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Oxford online dictionary adds new words

There is nothing more annoying than being forced to stop mid-sentence, as you search for the right word to describe the moment.

Dropping ‘I’m experiencing a bit of a brain fart’ into the conversation, could be the answer to this predicament.

You can now use that sentence legitimately, without resorting to slang.

‘Brain fart’ was one of about 1000 words added to the Oxford English Dictionary’s online word database in its most recent update.

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It joined colloquial phrases like ‘awesomesauce’, ‘cat cafe’, ‘pocket dial’ and ‘hangry’.

‘Bants’ – short for banter – was added to the list, as was ‘rage-quit’, the act of quitting in times of severe frustration.

Widely considered the primary defender and keeper of the English language, OED staff were eager to crack a few jokes about some of the new words.

“You may remember ‘mansplain’ from last year’s update,” the OED website read.

“It’s now joined by the noun ‘manspreading’: the practice whereby a man, especially one travelling on public transport, adopts a sitting position with his legs wide apart, in such a way as to encroach on an adjacent seat or seats.

“If you’re a gentleman reading this on the bus … can we suggest you arrange your legs considerately?”

Although some are fast becoming part of common conversation, others are more ambiguous and perhaps need further explanation.

List of words

rawesomesauceAwesomesauce: extremely good; excellent.

bantzBants (also bantz): playfully teasing or mocking remarks; banter 
tony-abbott-beerBeer o’clock: an appropriate time of day for starting to drink beer 
shutterstock_171521024Brain fart: a temporary mental lapse or failure to reason correctly 
eu-flagBrexit: a term for the potential or hypothetical departure of the United Kingdom from the European Union 
queen-meets-alexander-downerBruh: a male friend (often used as a form of address) 
expensive-cakeCakeage: a charge made by a restaurant for serving a cake they have not supplied themselves 
cat-cafeCat cafe: a cafe where people pay to interact with cats 
 prince-harry-cupcakeCupcakery: a bakery that specialises in cupcakes 
fatbergFatberg: a very large mass of solid waste in a sewerage system, consisting especially of congealed fat and personal hygiene products that have been flushed down toilets 
bathroom-scalesFat-shame: cause (someone judged to be fat or overweight) to feel humiliated by making mocking or critical comments about their size 
paris-hiltonFur baby: a person’s dog, cat, or other furry pet animal

grexitGrexit: a term for the potential withdrawal of Greece from the eurozone 
hanger1-smallHangry(informal) bad-tempered or irritable as a result of hunger 
manspreadingManspreading: the practice whereby a man, especially one travelling on public transport, adopts a sitting position with his legs wide apart, in such a way as to encroach on an adjacent seat or seats 
mr-garrisonMkay(informal, chiefly US) non-standard spelling of OK, representing an informal pronunciation (typically used at the end of a statement to invite agreement, approval, or confirmation) 

 

unidentified-faceMx: a title used before a person’s surname or full name by those who wish to avoid specifying their gender or by those who prefer not to identify themselves as male or female 
pocket-dialPocket dial: inadvertently call (someone) on a mobile phone in one’s pocket, as a result of pressure being accidentally applied to a button or buttons on the phone 
angry-gamerRage-quit: angrily abandon an activity or pursuit that has become frustrating, especially the playing of a video game 
 randoeRando: a person one does not know, especially one regarded as odd, suspicious, or engaging in socially inappropriate behaviour 
radditRedditor: a registered user of the website Reddit 
isnackWeak sauce: something that is of a poor or disappointing standard or quality
wine-o-clockWine o’clock: an appropriate time of day for starting to drink wine 

– with AAP

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