London, Dec 5 (AP) When asked to sum up the year 2022 in one word, the public has chosen a phrase. Goblin mode has been chosen by an online vote as the word of the year, Oxford Dictionaries said on Monday. It defines the term as a type of behavior that is unabashedly self-indulgent, lazy, sloppy, or greedy, typically in a way that defies social norms or expectations.
First spotted on Twitter in 2009, ‘Goblin Mode’ gained popularity in 2022 as people around the world emerged precariously from pandemic lockdowns.
?In the year we’ve just experienced, does Goblin Mode’ resonate with all of us who are feeling a little overwhelmed at this point? said Caspar Grathwohl, President of Oxford Languages.
The Word of the Year is intended to reflect the ethos, mood or preoccupations of the past twelve months. For the first time this year’s winning phrase was chosen by public vote from three finalists chosen by Oxford Languages lexicographers: Goblin Mode, Metaverse and the hashtag iStandWith.
Despite being relatively unknown offline, Goblin Mode was the overwhelming favorite, winning 93% of over 340,000 votes cast.
This election is more evidence of a volatile world after years of pandemic upheaval and of the huge changes in behavior and politics brought about by social media.
Last week Merriam-Webster announced that its word of the year is gaslighting psychological manipulation aimed at making a person question the validity of their own thoughts.
The Oxford Word of the Year in 2021 was ?vax? And there was Merriam-Webster’s commentary.