Since 1991, the American Dialect Society has designated one or more words or terms to be the word of the year. The New York Times credits the American Dialect Society with starting the phenomenon.
In addition, the ADS has chosen its "Word of the 1990s" (web), "Word of the 20th Century" (jazz), and "Word of the Past Millennium" (she). The society also selects words in other categories that vary from year to year, such as most original, most unnecessary, most outrageous and most likely to succeed (see word of the year).
A number of words chosen by the ADS are also on the list of Merriam-Webster's Words of the Year.
Read more about this topic: American Dialect Society
Famous quotes containing the words word of, word and/or year:
“The word “conservative” is used by the BBC as a portmanteau word of abuse for anyone whose views differ from the insufferable, smug, sanctimonious, naive, guilt-ridden, wet, pink orthodoxy of that sunset home of the third-rate minds of that third-rate decade, the nineteen-sixties.”
—Norman Tebbit (b. 1931)
“Every word she writes is a lie, including “and” and “the.””
—Mary McCarthy (1912–1989)
“Like to the time o’ th’ year between the extremes
Of hot and cold, he was nor sad nor merry.”
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)