The Oxford English Dictionary announced yesterday that it has approved of more than 500 new entries, including “fo’ shizzle,” “hot mess” and “twerk.” Interestingly, researchers also discovered that the word “twerk“–described as dancing “in a sexually provocative manner, using thrusting movements of the bottom and hips while in a low, squatting stance“–is almost 200 years old and was first used as a noun to refer to a “twisting or jerking movement“ back in 1820. Hey Miley Cyrus, did you know that?
Other new entries that made the dictionary’s cut include “Twitterati,” “voluntourism,” “webisode,” and “stanky”…
OED adds 500 words in quarterly update – UPI.com: http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2015/06/24/Oxford-English-Dictionary-Twerk-has-been-around-a-long-time/9291435187271/?spt=sec&or=tn
It’s all a bit meh as twerking thrusts its way into Oxford English Dictionary | Books | The Guardian: http://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/jun/25/twerking-twitterati-fo-shizzle-meh-oxford-english-dictionary-new-words
Freegan, yarn bombing, and the surprisingly long history of twerk: new words in the OED | OxfordWords blog: http://blog.oxforddictionaries.com/2015/06/freegan-yarn-bombing-history-of-twerk-new-words-oed/