2008 Year in Words Awards

For my end of the year blog post, I wanted to post something unique and significant. This is the time of year where everybody is writing their "Best-Of" lists, talking about such topics as movies, music, books, and cultural happenings. So I am going to do my own year-end review....heretofore called the "Year in Words Awards" (or YIWA). So without further ado, my awards to the years best, worst, most unique, overused, and misunderstood words.

2008 Worst Word - Frienemy
Used countless times, especially on television, I think this word was first used by Paris Hilton...which gives even more credence to it's "Worst" award. It is a combination of both friend and enemy used to describe someone who either is a friend or an enemy, I can't discern which. This is the most nonsensical word ever! Either someone is a friend, or they or an enemy. I mean Tom wasn't both a friend AND an enemy of Jerry. He was simply an enemy. Similarly, Bears aren't a friend and enemy of picnicking park patrons! You get the idea. So congratulations Frienemy. You win by being a loser!


2008 Most Overused Word - Crisis
One need only to turn on the local news for 5 seconds to hear this word used multiple times. Everything is a crisis. There is the financial crisis, the housing crisis, the car company crisis, oil crisis, the crisis in the middle east, ad naseum. I'm not saying these things aren't real. I'm just saying we don't have to hear it over and over. So here's to you Crisis, for scaring the entire nation into an utter frenzy, freezing the housing market, destroying our economy, driving gas prices to an all-time high and eventually forcing us to drive imports!

2008 Best Foreign Language Word - Tov
This word means "good" in Hebrew. Other nominees included Hola (hello) and Bano (bathroom) from Spanish, shalom (peace) from Arabic, Je m'appelle (my name is) from French and lasagna (lasagna) from Italian. Ultimately the winner went to the only other language I currently use on a weekly basis, and that's only because of school.

2008 Most Maddening Word - Bailout
"I mismanaged my bank!" "Here, have some taxpayers cash!"
"I drove my car company in the ground!" "Here have some taxpayers cash!"
"I'm Barney Frank and I have a speech impediment. I think I'll take some taxpayer cash"
"I have consumer debt" "Here have some government cash that your children's children will have to pay back!"
I have a sneaky feeling bailouts are gonna come back to haunt us!

2008 Most Misused Word - Care
This word is most misused by Alabamians, particularly in the phrase "I don't CARE to." For instance, if I looked at Andy Alabamian and said "Man I sure could use some help doing this job that is too hard for me to do by myself" he most likely would look back at me and say "Well, I don't CARE to help you", which in ever other state in our great country means "I can't help you, you're on your own" But, alas in Alabama, that means "I WILL help you"! Who knew!?!? So, I'd like to give the award to CARE and I'd like to tack on that if it could exchange itself for MIND (as in "I don't mind helping you") it would make things a whole lot clearer for those of us not from Alabama!


2008 Best Monosyllabic Word - Hey
Now I know what your thinking, this word can also be used with two or three syllables, especially in the deep south, or when used in the joke "What does a gay horse eat?" (haaayyyyyy). But, this word SHOULD only be one syllable, and can be used in a variety of scenarios, like greeting someone, showing excitement when you receive a gift you like, or in telling someone to get their grubby hands off the last piece of cake that you already claimed!

2008 Best Multisyllable Word - Pseudoantidisestablishmentarianism
Apparently this word means "False opposition to the withdrawal of State supported church" but I'm sure you knew that already! Don't know that I've ever heard this word used in a sentence. I dare you to try in the comments section!!

2008 Best Hyphenated Word - Debt-Free
This word is the best for personal reasons. Though we didn't quite make it in 2008, Karen and I will make our LAST payment in January, and become totally debt free (except for the house!) 2009 is the year of NO PAYMENTS!!!!

2008 Most Meaningful Word - Sovereignty
This word constantly pops up in my life. It is a key attribute of God that is clearly seen over and over in scripture, and in my daily life. I can't seem to get passed it! I don't want to! Instead I am completely thankful for it! Left up to me, I'd wreck my own life...and yours too! So we can both be thankful that God is in complete control....all the time!

Finally, the most coveted YIWA category is......drum roll please......pppppprrrrrrrrrrr.........The Word of the Year (year..year..year).

2008 Word of the Year - Abysmal
Defined by Webster as "immeasurably low or wretched" one might find this word an odd choice for Word of the Year, what with its negative connotation. However, never has a word had such profound effect on the human language. Well, maybe not, but it was a small inside joke mid-year in the Evans family.

*So I was working on this a few days back in effort to post it by today. Well when I opened my browser today, there on the news section was a headline "Top 10 Words of 2008". So, regretably, my post isn't as unique as I thought it would be. However, my list is much different from theirs, so I get some creative points right?*
Happy New Year everyone! May 2009 be a great one for you all!

4 comments:

Joey: Man, this is bad! And I've had my share of bad reviews. I still remember my first good one, though. "Everything else in this production of Our Town was simply terrible. Joey Tribbiani.. was abysmal."

Joey: Yeah! Yeah Monica! You listen to me, okay? And I’m not just saying this because I’m your friend, I’m sayin’ it ‘cause it’s the truth. You’re food is abysmal!

haha...good choice on the word of the year!

December 31, 2008 at 9:26 AM  

That's hysterical hannah...I'm pretty sure friends is like Sienfield....every episode relates to nearly everything in life! Your turn to blog by the way!!!!

December 31, 2008 at 11:39 AM  

Hey! Very tov post, Matt. If you need to think of anymore words I don't care to help you with it. However some of my suggestions could turn out to be quite abysmal.

We're working on becoming debt-free ourselves. That is a very tov hyphenated word indeed.

As for this whole trend of Pseudoantidisestablishmentarianism...somebody needs to read the first amendment.

Anyway, I hope that you and Karen have a wonderful, crisis-free 2009 and that God's sovereign grace will bail you out of any crises that do occur. Happy New Year.

December 31, 2008 at 12:00 PM  

Don't forget "green". I know you live in a red state with rednecks (nothing wrong with that, those are my people) so it may not be that bad there. HOWEVA, we live in a blue state, with self-appointed blue bloods, who would rather save "mother earth" than their dear ole mum. Idiots.

Green = two thumbs down

January 5, 2009 at 6:37 AM  

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