The 2009 Word Of The Year Is...

Combining the advances of social media with the immediacy of pop culture and the complexity of the current global climate, the New Oxford American Dictionary whittled down a list of several "Word of the Year" contenders before settling on "unfriend."

Even typing "unfriend," I feel bad. It's the bold action heard 'round the Internet (but in a passive-aggressive sort of way) when you've decided to cut someone out of your social circle.

"I think it's a cryptic example of how things like social networks are changing our relationships," John Fischer, 27, a marketing strategist in New York City, told ABC NEWS.

That it is. To "unfriend" someone, says in no uncertain terms "Later!" Whether or not it's discussed, it's generally a way of erasing that person from your life. Be it a former business associate, an ex-, or a friendship gone south, you are ensuring that you are in fact, no longer friends to the end.

I've probably unfriended a dozen people this year and had the same done to me. If I can catch the person, I'm usually bummed out for a day. Remember how effective "clicking," or hanging up the phone, and sending the person on the other end to a dial tone was? It's sort of like that. I stare at the Facebook count thinking: "Well ... that wasn't very nice," or something a bit more snide. Either way you usually (and totally should) get over it. Generally, it's better to walk away from a relationship with someone who makes it clear that you are out of their lives and their FarmVille results.

But I'm getting ahead of myself ... the word "unfriend" simply highlights and defines an emotion now commonly felt in our "always on" culture. The cool thing about it is that it's a word we sort of own. It's very unique to this generation. I can't imagine hearing my late Nana say, "I had to unfriend Pearl after she stole my sweet potato recipe" in her dry Southern rasp. I think Nana ended up just hanging up on her.

Here are all the words that topped the New Oxford American Dictionary Word Of The Year list. They definitely show the trends that dominated 2009, but here are some of my favorites:

Sexting: the sending of sexually explicit texts and pictures by cellphone.Birther: a conspiracy theorist who challenges President Obama's birth certificate.Intexticated: distracted because texting on a cellphone while driving a vehicle.Funemployed: taking advantage of one's newly unemployed status to have fun or pursue other interests.Zombie bank: a financial institution whose liabilities are greater than its assets, but which continues to operate because of government support.

 

Photo courtesy of Greeblie via Flickr.