Each year the Associated Press Stylebook, the bible for journalists and their editors, puts out an updated edition to evolve alongside the changing times. This year's stylebook saw the inclusion of a lengthened fashion, broadcast and social media section. Similar to additions made to the dictionary, when the AP Stylebook adds a word or phrase in, that word has made its mark on our current culture's lexicon.
The new sections have been developed to "demystify" frequently used terms in fashion, define vocabulary often found in broadcasting and catalog terminology, as well as give "practical advice," that journalists can use when dealing with social media. Basically, the AP Styleguide has learned about this new fangled web 2.0, and since it doesn't seem to be going anywhere soon, might as well recognize its existence. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em.
Normally, I open my arms widely to old standards embracing new ones. Why shouldn't the AP Stylebook recognize current terminology, especially if it is being used on a regular basis? That was until I heard the report on NPR about what was being acknowledged as a "real word:" Jeggings.
The Associated Press Stylebook, often called the journalist's bible, is the media's go-to guide for things like grammar and punctuation. The book is often revised to keep up with vernacular, and its 2012 edition includes a chapter on fashion. In a Twitter chat this week, the AP decreed that it is OK to use the word jeggings to talk about the trendy hybrid of leggings and jeans. But they added that it is not OK to use the term jorts, as in jean shorts
I'll give them "jorts" because what the hell is that, but jeggings? Now this atrocious, seemingly short-lived fashion fad, which I pray nightly will please go away already because some of us are just too big on the bottom to pull it off, OK, is now a part of the AP Stylebook?
Just to be defiant, I have decided that I refuse to accept that "said word" used to describe the mutated crossbreed between jeans and leggings is in fact a word. Not gonna' do it.
It got me thinking about other colloquialisms that I abhor, which I decry should no longer exist.
7. Webinar A webinar, in theory, is a web-based seminar. The word seminar has traditionally been associated with the university system. A seminar was a lecture on a particular school of research. Seminar comes from the Latin "seminary," which is defined as:
A special school providing education in theology, religious history, etc., primarily to prepare students for the priesthood, ministry, or rabbinate.
At some point, someone, probably that dude Guy Kawasaki who has convinced us all that we too can be "Rich Dads," pushed the word seminar into the direction of meaning "somebody giving a lecture on something that involves a PowerPoint presentation with lots of clipart." Throw that clip art up on a web-based platform like GoToMeeting and you've got yourself a web-based seminar, AKA webinar. I know the business world needs a word for this, but let's just call a spade a spade. Why not name it, "60 minutes of your precious lunch time that you will never get back; can you just send me the PowerPoint?"
6. Upcycling Upcycling is the process of taking your junk and slapping it with a new paint job, calling it echo-friendly and selling it on Etsy. Sorry, not buying it. We already have a word to describe the process of selling your garbage to someone else; it's called a garage sale.
5. #'ing Anything That's Not on Twitter I admit that this isn't a specific word that needs to be eradicated from our current lineage; this is more of an attitude towards words that I find difficult to understand. Why are you (yes, you) placing # signs in front of words in candid conversations or e-mails?
I know that Google tracks our every move and predicts future behaviors like a super-human, alien, robot-spider God, but, as far as I know, Google is not looking to add your private email/Facebook (or human being, as in, we are alive and talking out loud) conversation into what's trending on Twitter. Besides, do you genuinely think #Ireallyhavebadcrampsandmyboyfriendistotallydrivingmetodrink is a popular topic right now? Well, that one might be.
4. Trending This word directly relates to the above grievance. To say something is "trending" used to give it some clout. A trend is a "general course or prevailing tendency." Previously, when you thought about a trend it was something that was popular long enough to eventually go on sale.
Acid washed jeans, slap bracelets, Pet Rocks, Skrillex, Mood Rings, Manic Panic, Hypercolor Tee shirts, vampires, Karaoke, Sarah Mclachlan, putting a belt on top of your clothing, Friendster, GeoCities, flip phones, AIM, henna and LOLcats are all examples of things that were trendy at some point. These trends lasted, some unfortunately, for at least a month. That is what a trend is.
"Trending" currently has come to mean something, that at this very minute, more people who take the time to add #s into their daily conversation happen to be posting on Twitter. Rarely does anything that is "trending" last as long as the prevailing popularity of the Pet Rock.
