What’s in a word? Decade’s spirit
So, we’ve closed out not only the year 2009, but an entire decade (put aside, for now, the mathematical hair-splitting).
A decade with no name, so far as we can tell.
The “aughts”? The “zeroes”? Nah, nothing that really stuck.
Which is not to say we were at a loss for words, during those trying 2000s — even if they sometimes left us speechless.
Chances are, you’ve Googled something, texted someone, or Facebooked some photos in the last few days, hours, minutes.
Did you Botox for the big event? Or just lounge in your man cave, and DVR some more HDTV on your staycation?
We’re letting fly all manner of new words that didn’t exist in December 1999. Or, certainly weren’t in common use around these parts.
A look at 10 years gone by is to marvel at unstoppable change, but also to capture the zeitgeist. At The Columbian, we deal with words, so it seems natural to mark our march with a not-so-serious checklist.
In that span, we’ve gone from soccer moms to hockey moms.
From Jail Blazers to, well, Frail Blazers. From CDs to Wiis … Princess Di to Wi-Fi.
Check our list of new words or phrases on Page A6 and see if they don’t provoke a memory — be it grin or grimace — that always will reside somewhere in the 2000s.
Words of the 2000s
In our midst:
Rose Village
Vantucky
Penguin Nation
crime train
freak dancing
Discovery Corridor
WSUV freshman
Twihards
civil union
subprime
underwater
upside-down
Tech world:
blog
texting/sexting
tweeting
Googled
BlackBerry
iPod/iPhone
apps
malware
YouTube
viral
podcast
Fear and loathing:
9/11
first responder
shoe bomber
WMD (weapons of mass
destruction)
IED (improvised explosive device)
enhanced interrogation
extraordinary rendition
stop-loss
truthiness
hanging chad
birther
tea partier
New habits/obsessions:
locavore
farm share
community supported agriculture
food porn
carbon footprint
LEED-certified
“green”
smart grid
man cave
bracketology
staycation
bucket list
Naughty or nice:
friended/unfriended
oversharing
cyberbully
frenemy
bridezilla
groomonster
bromance/showmance
cougar
metrosexual
helicopter parent
wardrobe malfunction
Grab bag:
crunk
hoodie
muffin top
flash mob
camera phone
upskirt
big pharma
hot mess
mash-up
bloody sock
tuck rule
TSA
And not forgotten:
freedom fries
Islamo-fascist
Mission Accomplished
Ground Zero
SARS/H1N1
Millenials
dot-com bust
thrown under the bus
voted off the island
Bluetooth
wiki
Portland Oregon law may stymie theft of metal here Scrap no longer translates to fast, easy cash
Here’s bad news for sneaky crooks who’ve been stealing copper wiring from local baseball and soccer fields — and even taking bronze funeral vases from gravesites — and hauling it all off to scrap-metal buyers in Portland for quick cash.
http://www.columbian.com/news/2010/jan/03/oregon-law-may-stymie-theft-of-metal-here-scrap/
Visiting Portland Oregon, Check This Out!
Portland, Oregon is a diverse city, in both culture and landscape.
The vibrant downtown, diverse neighborhoods, and tax-free shopping make Portland and the surrounding communities a shopper’s paradise. Take advantage of special shopping promotions through Destination Downtown and MyPortlandOnline.
http://www.portlandalliance.com/about_portland/visiting_here.html
Portland Oregon Business Partnership Improves Downtown
Testimony of Sandra McDonough, President & CEO, Portland Business Alliance, before the Portland City Council
regarding the Resolution to Accept the Mayor’s Downtown Retail Strategy
Portland Oregon Marysville Elementary School Fire
PORTLAND, Oregon. – The Portland Business Alliance board of directors raised more than $25,000 for Portland’s Marysville Elementary School, which was devastated by a fire last week.