Published: Less than 20 min ago
The British have made the decision. “Goblin fashion” has been named the word of the year after an online vote in the UK, Oxford Dictionaries announces.
An approximate translation of the word goblin is “vile troll”, but the choral expression should not be confused with internet trolls. Instead, according to the publisher, it is “a type of behavior that is unapologetically hedonistic, sleazy, unkempt, or greedy, usually in a way that rejects social norms or expectations.”
“Goblin mode” was first known to be used on Twitter in 2009, but became widespread in 2022 as people around the world began to come back after pandemic shutdowns.
– Considering the year we have just experienced, “goblin mode” suits all of us who at this point feel a little weighed down, says Casper Grathwohl at Oxford Languages.
The word of the year is meant to reflect “the basic outlook, mood, or commitment of the past twelve months”. This year was the first time that the winner was chosen by a vote where the public could choose between three finalists chosen by Oxford Languages.
The expression took home a clear victory with 93 percent of the more than 340,000 votes. The other two finalists were the word “metaverse” (a digital world to which you can connect with VR equipment) and the hashtag “istandwith” (I stand with).
Last week, the publisher Merriam-Webster announced that their word of the year is “gaslighting,” a type of manipulation that aims to make victims doubt their own mental health and the value of their own thoughts.