Aussie dictionary Macquarie adds 85 new words and phrases

Macquarie, the biggest Aussie dictionary, has added 85 new words and phrases in its latest online edition, and is urging people to vote for the one they think should be declared the word of the year.

London, January 11 : Macquarie, the biggest Aussie dictionary, has added 85 new words and phrases in its latest online edition, and is urging people to vote for the one they think should be declared the "word of the year".

The new entries have been grouped in 17 categories, ranging from business to travel.

Many of the new words adopted or invented by Australians reflect a growing concern for the environment.

'Toad juice' - a foul-smelling liquid fertiliser produced from pulverizing pests called cane toads, pests which are devastating native wildlife as they hop their way across the continent's tropical north - is one of them. nother entry in the dictionary is the 'green shoe brigade', which describes people who are profiting from dubious practices conducted in the name of caring for the environment.

It is said to be an adaptation of 'white shoe brigade', which describes unscrupulous developers who encased much of Queensland's coast in concrete in the 1980s.

The dictionary has also included the term 'Climate canary', which means a geographical feature, plant or animal species pointing to climate change.

Most of such words that have been enthusiastically adopted by Australians were first formulated in the US. 'Tanorexia', meaning the obsessive cultivating of a suntan, and 'salad dodger', signifying an obese person, are two such examples.

A tattoo just above the buttocks is referred to as a pair of 'arse antlers' because it has a central section and curving extensions on each side, while the removal of men's body hair for aesthetic reasons is called 'manscaping'.

'Credit card tart' is a term used for a person trying to juggle personal debt, and shifting loans around from one card to pay for another.

Another nomination for the online Macquarie Dictionary include 'infomania', which describes people who constantly put aside the job at hand to concentrate on incoming email and text messages.

'Password fatigue' is frustration at having too many passwords to remember, while overcoming it brings the danger of 'data smog'.

'Slummy mummies' are mothers of young children who have abandoned all care for their personal appearance, as opposed to immaculately-groomed yummy mummies.

"One of my personal favourites is 'boomeritis', which describes the sports-related injuries suffered by baby boomers as they keep playing sports well into old age. We invite the public to vote on their favourite word or phrase because it gives us some idea of what they consider the most inventive or significant or humorous addition to the language," the Telegraph quoted Susan Butler, the dictionary's publisher, as saying.

"Last year's winner was muffin top (the band of skin sagging over a too-tight pair of trousers), which was an Australian coinage that became big in America," Butler added.

Voting for a favourite word on macquariedictionary.com.au runs until January 31, and the "word of the year" will be announced in early February.

ANI