‘Brain rot’ word of the year - or words of the year? Wyn Drabble

Wyn Drabble is reluctant to quibble with the Oxford University Press. Photo / NZME

Opinion

Wyn Drabble is a teacher of English, writer, public speaker and musician. He is based in Hawke’s Bay.

OPINION

The winner of the Word of the Year, announced by the University of Oxford, was not in fact a word, but two words.

But does anyone want to get pedantic with such an authority?

“Brain rot” was the winner and, in case you don’t know it, the term describes the over-consumption of material or content to the point that your mental state deteriorates.

Perhaps you could see it as an updated version of, “My brain’s full” but those three words don’t have the Oxford stamp of authority.

Casper Grathwohl, president of Oxford Languages, said that “brain rot” speaks of “one of the perceived dangers of virtual life and how we are using our free time. It feels like a rightful next chapter in the cultural conversation between humanity and technology.”

Winners for the three previous years have been “rizz”, “goblin mode”, and “vax”. Now, I only know one of those which surely shows how out of touch I am with modern life. (I’m still trying to come to terms with “woke”.)

“Vax”, the one I know, has given rise to many other related words: double-vaxxed, unvaxxed, anti-vaxxer, vaxxie, vax-a-thon and vaxinista. I get the distinct feeling that I’ll get by without employing any of those variants.

I checked the other two as well so I can share them with others who are still, like me, emerging from the lexicon’s dark ages. “Rizz” is (apparently) internet slang for style, charm, attractiveness, the ability to attract a romantic or sexual partner. “Goblin mode” is slang for rejecting society’s expectations and engaging in base habits or acts without concern for self-image or reputation.

I’m sure I’ll manage without them.

Merriam-Webster also chose “brainrot” but, as you can see, it has combined the two words to form one. This follows “authenticity” (2023), “gaslighting” (2022), and “vaccine” (2021).

Collins Dictionary named “brat” as its 2024 word of the year. It is defined as “characterised by a confident, independent, and hedonistic manner”. It sounds to me as if it might possibly overlap with “goblin mode”.

Oxford University Press has released its word of the year. Photo / Thinkstock

Dictionary.com chose “demure”. The word, popularised by TikTok, has its traditional meaning (modest or reserved) but online tends to refer to sophisticated actions or behaviour.

Cambridge University chose “manifest” (obtaining what you desire) while the Economist chose “kakistocracy” (a government ruled by the worst people).

According to Fiona McPherson, a senior editor in the new words team of the Oxford English Dictionary, when choosing the word for each year, staff look for something that captures something important about the year. This explains “vax” during the pandemic and “post-truth” during Trump’s 2016 election victory.

The awards have just celebrated their 20th anniversary and McPherson said that looking over two decades of winners was “like a time capsule”. Her favourite from the last 20 years was “selfie” because all members of the panel agreed on it. It was an easy pick.

You might wonder what other words were considered or shortlisted at Oxford this year. Two that hold some appeal for me were “slop” (material such as art or writing generated by AI and characterised by poor quality, lack of authenticity, and inaccuracy) and “dynamic pricing” (the practice of varying prices according to market demand).

For dynamic pricing, think Christmas chocolates or holiday airfares. Or the outrageous taxi fares recently reported in Auckland during the Coldplay concerts - $163 for less than 10km certainly sounds like goblin mode to me. Oops, sorry, I think I got a bit too modern there.

I could offer more shortlisted word examples but I feel I’m at risk of brain rot or brainrot, depending on the dictionary to which you subscribe.