Also 'psychedelic' predating 'acid' by nine years.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 12:30 (twenty-one years ago)

"Charles Hamblett and Jane Deverson's 1964 novel 'Generation X' portrays the children who would come of age in the closing years of the 20th century as apathetic and materialistic. The term became widespread in the late 80s and early 90s following Douglas Copeland's 1991 book 'Generation X: tales for an accelerated culture'."

I tell you, the Oxford Univeristy Press is making this up as they go along

― Serghei Daduismus (Dada), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 12:33 (twenty-one years ago)

Huxley's "The Doors of Perception" and "Heaven and Hell" were published in 1954 and 1956 respectively, so that must have helped popularise the term "psychedelic".

― Serghei Daduismus (Dada), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 12:36 (twenty-one years ago)

is WYSIWYG on there? that word was way bigger than applet in its days.

― ken c (ken c), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 13:11 (twenty-one years ago)

oh wait the list is right there on top.. WYDSIWYDG

― ken c (ken c), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 13:13 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm still confused by Generation X - I knew it predated the 90s but not by that much.

It was around in the 70s, cuz Billy Idol must have nicked it from somewhere...

― NickB (NickB), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 13:15 (twenty-one years ago)

"and 'Y2k' should have been for 2000"

more like 1998 or 1999.

― Jarlr'mai (jarlrmai), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 13:26 (twenty-one years ago)

1968 It-girl

huh? Clara Bow was the It Girl in the 20s.

― tokyo rosemary (rosemary), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 13:26 (twenty-one years ago)

i think last year should have been i-Pod

― ken c (ken c), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 13:42 (twenty-one years ago)

by last year i meant this year..

― ken c (ken c), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 13:43 (twenty-one years ago)

and last year

― ken c (ken c), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 13:43 (twenty-one years ago)

anal couch is so last Gear

― Freelance Hiveminder (blueski), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 14:05 (twenty-one years ago)

"6-speed"

― B.A.R.M.S. (Barima), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 14:07 (twenty-one years ago)

1992 URL
1993 have it large
1994 Botox
1995 kitten heels
1996 ghetto fabulous
1997 dot-commer
1998 text message
1999 google
2000 bling bling
2001 9/11
2002 axis of evil
2003 sex up
2004 chav

I rather like this succession, especially ending with 'chav'. It's like the events of the past few years haven't robbed us of our obsession with appearances and gadgetry after all. Take that Osama!

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 14:10 (twenty-one years ago)

2005 HELLBASKET

― Freelance Hiveminder (blueski), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 14:40 (twenty-one years ago)

2005 Dirty bomb

― Serghei Daduismus (Dada), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 14:41 (twenty-one years ago)

I was embarrassed in the UK cause I said "Chahhhve" and everyone else said "Chav" with a short "a" and made fun of me.

― roxymuzak (roxymuzak), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 14:43 (twenty-one years ago)

the tabloids had a field day

― Freelance Hiveminder (blueski), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 14:44 (twenty-one years ago)

Yahhhhnkee Go Home

― Serghei Daduismus (Dada), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 14:45 (twenty-one years ago)

SASSY TOURIST IN INTERWEB CUCKOLDING SCANDAL

― Freelance Hiveminder (blueski), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 14:47 (twenty-one years ago)

Shush your mouth!

― roxymuzak (roxymuzak), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 14:49 (twenty-one years ago)

Roxy's seen too many Gwyneth Paltrow movies, British people don't really sound like that

― Serghei Daduismus (Dada), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 14:49 (twenty-one years ago)

They don't say Chav with a short a? Where's Liz :x from?

― roxymuzak (roxymuzak), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 14:50 (twenty-one years ago)

PS steve, what sort of trackies are you wearing?

― roxymuzak (roxymuzak), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 14:50 (twenty-one years ago)

I have lost all respect for Susie Dent.

― Ronan (Ronan), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 14:59 (twenty-one years ago)

only a Rex The Dog remix can save her now

― Freelance Hiveminder (blueski), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 15:01 (twenty-one years ago)

Don't be ridiculous - she is Rex The Dog.

― Alba (Alba), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 15:06 (twenty-one years ago)

bugger i had a tenner on it turning out to be Whiteley

― Freelance Hiveminder (blueski), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 15:07 (twenty-one years ago)

Whitely also has a secret identity. he has killed many people and drank their blood.

― Ronan (Ronan), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 15:08 (twenty-one years ago)

i KNEW he was republican...

― Freelance Hiveminder (blueski), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 15:11 (twenty-one years ago)

I read Richard Whiteley's memoirs. It didn't mention that.

― Kevin Gilchrist (Mr Fusion), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 15:11 (twenty-one years ago)

he's clever like that

― Freelance Hiveminder (blueski), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 15:14 (twenty-one years ago)

he believes when the killing starts he is no longer himself

― Ronan (Ronan), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 15:17 (twenty-one years ago)

Is any of this true?

― Alba (Alba), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 15:20 (twenty-one years ago)

what a question

― Freelance Hiveminder (blueski), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 15:42 (twenty-one years ago)

all of it.

― Ronan (Ronan), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 15:51 (twenty-one years ago)

Susie was always my favourite Countdown babe.

― jel -- (jel), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 16:13 (twenty-one years ago)

i've seen stevem in his chav trakkies

― ken c (ken c), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 16:16 (twenty-one years ago)

hey man, Reebok isn't chavvy

― Freelance Hiveminder (blueski), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 16:23 (twenty-one years ago)

Since when?

― jel -- (jel), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 16:24 (twenty-one years ago)

2005 PWN3D

― Pashmina (Pashmina), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 18:48 (twenty-one years ago)

nr1 countown babe = carol vorderman, surely (nb this=because she's actually the only one I can think of)

― Pashmina (Pashmina), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 18:50 (twenty-one years ago)

Can we start a campaign for a certain word?

― roxymuzak (roxymuzak), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 19:13 (twenty-one years ago)

Ken's been doing that all year, love.

― B.A.R.M.S. (Barima), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 09:25 (twenty-one years ago)

i've been campaigning for love for the whole year yes.

― ken c (ken c), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 09:28 (twenty-one years ago)

Reeboks are aerobics shoes for Americans with blond highlights and SUVs.

― suzy (suzy), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 10:00 (twenty-one years ago)

American Chavver.

― B.A.R.M.S. (Barima), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 10:10 (twenty-one years ago)

Think 'woman who waitresses in mid-American sports bar' ie. my sister.

― suzy (suzy), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 11:23 (twenty-one years ago)

Can I be the "hunky, British-accented personal trainer who promises every service (and takes your money)"?

― B.A.R.M.S. (Barima), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 11:37 (twenty-one years ago)

Ken Bruce and Terry Wogan squabbling over who was more Chav this morning. it doesn't get much better than that, yo.

― g-kit (g-kit), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 11:48 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.garywoodward.co.uk/quiz/photos/count3.jpg
http://www.garywoodward.co.uk/quiz/photos/count1.jpg

Sigh. I loooooooooooove her.

― JimD (JimD), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 14:25 (twenty-one years ago)

Vorderman's hair has changed a great deal in one day. I don't remember the perm.

― Alba (Alba), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 14:28 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm not impressed. The old guy totally trumped her by changing his physical appearance completely!

― B.A.R.M.S. (Barima), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 14:53 (twenty-one years ago)

Susie Dent told Stilgoe he looked too chavvy and had to go.

― Alba (Alba), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 14:56 (twenty-one years ago)

Imagine her saying, "Well, there's another position you can use".

― B.A.R.M.S. (Barima), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 15:16 (twenty-one years ago)

I was thinking about it, and then realized that there is no such word as 'chav'.

― the bluefox, Wednesday, 20 October 2004 15:23 (twenty-one years ago)

Piff paff poof.

― Ally C (Ally C), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 15:35 (twenty-one years ago)

"Humanity invented language."

― B.A.R.M.S. (Barima), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 15:41 (twenty-one years ago)

The irony is that chav isn't yet in the OED, so if someone were to try it on Countdown, Susie would have to bite her lip and say no. It's only four letters though, so this is an unlikely scenario. Maybe 'chavier'?

― Alba (Alba), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 18:13 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.ukgameshows.com/atoz/programmes/c/countdown/celeb_countdown.jpg

― Alba (Alba), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 18:14 (twenty-one years ago)

Carol's arm is seriously disfigured

as ever Whiteley's taste in jackets is impeachable

― Freelance Hiveminder (blueski), Thursday, 21 October 2004 08:01 (twenty-one years ago)

Eurgh leathery Vorderman bosom. Is that Paul O'Grady lurking behind the desk?

― Liz :x (Liz :x), Thursday, 21 October 2004 08:04 (twenty-one years ago)

Maybe 'chavier'?

I think I would give 'chavier' (as in more chavy) two 'v's ie Chavvier. There aren't very many (any?) double 'v's in english, so I think this is an oportunity to create one. And it would be worth more on Countdown and Scrabble.

x-post I think so, he's been in dictionary corner a few times.

― Kevin Gilchrist (Mr Fusion), Thursday, 21 October 2004 08:07 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.latinguyz.com/gfx/chavier_m_pzth.jpg

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Thursday, 21 October 2004 08:12 (twenty-one years ago)

Liz - I would have thought you of all people would recognize Bamber Gascoigne.

― Jerry the Nipper (Jerrynipper), Thursday, 21 October 2004 08:12 (twenty-one years ago)

Before my time, Mr the Nipper.

― Liz :x (Liz :x), Thursday, 21 October 2004 08:14 (twenty-one years ago)

Heh, I even confirmed her suspicion. Boy am I embarassed.

― Kevin Gilchrist (Mr Fusion), Thursday, 21 October 2004 08:15 (twenty-one years ago)

I still think there is no such word.

I saw Daplyn, last night!

― the bellefox, Thursday, 21 October 2004 08:17 (twenty-one years ago)

It was, co-incidental.

― Liz :x (Liz :x), Thursday, 21 October 2004 08:23 (twenty-one years ago)

Carol's arm isn't disfigured - that's how women's arms work (they bend outwards more than men's do because they have to take into account the extra width of the female hip).

― Markelby (Mark C), Thursday, 21 October 2004 09:08 (twenty-one years ago)

stop harshing my mutant mathsgirl buzz

― Freelance Hiveminder (blueski), Thursday, 21 October 2004 09:16 (twenty-one years ago)

I think my arm does that too, and I haven't got any hips.

― Alba (Alba), Thursday, 21 October 2004 09:17 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.electrotation.de/rev-psychonauts2.jpg

― B.A.R.M.S. (Barima), Thursday, 21 October 2004 09:31 (twenty-one years ago)

eight months pass...

Richard Whiteley RIP

― James Mitchell (James Mitchell), Sunday, 26 June 2005 19:14 (twenty years ago)

― Tech Support Droid, Sunday, 26 June 2005 19:20 (twenty years ago)

Is this official yet? I knew it was coming...

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Sunday, 26 June 2005 19:25 (twenty years ago)

Apparently.

― James Mitchell (James Mitchell), Sunday, 26 June 2005 19:25 (twenty years ago)

confirmed.

― Masked Gazza, Sunday, 26 June 2005 19:28 (twenty years ago)

http://www.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30000-1187001,00.html

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Sunday, 26 June 2005 19:36 (twenty years ago)

aged 61

― DJ Martian (djmartian), Sunday, 26 June 2005 19:38 (twenty years ago)

ten months pass...

wtf @ "chav mod":

http://com2.runboard.com/bmodrevivalforums.fmodrevival.t499

― Pashmina (Pashmina), Friday, 28 April 2006 15:30 (nineteen years ago)

Some of us gravitate towords the Penthouse. While others fall into the gutter.

lol at the mods

― Mädchen (Madchen), Friday, 28 April 2006 15:34 (nineteen years ago)

Haha yes, that as well.

― Pashmina (Pashmina), Friday, 28 April 2006 15:34 (nineteen years ago)

I was so astonished at this term "chav mod" to do more than skim the thread!

― Pashmina (Pashmina), Friday, 28 April 2006 15:35 (nineteen years ago)

According to that its an Ordinary Boys fan. (Mod-Rockism?)

In Scotland I 1st heard the name "Ned" in the early 90s decribing the tracksuited wearing , buckfast drinking types.
When did the word "Chav" become in use in England?

x-post

― Brigadier Lethbridge-Pfunkboy (Kerr), Friday, 28 April 2006 15:36 (nineteen years ago)

"mod-rockism" 10/10

― Pashmina (Pashmina), Friday, 28 April 2006 15:36 (nineteen years ago)

Just because a Band springs up every now and again wearing greasy school boy haircuts, dodgy ill fitting two bit three button Oxfam jackets and a tight pair of Levis from time to time,they should'nt be jumped on and pigeon holed as Mod. It's just sad and ridiculous. Like a lot of sixties bands, such as Them, The Stones and the Animals, and later during the revival, there have always been bands that were liked by Mods but were not Mods. This I think is the case with Preston and any tradition that he and his band follows is not Mod,Chav or whatever. Instead I would be inclined in saying Retro Central, like a million other bands out there! It's not new, it's them and that's hardly touching on any solid traditions here!

I agree with Pashmina. Never heard of Chav-Mods before.

― Brigadier Lethbridge-Pfunkboy (Kerr), Friday, 28 April 2006 15:39 (nineteen years ago)

More Mod-Rockism

Certainly once Mod went mainstream, then it all went wrong. But the underground scene always maintained it's standards, personally if something gets a name for itself in the media, then people who don't properly understand it, or care what it's really about will jump on the band wagon. Mod was and is a stlye or mode of elegant dressing. But it bacame a fashion. Some quotes "fashion is what goes out of style" "fashion a thing so vulgar it has to be replaced every six months" "elegance has one mode, uglyness has many".

― Brigadier Lethbridge-Pfunkboy (Kerr), Friday, 28 April 2006 15:41 (nineteen years ago)

Another gem and im only on page 2

What we don't want is the hoodie army. We want good kids who want to learn about a new culture and maybe adopt bits of it as their own, to breathe some life into a very old and stagnating scene.
To listen to the new music that's being played by the new bands, and then hopefully pick up on all the great old stuff as well.

To put some pride back into the mod scene rather than trying to regurgitate something that happened 40+ years ago and then again 20 years later. To evolve and progress modernism.

― Brigadier Lethbridge-Pfunkboy (Kerr), Friday, 28 April 2006 15:43 (nineteen years ago)

In Scotland I 1st heard the name "Ned" in the early 90s

Early 90s? It's far older than that!

― They're Dairylea Mad, Them Kids (Dada), Friday, 28 April 2006 15:44 (nineteen years ago)

Maybe 60s or even earlier

― They're Dairylea Mad, Them Kids (Dada), Friday, 28 April 2006 15:44 (nineteen years ago)

Well I lived in Ayrshire from 83-91 and I never heard it then. "casuals" seemed to be the term used. But then for some reason thugs went from well dressed to tracksuits etc and thats when i heard the name "ned".

What age are you dada? you keep mentioning the sixties!

― Brigadier Lethbridge-Pfunkboy (Kerr), Friday, 28 April 2006 15:50 (nineteen years ago)

But a Ned isn't a "tracksuited wearing, buckfast drinking type". Or a casual. For a start, a ned can be any age. It's obviously a Glasgow expression that took a while to trickle down to the likes of Ayrshire (where most of the population are neds of course!)

― They're Dairylea Mad, Them Kids (Dada), Friday, 28 April 2006 15:53 (nineteen years ago)

I'm not originally from there anyway, and I moved back to lanarkshire in 91. So I agree.

Sadly theres more of them up here!

― Brigadier Lethbridge-Pfunkboy (Kerr), Friday, 28 April 2006 15:56 (nineteen years ago)

Anyway back to that mod board about chavs. http://com2.runboard.com/bmodrevivalforums.fmodrevival.t499
Page 7/7.

The only people who object to people being called "Chavs" are middle class Guardian reading liberals who don't live in council estates amongst these burberry clad ****ers!

― Brigadier Lethbridge-Pfunkboy (Kerr), Friday, 28 April 2006 15:58 (nineteen years ago)

I haven't seen anyone wearing burberry in nearly a year.

― Pashmina (Pashmina), Friday, 28 April 2006 15:58 (nineteen years ago)

Well, I'd say Lanarkshire and Ayrshire are pretty much the Ned capitals of Scotland!

― They're Dairylea Mad, Them Kids (Dada), Friday, 28 April 2006 16:00 (nineteen years ago)

What about Glasgow And Paisley areas?

― Brigadier Lethbridge-Pfunkboy (Kerr), Friday, 28 April 2006 16:10 (nineteen years ago)

Heres another one for you Pashmina
http://com2.runboard.com/bmodrevivalforums.fmodrevival.t310

― Brigadier Lethbridge-Pfunkboy (Kerr), Friday, 28 April 2006 16:20 (nineteen years ago)

WTF I actually do remember the "sham army" albeit very vaguely.

Watch out for access logs, btw.

― Pashmina (Pashmina), Friday, 28 April 2006 16:23 (nineteen years ago)

http://www.chavscum.co.uk/ "A Users Guide To Britains ASBO Generation."

― Brigadier Lethbridge-Pfunkboy (Kerr), Friday, 28 April 2006 16:24 (nineteen years ago)

Did anyone see Michael Carroll: King of Chavs, Ch4 Tuesday 10pm?

― Brigadier Lethbridge-Pfunkboy (Kerr), Friday, 28 April 2006 16:25 (nineteen years ago)

Load of toss. The guy is just not interesting and Keith Allen is wasting everyone's time - has he actually got any talent left? Stick to acting Keith.

― They're Dairylea Mad, Them Kids (Dada), Friday, 28 April 2006 16:30 (nineteen years ago)

What about Glasgow And Paisley areas?

But neds in these areas would look down their noses (and talk thru their noses) at neds from Lanarkshire and Ayrshire. Whereas chav is a convenient word (and concept) that allows middle class people to be snobbish and not feel guilty about it, ned is a word from the working class about other working class people who are letting the side down as 'twere.

― They're Dairylea Mad, Them Kids (Dada), Friday, 28 April 2006 16:33 (nineteen years ago)

I fuckin hate mods. Not meaning the Pash type of course.

― Raw Patrick (Raw Patrick), Friday, 28 April 2006 16:33 (nineteen years ago)

I hadn't thought about them (mods) at all 'till someone forwarded me that link. Reading the thread, it seems to be a really weird & insular culture.

All I remember from when I was a kid during the '80's mod revival is that a few of them @ our school were real hard bastards. The music they listened to in the eighties was terrible stuff. "secret affair", "the merton parkas" and "the look". They all seemed to get it catastrophically wrong in some way.

― Pashmina (Pashmina), Friday, 28 April 2006 16:37 (nineteen years ago)

When I started secondary school in 1984 , there was a few mods from my town on the school bus from Prestwick to Ayr. They were in the year above me. I remember them always going on about "plastic" mods. Was the 1st time I ever heard the term.
But by about 2nd or 3rd year that had all gone. I think most probably dressed as "casuals", but didn't actually go to football or anything.

― Brigadier Lethbridge-Pfunkboy (Kerr), Friday, 28 April 2006 16:51 (nineteen years ago)

The music they listened to in the eighties was terrible stuff. "secret affair", "the merton parkas" and "the look"

Only bands I remember being mentioned were The Who, The Kinks and The Jam.
When I think about it they probably all moved onto the echo & the bunnymen type raincoats. I don't think there were any goths at school. But everyone did have to wear school uniform, girls werent allowed much make up etc, no long hair at all. Someone even got suspended for having hair like bono(I bet he's embarrassed now!). So perhaps there was some part time goths after school hours!

― Brigadier Lethbridge-Pfunkboy (Kerr), Friday, 28 April 2006 18:49 (nineteen years ago)

i labelled the ordinary boys - "retro chav mods" earlier this year.

check:
THE WORST NME COVER OF ALL TIME

― DJ Martian (djmartian), Friday, 28 April 2006 18:54 (nineteen years ago)

You should be editor of NME.

― Brigadier Lethbridge-Pfunkboy (Kerr), Friday, 28 April 2006 19:11 (nineteen years ago)

I have a Secret Affair LP.

― Colonel Poo (Colonel Poo), Friday, 28 April 2006 19:29 (nineteen years ago)

Are/were you a mod?

― Brigadier Lethbridge-Pfunkboy (Kerr), Friday, 28 April 2006 19:31 (nineteen years ago)

I am a mod sympathiser.

― Colonel Poo (Colonel Poo), Friday, 28 April 2006 19:54 (nineteen years ago)

FREE IPODS!

― engelbert, Friday, 28 April 2006 23:57 (nineteen years ago)

Susie Dent in "fit but not very bright" shockah.

― When I Open Up My Mouth All Bullets Spit Out: Bang! (noodle vague), Saturday, 29 April 2006 00:00 (nineteen years ago)

I am a mod sympathiser.

That doesn't fit in the song.

― Brigadier Lethbridge-Pfunkboy (Kerr), Saturday, 29 April 2006 01:12 (nineteen years ago)

I would sooooo nob Susie Dent tho.

― When I Open Up My Mouth All Bullets Spit Out: Bang! (noodle vague), Saturday, 29 April 2006 01:24 (nineteen years ago)

I don't even know who she is.

― Brigadier Lethbridge-Pfunkboy (Kerr), Saturday, 29 April 2006 01:29 (nineteen years ago)

She is hot for my throbbing love muscle, is who she is.

― When I Open Up My Mouth All Bullets Spit Out: Bang! (noodle vague), Saturday, 29 April 2006 01:47 (nineteen years ago)

A disturbing image.

― Brigadier Lethbridge-Pfunkboy (Kerr), Saturday, 29 April 2006 02:12 (nineteen years ago)

I sent her some of those, too, before the injunction.

― When I Open Up My Mouth All Bullets Spit Out: Bang! (noodle vague), Saturday, 29 April 2006 02:16 (nineteen years ago)

Was it a premature injunction?

― Brigadier Lethbridge-Pfunkboy (Kerr), Saturday, 29 April 2006 02:33 (nineteen years ago)

With my drinking habits, I'm more worried about injuncting at all than doing it prematurely.

― When I Open Up My Mouth All Bullets Spit Out: Bang! (noodle vague), Saturday, 29 April 2006 02:37 (nineteen years ago)

Is she a mod?

― Brigadier Lethbridge-Pfunkboy (Kerr), Saturday, 29 April 2006 03:07 (nineteen years ago)

Theres a "Nedumentary" here http://www.glasgowsurvival.co.uk/

― Brigadier Lethbridge-Pfunkboy (Kerr), Sunday, 30 April 2006 22:24 (nineteen years ago)

I wonder if noodle vague has regretted posting after a night out down the pub.

― Brigadier Lethbridge-Pfunkboy (Kerr), Tuesday, 2 May 2006 00:38 (nineteen years ago)

three weeks pass...

http://www.nme.com/magazine

[news]- Chav rock meets dad rock as Paul Weller joins Hard Fi in London

― Brigadier Lethbridge-Pfunkboy (Kerr), Thursday, 25 May 2006 14:46 (nineteen years ago)

seven months pass...

"Plutoed" was chosen 2006's Word of the Year by the American Dialect Society at its annual meeting Friday.

Lame.

― Je4nn3 Fuhfuh (Je4nne Fury), Monday, 8 January 2007 21:44 (eighteen years ago)

word of the year was clearly MURKED

― You've Got Scourage On Your Breath (Haberdager), Monday, 8 January 2007 21:45 (eighteen years ago)

how are things in 2003?

― the original hauntology blogging crew (Enrique), Tuesday, 9 January 2007 09:15 (eighteen years ago)

Not bad. Good to see the human genome project completed, but I'm still choked up about Bob Hope dying. Sunrise, sunset.

― Matt (Matt), Tuesday, 9 January 2007 10:13 (eighteen years ago)

ILE needs to be sexed up.

― Alba (Alba), Tuesday, 9 January 2007 10:15 (eighteen years ago)

it is funny (ish), i have an anecdote re dent from around when alba started this thread. but i can't repeat it.

that makes it sound like a big deal, it isn't really.

― the original hauntology blogging crew (Enrique), Tuesday, 9 January 2007 10:17 (eighteen years ago)

thanks for letting us know about an anecdote we can't hear/read.

― reverto levidensis (blueski), Tuesday, 9 January 2007 10:37 (eighteen years ago)

she has a book out, which seems to be etymological in nature:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Language-Report-Susie-Dent/dp/0199207666/sr=11-1/qid=1168340149/ref=sr_11_1/202-6014530-2935822

― My Koogy Weighs A Ton (koogs), Tuesday, 9 January 2007 10:57 (eighteen years ago)

anecdote relates to (prev ed of) book!

― the original hauntology blogging crew (Enrique), Tuesday, 9 January 2007 10:59 (eighteen years ago)

two months pass...

just seen susie dent on never mind the full stops (ohhh yessss) - never even heard of her before, totally smitten!

she's gay, right?

― CharlieNo4, Wednesday, 14 March 2007 01:20 (eighteen years ago)

1947 Wonderbra

Wait a minute.

― Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 14 March 2007 01:23 (eighteen years ago)

eight months pass...

BOSTON (Reuters) - "w00t", an expression of joy coined by online gamers, was crowned word of the year on Tuesday by the publisher of a leading U.S. dictionary.

Massachusetts-based Merriam-Webster said "w00t" -- typically spelled with two zeros -- reflects a new direction in the American language led by a generation raised on video games and mobile phone text-messaging.

It's like saying "yay", the dictionary said.

"It could be after a triumph or for no reason at all," Merriam-Webster said.

Visitors to Merriam-Webster's Web site were invited to vote for one of 20 words and phrases culled from the most frequently looked-up words on the site and submitted by readers.

Runner-up was "facebook" as a new verb meaning to add someone to a list of friends on the Web site Facebook.com or to search for people on the social networking site.

Merriam-Webster President John Morse said "w00t" reflected the growing use of numeric keyboards to type words.

"People look for self-evident numeral-letter substitutions: 0 for O; 3 for E; 7 for T; and 4 for A," he said. "This is simply a different and more efficient way of representing the alphabetical character."

One Web site, www.thinkgeek.com, already sells T-shirts with the word "w00t" printed on the front.

"w00t belongs to gamers the world over. It seems to have been derived from the obsolete 'whoot' which essentially is another way to say 'hoot' which itself is a shout or derisive laugh," Think Geek said on its Web site.

"But others maintain that w00t is the sound several players make while jumping like bunnies in Quake III," it added, referring to a popular video game.

Online gamers often replace numbers and symbols with letters to form what Merriam-Webster calls an "esoteric computer hacker language" known as "l33t speak." This translates into "leet", which is short for "elite".

A separate survey of words used in the media and on the Internet by California-based Global Language Monitor produced a different set of winners on Tuesday. "Hybrid" took top honours as word of the year with "climate change" the top phrase.

Global Language Monitor, which uses an algorithm to track words and phrases in the media and on the Internet, said "hybrid" had broad connotations of "all things green from biodiesel to wearing clothes made of soy to global warming".

Runner-up was "surge," based on the "surge" of 30,000 extra U.S. troops deployed to Iraq since mid-June, followed by the word "Bluetooth," a technology used to connect electronic devices via radio waves.

"The English language is becoming more and more a globalised language every year," said Global Language Monitor president Paul Payack, noting that this year's list included words also culled from India, Singapore, China and Australia.

― DavidM, Wednesday, 12 December 2007 17:14 (eighteen years ago)

surge? that's TWO WORDS.

― That one guy that hit it and quit it, Wednesday, 12 December 2007 17:15 (eighteen years ago)

"W00t" only makes me think of Greggles.

― Laurel, Wednesday, 12 December 2007 17:18 (eighteen years ago)

TWO WORDS? That's 2 words.

― Mark G, Wednesday, 12 December 2007 17:18 (eighteen years ago)

how is it more efficient to use a character to represent a character?

"w00t" has been around for years, I don't see it as indicating a "new direction in American language" as much as indicating that online gaming is more mainstream than it was a decade ago.

― onimo, Wednesday, 12 December 2007 17:19 (eighteen years ago)

more that it has broken free from the doritos-fingered grasp of online gamers into acceptable society.

― That one guy that hit it and quit it, Wednesday, 12 December 2007 17:27 (eighteen years ago)

acceptable society

a generation raised on video games and mobile phone text-messaging.

― onimo, Wednesday, 12 December 2007 17:28 (eighteen years ago)

acceptable by ilx standards

― DG, Wednesday, 12 December 2007 17:29 (eighteen years ago)

Wait, mobile phone in 1945? Generation X in 1952? Seriously?

― Will M., Wednesday, 12 December 2007 17:34 (eighteen years ago)

three years pass...

Couldn't find another thread for the programme, but would just like to record that today's Countdown conundrum conclusively proved LARGE BAPS = GRASPABLE.

― emil.y, Tuesday, 14 December 2010 22:08 (fifteen years ago)

eight years pass...

Rachel Riley RIP :-(

― xyzzzz__, Monday, 7 January 2019 18:19 (seven years ago)

lmao

― twitter is bad not good (||||||||), Monday, 7 January 2019 19:41 (seven years ago)

Some of the messages were replying to tweets I couldn’t see, as the tweeter had blocked me.

As far as I know, I’ve never had any dealings with this person, but their timeline shows support of those known to promote Antisemitism Loach, Bastani, Chomski. No surprise pro-Corbyn.
— Rachel Riley (@RachelRileyRR) January 6, 2019

― twitter is bad not good (||||||||), Monday, 7 January 2019 19:44 (seven years ago)

gnome chomski

― an erotic picnic with Ming (bizarro gazzara), Monday, 7 January 2019 21:23 (seven years ago)

This has actually taken quite a turn:

The Labour anti-Semitism scandal has reached the point where Rachel Riley, presenter of the TV quiz show 'Countdown' is citing Chomsky and the Faurisson affair. As usual all the reactions to this are fucking terrible, so here's some quick background.
— libcom dot org (@libcomorg) January 8, 2019

― xyzzzz__, Tuesday, 8 January 2019 14:00 (six years ago)

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