Your Language Needs You: The 1999 Appeal

Here are just some of the words submitted during the 1999 appeal.

ankle – (Hollywood slang) to be forced to resign while apparently leaving a job of one’s own free will
bar – a million Australian dollars
blag – tricking a company into disclosing confidential information over the phone
blatt – a private e-mail unintentionally sent to a public Internet forum or mailing list
Bo Derek – (from her appearance in the movie ‘10’) a bond due to mature in the year 2010
bungalow – (a new use in Singapore and Malaysia) a large (usually multi-storied) detached house
cats and dogs – risky stocks without a proven track record
countrypolitan - the merging of US country music and pop styles
cracker – a computer hacker with criminal intentions
cyberpal – a friend contacted over the net
cyberturf – the Internet stamping-ground
double-double – (Canada) two creams and two sugars in coffee
e-mail bomb – an e-mail that destroys computer systems
fuhgeddaboudit! – a humorous way of expressing the cliché ‘Forget about it!’
globo-cop – international policing and patrolling (often as performed by the USA)
hyperpolysyllabicsesquipedalianist – a person who enjoys using long words
IKWUM – an acronym (or netcronym) used over the Internet: ‘I know what you mean’
jones for or jonesing – wanting desperately
mockumentary – a documentary about a specially created band or act
net decade or net ten – the first ten years of the 21st century
old hide – a wealthy (older) woman who might prove useful
omphaloskepsis – the contemplation of one’s navel, i.e. the wasting of time
perverb – two proverbs combined into one, e.g. ‘A bird in the hand waits for no man.’
pink collar – describing non-professional employment in areas traditionally limited to women (e.g. the jobs of secretary or beautician)
political shibai – (Hawaiian, from the Japanese) political shamming
POS – an acronym (or netcronym) used over the Internet: ‘Parent over shoulder’
republicrat – a person with the political philosophy of a US Republican and Democrat combined
script kiddy – a young computer hacker (or cracker)
sesquilingual – able to speak one-and-a-half languages
snack boy – (US slang) a young single man
SOW – (Canada) an acronym for ‘squeals on wheels’, a derogatory name for a police motorcyclist
walking in tall corn – making lots of money
WDUGU – an acronym (or netcronym) used over the Internet: ‘Why don’t you grow up?’

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