February 03 2012
Japas & Tweeps
Fresh back from my Sydney trip, arguing the virtues of burqini over japas (Japanese tapas), or fracking over announceable (a snippet pollies use to divert attention from the bad news). Or tweep (a Twitter follower) against dogfooding (consuming your own prodict.)
Our committee was a balance of academia (Sydney Uni vice-chancellor Dr Michael Spence, and campus provost Prof Stephen Garton), possum-stirring poetry (the glorious Les Murray), the Joy of Lex (Macquarie editor Sue Butler) and a crossword maker.
Les was dead-set keen on dairyness, and I made a last-gasp case for cloud server. Other words rose and fell in the parley. Planking was out early, and photobomb made a late surge. Though a hint to our verdict lay on the table, namely a plate of ham bagels.
Think about it – the kosher and the treif. The Jewish and the Christian, making a delicious fusion. Just like a BURQINI – our Word of the Year – combines Islamic and Aussie, Basra and Bronte. It’s perfect. And a cool click of phonemes too – with a u-less Q, and a godsend for the next awkward crossword corner.
To glimpse the final list of category winners, and a honourable mentions, go here. And see if you can use any two in a single sensible sentence!
Comments
Em — 03 February at 12:16PM
Saw that burqini had won yesterday. Please take this in a non-smartypants way - I had a giggle that 'wordsmith' was spelled wrong in the quote of cruciverbalist/L&N Dictionary Guy on a dictionary's website!
JD — 03 February at 12:51PM
Maybe someone who obtains mirth from words is a 'wordsmirth'! May be a contender for next year WOTY.
JD — 03 February at 12:52PM
year's.
Anthony — 04 February at 08:30PM
Michael Quinion, of World Wide Words, took great delight in announcing that BURQINI was "the overall winner". And DA's soundbite was repeated.
(Public service announcement for those who don't subscribe to the www newsletter...)
DA — 04 February at 08:44PM
Thanks for the tip-off, Anthony. And now I've just joined Michael's gratis e-zine list. (As I'd urge you all to consider - MQ is a fine word sleuth.)