Unfriend is the 2009 Word of the Year
The New Oxford American Dictionary has named its 2009 Word of the Year: unfriend. For those who do not have kids, it’s a verb that means "to remove someone as a ‘friend’ on a social networking site such as Facebook." An example from the dictionary: “I decided to unfriend my roommate on Facebook after we had a fight.”
Or, even better: "John McCain unfriended Sarah Palin after reading ‘Going Rogue.’ "
On the Oxford University Press blog, senior lexicographer Christine Lindberg said of unfriend, “It has both currency and potential longevity. … Most “un-” prefixed words are adjectives (unacceptable, unpleasant), and there are certainly some familiar “un-” verbs (uncap, unpack), but “unfriend” is different from the norm. It assumes a verb sense of “friend” that is really not used (at least not since maybe the 17th century!). Unfriend has real lex-appeal.”
I think it’s actually an elaborate joke by the Brits, honoring such an ungainly word for the American dictionary. I bet the British word of the year is much more chic, like "refoulement." (Then again, maybe not, considering the OED has updated its entry for "ape" by adding the subentries "apeshit" and "to go ape-shit.")
Why couldn’t the WOTY be one of the others on the short list? I’d prefer "intexticated" — distracted while texting and driving. Or "tramp stamp" – a tattoo on the lower back, usually on a woman.
