Old word gets new meaning and claims top spot in dictionary list

The Macquarie Dictionary’s 2022 word of the year has been revealed and it might surprise you that it’s not a newly invented word.

“Teal” previously described an ordinary colour, but it is now defined as “a political candidate* who holds generally ideologically* moderate* views but who supports strong action regarding environmental and climate action policies and the prioritising of integrity* in politics”.

Unlike most word of the year winners, “teal” was not made up in the same year.

However, its use in everyday conversation over the last 12 months has been largely due to its popularity as a descriptor* for the independent political movement.

“It’s hard to go past teal as an emblem* of Australia’s political landscape in 2022,” the dictionary’s committee said.

“It’s not a brand-new word but a brand-new sense that no one saw coming.”

The colour teal – a dark greenish blue – was featured on the electoral material of Climate100-backed* candidates in the federal election, including Zali Steggall, Kylea Tink and Allegra Spender.

The runner-up word was “truth-telling”, which is defined as the act of relating the facts of a situation, without any embellishment* or dilution* attempting to justify or excuse past actions.

The People’s Choice word of the year went to “bachelor’s* handbag” – a phrase used to describe a supermarket roast chicken, an easy meal popular with single people and generally sold in a bag with a handle, just like a handbag.

“A funny, clever coinage* – so quintessentially* Australian, summing up the role of a BBQ chook perfectly,” the committee said.

Last year, the word “strollout” took out both the Committee’s Choice and People’s Choice word of the year.

The word was a funny jab at the federal government’s rollout of the Covid vaccination program, which many Australians regarded as slow.

Here is a selection of short-listed words:

Bossware: Software installed on an employee’s computer that allows their employer to remotely monitor and measure activity and productivity
Brigading: Organising a focused effort by a large number of people to bring about action or change, as with online votes or reviews.
Clapter: Applause from an audience to indicate agreement with a comedian’s joke or statement, especially one of a social or political nature.
e-change: A move from a city environment to a rural location, made possible by being able and allowed to work remotely from home.

Gigafire: A fire that burns through more than 100,000ha.
Hidden homeless: People with no home who stay temporarily with a friend or family member and who do not access homeless support services.
Pirate trail: A trail created without permission, used for mountain biking
Quiet-quitting: Only performing tasks within one’s job description and working only to set paid hours.
Spicy cough: Colloquial* for Covid-19.

GLOSSARY

• candidate: person competing to get a job or elected position
• ideologically: relates to a set of beliefs or principles, especially political or religious systems
• moderate: not extreme, mild in size, amount, degree or strength
• descriptor: a word, characteristic or something else that describes or identifies
• emblem: object or symbol used to represent a particular person, group or idea
• Climate100: lobbying group calling on greenhouse gas emitters to act on climate change
• embellishment: adding something to make another thing more beautiful or interesting, as when a made up detail is added to an otherwise true story
• dilution: act of reducing the concentration or intensity of something
• bachelor: a man who has never married, a single man
• coinage: act of creating a new word or phrase that other people begin to use
• quintessentially: perfectly typical and accurately representing a person, group or thing
• colloquial: informal, conversational, slang used in speech more than writing

EXTRA READING

World’s word of the year revealed

‘Iso’ declared Australia’s word of the year

Australia’s ‘word of the decade’ revealed

QUICK QUIZ

1. What has the word “teal” come to define over the past year?
2. Which three candidates named in the article were considered “teals” at the federal election?
3. What was the runner-up Macquarie Dictionary Word of the Year and what does it mean?
4. What was the People’s Choice Word of the Year and what does the phrase refer to?
5. Which word won took both categories last year and in reference to what?

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CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Words of the Year
Work in small groups within your class to come up with the top 10 words of 2022 for your age group. They can be slang, but need to be appropriate for sharing in the classroom.

Write the word and brief definition below. Try and think of words that are new this year, not those that have been around for a while.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

Share and compare your word lists as a class.

Time: allow 30 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English; Personal and Social; Critical and Creative Thinking

2. Extension
Work with a partner and write down some funny Australian slang used to describe things, similar to a “bachelor’s handbag”’.

How many can you come up with?

Time: allow 15 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English; Personal and Social; Critical and Creative Thinking

VCOP ACTIVITY
Stretch your sentence
Find a “who” in the cartoon – a person or an animal. Write it down.

Add three adjectives to describe them better.

Now add a verb to your list. What are they doing?

Add an adverb about how they are doing the action.

Using all the words listed, create one descriptive sentence.