Legal Writing

Word of the year: Unfriend

By Pam_Nelson

Oxford University Press, publisher of the New Oxford American Dictionary, has chosen "unfriend" as the word of the year for 2009. Here is the definition, according to the OUP blog:

unfriend ? verb ? To remove someone as a ?friend? on a social networking site such as Facebook.

Of course, now the debate has begun over whether the term should be "unfriend" or "defriend. I vote for "defriend." Both prefixes, un- and de-, mean to reverse an action, but de- also carries the connotation of down, as in decline. If you strip someone of friend status, you are degrading his or her role. (I enjoy overthinking prefixes.)

Other words that the dictionary people considered are more interesting. Here are two of my favorites.

intexticated ? distracted because texting on a cellphone while driving a vehicle

funemployment ? taking advantage of one?s newly unemployed status to have fun or pursue other interests

Care to add your favorites?

Full post as published by Triangle Grammar Guide on November 19, 2009 (boomark / email).