In
another look-at-me move by the Oxford English Dictionary, it created a
desperate, attention-getting moment by naming as its Word of the Year, a term
that seems to reflect the state of our post-pandemic, underperforming,
hide-behind-zoom-at-home generation of couch potatoes.
The term? Goblin mode.
Up until the other day of the OED’s language-debasing stunt, I had never heard
of it, and after today, don’t plan on using.
Goblin mode is a slang term that refers to “a type of behavior which is
unapologetically self-indulgent, lazy, slovenly, or greedy, typically in a way
that rejects social norms or expectations.”
I am disappointed that a substantial linguistic institution feels it has to do
stupid shit like this.
I am saddened that such a term exists. It means there is a behavior that exists
and the term merely describes it. Words are a mirror to reflect who we are.
Apparently, our nation is in goblin mode.
It is not a good look.
But we should not be surprised. Our culture is defined by a lot of bad behavior,
stupid people, and dumb shit. Geeze, when did I turn into a curmudgeon?
OED’s job is certainly not to promote words that are only positive and
empowering. They don’t create language; they just capture and share it. But,
they didn’t have to highlight a made-up term that is sure to be misapplied.
I am still baffled that I never heard of this term — not in books, films, TV
shows, blogs, radio, or news media stories. How significant is this term if I
never heard it uttered once?
Whatever. Language evolves and so does the world. It is a frenzied, frenetic,
and fierce race to keep up. Maybe terms like blockchain, cryptocurrency, and
transgender will disappear as quickly as they came into vogue. Language is
fluid and constantly coins new terms and applies new uses for said terms. It
also lets unused words to fall out of favor and become as unfamiliar to us as
Shakespeare’s Old English
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