Larpers and Shroomers: the language report

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<< REVIEWS << LANGUAGE << DICTIONARIES << SLANG larpers and shroomers new words, slang, idioms, street talk, and euphemisms Susie Dent had a hit last year with the language report which brought us smack up to date with the latest language being coined on the street, in the media, and on the Internet. When her latest book appeared, I assumed it was a second edition, with a few minor updates. But no - it's a whole new collection of terms which have (largely) emerged during the last twelve months. That's how fast language develops. Basically it's a report from the sharp end of language change. Some of these terms may make it into the dictionaries, others won't. For instance I see no reason why phishing shouldn't make it (luring people to fake websites to get their credit card details) because the term is already widely used. But somehow I can't see chugger (a person who mugs you for a charitable cause) succeeding, for essentially the same reason: I have never heard or seen anybody using it. Some words which seem very modern are in fact quite old. You might not think so, but both hip and scandal sheet for instance date back to 1904. In fact she supplies a list of 'a word a year' from the start of the last century. It's also interesting to note that the revision of the Oxford English Dictionary for its electronic form has revealed that many words are much older than previously thought. Their revised information is called antedating. The activities which seem to generate most new terms are business, war, technology, and politics. Fast-moving changes in the world of fashion throw up new terms such as council house facelift (hair scraped back into a tight bun) but it's unlikely many of these terms will stick, because the fashion item they describe is very likely to be ephemeral. However, the world of computing generates a rich crop of neologisms which are likely to endure. The blog (weblog) the wiki (editable website) and the whitelist (safe or genuine email addresses) are now permanent fixtures of the eWorld. And I predict that leetspeak (coded and abbreviated language) might be the next big thing, supported by its similarity to txt msgs. On the street, she claims the latest buzzwords are bling (vulgar and flashy) Chav (a tasteless lowerclass person) and shibby (a multipurpose word which can be used for just about anything). There are new word fusings such as nevermind, new syntax and grammar She is, like, so babetastic (which sounds a bit like Alan Freeman) new punctuation, and even new pronunciation, as in shtupid. There's also still a public use of euphemism to describe things in a way which makes them less offensive - such as wardrobe malfunction, confirmed bachelor, and long-term companion. A great deal of her report is light-hearted and great fun - but she doesn't shirk serious issues. There's full consideration given to the language of Tony Blair's infamous declarations on non-existent weapons of mass destruction, the 45 minutes deadline, and the dodgy dossier - all of which led to Dr Patrick Kelly committing suicide and the death of several thousand civilians in Iraq. This is a spirited attempt to keep up with the rapid state of language change. I found it difficult to put the book down, and I hope it becomes an annual publication - but next time we could do with an index. © Roy Johnson 2004 [other LANGUAGE books] Susie Dent, larpers and shroomers: the language report, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004, pp.165, ISBN 0198610122 Discounts up to 40% at Amazon!

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larpers and shroomers