It’s done. Voting is over. The committee has decided.
Earlier this week, Macquarie Dictionary announced that phantom vibration syndrome is the word of 2012.
phantom vibration syndrome noun a syndrome characterised by constant anxiety in relation to one’s mobile phone and an obsessional conviction that the phone has vibrated in response to an incoming call when in fact it hasn’t.
Also, phantom phone vibration syndrome.
This was voted by a committee that awarded honourable mentions to crowdfunding, technomite, marngrook and First World problem.
There was also a public vote, and the People’s Choice Award for 2012 went to First World problem.
First World problem noun a problem that relates to the affluent lifestyle associated with the First World, and that would never arise in the poverty-stricken circumstances of the Third World, as having to settle for plunger coffee when one’s espresso machine is not functioning.
The public vote awarded honourable mentions to yarn bombing, apera, crowdfunding and silo mentality.
The full list of shortlisted words, category winners and definitions can be found at Macquarie Dictionary Word of the Year 2012.
What was your vote for 2012’s word of the year?
Ha! I think I have that syndrome.
What about the word “Meh”. As in, “Some people don’t like my cool baggy patterned pants. Meh to them.”.
Maybe that’s so 2011, who knows.
from Sarah aka Slapdash Mama
I’m a big user of ‘meh’. Usually in my head when I’m internally ranting and raving about something.
yay for yarn bombing! What a great list. stopping by from fybf!
Yarn bombing got my vote in its category. Probably influenced by where I live, where I can find an example of it (or several) in every block.
Phantom vibration syndrome? Not happy, Jan. The phrase is too laboured to ever catch on, while the syndrome of phone obsession itself goes miles beyond this one facet of the neurosis.
Among the shortlisters, I warmed to wine flu, the genteel way of saying hangover. Not that’s catchy, and another very familiar scenario. Watch that phrase peak, and the other slump.
I was surprised. I’ve never heard it used. And I’m far more likely to check my phone upon hearing someone else’s phone ring – even if it’s a different ringtone! – than I am to feel a ‘phantom vibration’.
I once read an opinion piece on why the phrase “first world problem” is racist, as it implies that people with no money don’t have ordinary moments of annoyances too – or something like that. I feel this person was over-thinking things.
Hmmmm, it does seem a little overthought. Then there’s this clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxyhfiCO_XQ
And, just as interestingly, the comments.
I definitely have that syndrome. I constantly think I hear my phone when it hasn’t gone off!
Disappointed my word creation of Quiptures didn’t make. Gonna have to step up my marketing and publicity for it I think! Lol!
Ooh, I like quiptures!
No I’m good with this one. I regularly notice when out with friends and one phone rings, everyone scrambles to answer it – and it’s almost always not even at our table. I do like ‘myeh’ though…
One phone rings in a restaurant, and EVERYONE looks in their bag/pocket/lap. EVERYONE.
I have never heard of these! Flippin hilarious!
I always think my phone is calling me!
Siri IS quite talented. She may very well be doing so.
Guilty of having that syndrome. I remember a comedian making a joke about that — it’s a condition called ‘loneliness’. 😛
Haha, too true. Or ‘boredom’.
what the heck is marngrook?
these are great thanks – so funny
Marngrook:
noun a type of football played by Aboriginal people of south-eastern Australia before European settlement, being characterised by large numbers of players covering a wide area of ground, a ball made from stuffed animal skin, and a style of play which involved dropping the ball onto the foot and kicking it, and leaping high above others to catch it; seen as an influence on Australian Rules.
[in various Victorian Aboriginal languages: game ball]
I wouldn’t have been able to define it in that amount of detail, but being a footy-head from Victoria, I was relatively familiar with that one!
The pedant in me wants to point out that that is three words and therefore shouldn’t qualify. But I love the action of yarnbombing even more than the word (it makes the world a better place 🙂
It might be three words, but ‘Macquarie’s New Dictionary Entry of the Year’ just wasn’t as catchy.
Agreed. Pretty, padded comfort for your bicycle? What’s not to like?!
I heard that one about thinking phone always ringing on the news and thought it was a sign of the times we now live in. I have to say it’s not a word I plan to use in any of my articles but then again it’s because the subs would so cut it 🙂
How about “Peshaw”?
As in, “I just got the highest number of links for FYBF ever…Peshaw!”
No? No. Okay. Back in my corner 🙂
Love technomite. So cool!
Gangnam style
friendzone
FML
I was surprised by this one, because I thought the vibrations were known to be caused by your phone’s geo-location-satnav thingy re-calibrating or whatever when you enter a new zone or area of some kind?
But it’s kind of catchy anyway. Kind of.