The Word of the Year
Maybe you should print this and read it offline
Welcome to “Off the Clock,” the fortnightly Saturday edition of Timeless & Timely, where we have fun with history and language. As always, you can control which sections of the newsletter you receive by going to your account page.
“Why level downward to our dullest perception always, and praise that as common sense? While England endeavors to cure the potato-rot, will not any endeavor to cure the brain-rot, which prevails so much more widely and fatally?”
— Henry David Thoreau, 1854
We’re entering the time of the year when we begin to see the fruits of our year-long linguistic habits pay off: words added to the dictionary, banished words, and words of the year.
Merriam-Webster recently announced the addition of some 200 words to the dictionary. Included were:
Street corn : grilled corn on the cob that is coated with a creamy spread (such as mayonnaise, sour cream, or crema) and garnished with toppings (such as lime juice, cotija cheese, and chili powder).
Capicola : a seasoned Italian pork that is cut from the neck and top shoulder that is often brined and sometimes baked or roasted, and that is cured in a casing. [Also see GABAGOOL, entry 1 here]
Shadow ban : to cause (a user or their content) to be hidden from some or all other users usually without the user's knowledge
Badassery : the state or condition of being a badass : a badass quality or character
Nepo baby : a person who gains success or opportunities through familial connections
The Word of the Year
Now for the big one. As selected by Oxford University Press, publisher of the Oxford English Dictionary (more on that in the Related Links section below), this year’s word follows a trend.
Casper Grathwohl, President of Oxford Languages, said:
“Looking back at the Oxford Word of the Year over the past two decades, you can see society’s growing preoccupation with how our virtual lives are evolving, the way internet culture is permeating so much of who we are and what we talk about. Last year’s winning word, ‘rizz’, was an interesting example of how language is increasingly formed, shaped, and shared within online communities.”
In that spirit, the OUP gives us the 2024 Word of the Year.
Brain rot : (n.) Supposed deterioration of a person’s mental or intellectual state, especially viewed as a result of overconsumption of material (now particularly online content) considered to be trivial or unchallenging. Also: something characterized as likely to lead to such deterioration.
Grathwohl explains:
“‘Brain rot’ speaks to 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 about humanity and technology. It’s not surprising that so many voters embraced the term, endorsing it as our choice this year.”
New Verse, Same as the First
Looking at the quote that began this essay, we can be sure that when he took up residence at his little cabin in the woods near Walden Pond, Henry David Thoreau had no inkling of things like TikTok, Instagram, or the 24/7 news cycle.
Cristin Ellis, an authority on Thoreau who teaches literature at the University of Mississippi, adds:
“For Thoreau, brain-rot describes what happens to our minds and spirits when we suppress our innate instincts for curiosity and wonder, and instead resign ourselves to the unreflective habits we observe all around us — habits of fitting in, getting by, chasing profits, chatting about the latest news.”
In concurrence with Thoreau’s observation, the brain rot of 1854 is alive and well.
In a world of bits and bytes where attention is measured in fractions of a second and imprimaturs are bestowed with thumb-swipes and emoji, and where we rely on AI to think for us, we spare precious little time for ourselves to just sit quietly, reflecting, contemplating, and feeling.
The inescapable allure of the black mirror in our hands draws us in as surely as the pond captured the attention of Narcissus.
The question is whether we’ll have enough of our brains left to be able to resist the pull, or whether we’ll allow our beloved Echo to keep calling our names in vain.
There’s so much to learn,
Related Links:
What Are You Gonna Do? A Guide to Sopranos English
The Man Who Influenced the Dictionary The story of Prof. James Murray, Dr. William Minor, and the making of the Oxford English Dictionary.
How to Make Reflection a Daily Habit The key to success is knowing yourself. And knowing yourself requires reflection.
Neologism today. I had to look up rizz and primaturs. We have moved from the Information Age identified in the late 70’s to the technological age. This is to say, as identified by French philosopher Jacques Illull, that everything comes down to technique. Just so true right now. We even see book after book on how to meditate- what? A technique for sitting quietly and allowing thoughts. Thanks for the fun rides. Hoping for more brain engagement and time in nature this new year.
Well if that isn't the most appropriate thing I've read all week. Indeed "Brain rot" is what we are surrounded by. In so many ways.