Alex Massie Alex Massie

Lexicographers for Palin

Her reach – and ability to generate traffic – knows few bounds:

The Oxford English Dictionary has just named “refudiate” word of the year. The Oxford link seems to be crashing at the moment, from volume, no doubt.

Last year, apparently, it was “unfriend” and the year before “hypermiling” (whatever that is).

And actually, “refudiate” isn’t a bad neologism/malapropsim at all. It has a certain something to it, even if it also suggests that the refutation in question may well be based upon hyperbogus assumptions.

UPDATE: But what about malamanteau?!

 

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