Dictionary spotlight

What is nomophobia? And 9 other words that defined their year

Image: Pisit Heng

Each year, dictionaries and linguistic societies worldwide select a "word of the year" to capture a part of the essence of global conversations, trends, or cultural shifts. Often serving as a snapshot of society’s biggest preoccupations or passions at that point in time, these words can be fun, poignant, and sometimes even controversial. Here are ten selected choices from past years, ranging from strange numeronyms like Y2K to whimsical verbs like "to be plutoed."

Image: Roman Kraft

Coined by comedian Stephen Colbert, "truthiness" describes things that feel true, even when they aren’t. The satirical concept highlights how dishonest media often appeals to emotion and "gut feelings" over rational thinking and actual facts.

The term became so popular that it won the American Dialect Society’s "Word of the Year" in 2005 and Merriam-Webster’s in 2006. Interestingly, some linguists noted that a similar word already existed in English literature, although with a meaning closer to "truthfulness" or "faithfulness."

Image: Markus Spiske

The supposed Y2K "millennium bug" caused widespread panic as the year 2000 approached, with predictions of technological catastrophes due to a theoretical software error related to the date change after 1999.

Selected by various language authorities, Y2K captured millennial anxieties. Fortunately, despite intense fears, the Y2K bug resulted in minimal actual disruption.

Image: NASA

After Pluto’s reclassification as a dwarf planet in 2006, the whimsical verb "to be plutoed" emerged, essentially meaning "to be demoted." The American Dialect Society selected it to humorously mark Pluto’s abrupt change in status.

As a unique instance where planetary reclassification and public discourse converged, the term became a metaphor for any reduction in rank. It also captured a bit of the public’s emotional response to Pluto’s unexpected downgrading.

Image: Mohamed Nohassi

What’s worse than a dumpster full of trash? A dumpster full of trash on fire. A descriptor for something disastrously out of control, "dumpster fire" was the American Dialect Society’s choice for 2016.

Originally used in sports, the term "dumpster fire" quickly gained broader popularity that year, becoming a go-to phrase for chaotic situations—a usage that remains popular today.

Image: Liana Mikah

Originating from Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein’s description of the Gulf War as "the mother of all battles," the term quickly became a widely used phrase to emphasize something as the ultimate or most significant of its kind. It was used for all sorts of exaggerated statements.

Technically an idiom, "mother of all –" demonstrates how easily language can adopt new meanings and ideas from almost any source, from global politics to scientific endeavors, leading to expressions that take on a life beyond their original context.

Image: Daria Nepriakhina

Ever had your phone die on you right when you needed it most? You might have experienced a bit of "nomophobia." This curious term, coined in 2009 in the UK, is a shortened form of "no-mobile-phone-phobia."

As smartphone dependence has soared in recent years, the term has gained increasing prominence, reflecting a new anxiety of the digital era.

Image: Hudson Graves

The word "homer" (a baseball term for a home run) became a sensation after appearing in The New York Times' popular Wordle game. Frustrated players had their lucky streaks interrupted when they encountered the word, bringing it into the spotlight.

Worldwide searches for "homer" highlighted not only the influence a game can have on language but also the public's growing interest in exploring the vast depths of our shared vocabulary.

Image: Hugo Clément

As fashion shifted toward more sustainability-focused trends, the term "upcycling" became a buzzword, referring to the process of transforming waste into items of higher value. It is the opposite of downcycling, which is another part of the recycling process.

This intriguing concept encourages people to repurpose materials that would typically go to waste in both creative and useful ways.

Image: Izzy Gerosa

Selected by Collins Dictionary, "photobomb" describes the act of unexpectedly appearing in someone’s photo, often with humorous results.

As selfies and casual photography grew in popularity, photobombing became an art of surprise and comedy, evolving into a topic of conversation and even competition across social media.

Image: Library of Congress

This term, chosen by the American Dialect Society, referred to President George H.W. Bush’s famous "Read my lips: No new taxes" pledge during his 1988 Republican nomination—a promise he later broke, frustrating many of his supporters.

"Bushlips" became popular as it encapsulated public disappointment in political promises and became shorthand for unkept pledges. The term is also a wordplay on a less polite expression that can refer to something untrue.

MAGIC MAYHEM

10 Legendary Magic Tricks That Still Leave Us Spellbound

Image: Joseph Two

Who doesn’t love a little bit of magic? From children to adults, a magician’s tricks can leave us mesmerized and bring back our sense of awe. In this enchanting realm, the lines between reality and illusion blur, and for a fleeting moment, we're transported to a place where anything is possible.

Prepare to have your mind twisted as we explore the history of 10 of the most astonishing magic tricks ever performed.

Image: Bain News Service

Harry Houdini's escape from the "Chinese Water Torture Cell" remains one of the most iconic and death-defying stunts in history. Heavily restrained and suspended upside down in a glass tank filled with water, Houdini astonished audiences as he wriggled free from his chains and emerged unscathed. His ability to cheat death and escape from the most perilous situations captured the imagination of millions and cemented his legacy as the greatest escape artist of all time.

Image: Pierre Blaché

In one of his most famous illusions, David Copperfield made the Statue of Liberty disappear before a live audience. With cameras positioned around the statue and spectators free to look around for the missing statue, the trick left everyone stunned and questioning their own eyesight. While the trick - which took months of planning and coordination - relies mostly on misdirection, it is still one of the most ambitious feats in magic history.

Image: Jeremy Thompson from Los Angeles, California, CC BY 2.0

The classic illusion of sawing an assistant or volunteer in half has been a staple of magic shows for centuries, but none have executed it quite like magician P.T. Selbit. In 1921, Selbit astounded audiences by performing the trick for the first time on stage. Using a large saw to seemingly divide his assistant in two - who was tied and locked inside a wooden crate - Selbit’s ingenious illusion, which he enhanced by having members of the public participate, soon became a sensation in the world of magic.

Image: Cody Wingfield

Penn & Teller are known for their edgy and unconventional approach to magic, and their bullet catch trick is no exception. In this seemingly death-defying stunt, both illusionists catch a bullet fired by each other at the same time with their mouths! A different volunteer signs the tip of each bullet to assure the public that the caught bullets are the same ones they loaded into their guns. Despite the apparent danger, the duo has successfully performed the trick countless times, leaving audiences both terrified and amazed.

Image: Priscilla Du Preez

British magician Dynamo stunned onlookers when he seemingly just started walking on the waters of the River Thames in London. With no visible means of support, the magician appeared to defy physics as he strolled effortlessly across the water's surface. The extraordinary stunt was reported in most UK newspapers at the time, and while other magicians have attempted the feat in shallower waters, Dynamo’s supreme illusion remains unsurpassed.

Image: Jesse Schoff

Imagine if, instead of acknowledging the elephant in the room, you simply made it disappear altogether. Puns aside, in 1918 famous escapist Harry Houdini did precisely this, baffling audiences with his illusion of making a full-sized elephant vanish into thin air. After hiding the elephant inside a cabinet, he suddenly draws the curtains to reveal that the animal has vanished. The trick, which has since become a legend in magic circles, continues to confound audiences to this day.

Image: Piotr Wilk

The ability to seemingly fly or levitate objects has long been a Holy Grail of magic, but few have mastered the art quite like Criss Angel. Known for his mind-boggling illusions, Angel has mesmerized audiences with his seemingly impossible feats of levitation. Whether floating above the Las Vegas strip or levitating a group of spectators, Angel's mastery of illusion is certainly not bound by the limitations of gravity.

Image: Erwan Hesry

The Indian Rope Trick is one of the most infamous magic tricks in history, as it is shrouded in mystery. In this illusion, a rope is thrown into the air, where it magically stands erect, defying gravity. Then, a young boy climbs the rope and disappears into thin air, only to reappear moments later unharmed. Historical accounts of the trick go back as far as the 9th century, but to this day, no one is certain of how it was done.

Image: Aziz Acharki

Invented by English illusionist John Nevil Maskelyne, the classic illusion of metamorphosis involves the instantaneous swapping of places of a magician and their assistant. One of the most famous renditions of this trick was performed by The Pendragons, a couple of expert magicians who executed the illusion with unparalleled precision and speed. In a matter of seconds, the couple would trade positions inside a locked box, leaving audiences gasping in disbelief at the seamless transformation.

Image: DDP

In this terrifying illusion, a magician lies on a table while sharp swords are suspended above, and the performer must seemingly struggle to escape before the blades are released. Usually, a curtain partially obscures the magician’s movements, but when it is pulled, the performer is revealed to be free and unharmed. Although the modern version of this trick is attributed to American magician André Kole, many include this unnerving stunt in their stage performances.