Decade without a name

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History left us with the Roaring Twenties, the Swinging Sixties, the Excessive Eighties and that widely despised term: the Naughty Noughties.

But as we enter the new decade proper, a label is yet to be coined for it.

There's talk of the "tenners", "tweens" and "teens" - terms that fail to impress the country's language experts.

NZ Dictionary lexicographer Dr Dianne Bardsley said each fell short of capturing the full timespan.

"The Tweens not only sound very adolescent, but could only apply until we get to 2013. Then we'd have to switch to The Teens, which also has those negative connotations."

AUT University language and communication professor Allan Bell said it could be years before a name for the decade took shape. "I don't think anyone ever came up with a name for the 1910s either."