The Macquarie Dictionary has named its Word of The Year, and even though it’s technically a phrase, Ms Tips approves. According to the committee, the word that best represents 2015 is “captain’s call”. The term, which former Prime Minister Tony Abbott used to describe the decision to award Prince Philip a knighthood, is defined by the dictionary as:
“noun a decision made by a political or business leader without consultation with colleagues.”
The committee, which is made up of academics, journalists and the editor of the Macquarie Dictionary, said:
“Captain’s call perfectly encapsulates what happened in Australia over the past year. There has been an interesting change in usage; an infrequent item of the jargon of cricket makes the leap into politics and is now being used generally with an ironic tinge to it that is very Australian.”
The committee gave honourable mentions to “lumbersexual” and “deso”. Voting is now open for the People’s Choice Award, where people can vote for their favourite word in a number of sections. Options include “sharing economy”, “bae”, “listicle” and “fur baby”. If you’re unsure on how to use any of these words, here’s a sentence we prepared for you:
“The lumbersexual ignored his bae and made a captain’s call on the name for their fur baby.”
*Heard anything that might interest Crikey? Send your tips to boss@crikey.com.au or use our guaranteed anonymous form
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