‘Goblin mode’ chosen as Oxford word of the year for 2022
By Christian Edwards, CNN
Updated 10:56 AM EST, Tue December 6, 2022
(CNN) — As you read this, look around. Are you
still in bed? Are there piles of clothes and takeout food boxes strewn across
the floor? Do you have chip crumbs on your sheets? Have you broken your
self-care routine more times than you can count? Do you not even care? If so,
you might already be in “goblin mode” – chosen by the public as the 2022 Oxford word of the year.
According to Oxford University
Press (OUP), publishers behind the Oxford English Dictionary, the slang term
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” – traits that may have become familiar to many during lockdown.
Social media can portray idealized versions of
self-improvement, from waking at 5 a.m. and drinking a green smoothie, to
keeping a journal, exercising and planning your weekly meal prep. That era may
be on the way out. In its place
is goblin mode – the opposite of trying to better yourself.
The
OUP
word of the year – also known as the Oxford word of the year – was chosen by
the public for the first time. A group of
lexicographers at OUP gave people a choice of: “Goblin mode,” “metaverse,” and
“#IStandWith.” “Goblin mode” triumphed, racking
up 318,956 votes – 93% of the total. “Metaverse”
came second and “#IStandWith” came third.
Casper Grathwohl, president of
OUP’s Oxford Languages, said in a press release Monday that the
“level of engagement with the campaign caught us totally by surprise.”
“Given the year we’ve just experienced, ‘Goblin mode’ resonates with all of us who are feeling a little overwhelmed at this point. It’s a relief to acknowledge that we’re not always the idealized, curated selves that we’re encouraged to present on our Instagram and TikTok feeds,” he said.
The rise of ‘goblin
mode’
The term was first used in
2009 but went viral on social media
earlier this year, OUP said. It shot to
prominence after a fake headline claimed that the rapper formerly known as
Kanye West and Julia Fox broke up after she “went goblin mode.”
“The term then rose in popularity over the
months following as Covid lockdown restrictions eased in many countries and
people ventured out of their homes
more regularly,” according to the OUP.
“Seemingly, it captured the
prevailing mood of individuals who rejected the idea of returning to ‘normal
life’, or rebelled against the
increasingly unattainable aesthetic
standards and unsustainable
lifestyles exhibited on
social media.”
The term’s popularity may also
be linked to the growth of new social media sites like BeReal, where users are
invited once a day at random to post a photo of whatever they’re
doing. Goodbye carefully curated social
media feeds. Hello goblin mode.
The release gives examples of
examples of when the term has been used. Among the most vivid was quoted
in The Guardian: “Goblin mode is
like when you wake up at 2am and shuffle into the kitchen wearing nothing but a
long t-shirt to make a weird snack, like melted cheese on saltines.”
“People are embracing their inner goblin, and voters choosing
‘goblin mode’ as the Word of the Year tells us the concept is likely here to
stay,” added Grathwohl.
1.
Read the article "‘Goblin mode’
chosen as Oxford word of the year for 2022"
2.
Write out words in bold and translate them in written form.
3.
Divide the article into logical parts and make up 2 questions to each one.
4.
Go through the link and watch the video. Be ready to discuss it with your
groupmates in the classroom.
https://edition.cnn.com/2022/12/05/world/oxford-word-goblin-mode-2022-intl-scli-wellness
