2009 births buzzwords befitting the year

December 30, 2009

Catchphrases and buzzwords reveal much about the year in which they were coined. As The New York Times reports, Grant Barrett, editorial director of the online dictionary Wordnik.com and co-host of the syndicated public radio show “A Way With Words,” offers a list of such words and phrases for 2009. It includes:
 
birther: Someonewho believes Barack Obama was not born in the United States and therefore can’t be president. 
 
car tone: Proposed music or noise that would emit from otherwise-quiet electric cars, so pedestrians will notice them. 
 
Chimerica: The intertwined, globally dominating economies of China and the United States. Niall Ferguson popularized the phrase in his book "The Ascent of Money." 
 
green shoots: Signs of an economic recovery or financial turnaround. 
 
mancession: Also called a ‘hecession,’ a recession that affects men more than women. 
 
netbook: Smaller than a laptop but larger than a smartphone, an inexpensive portable computer used mainly with the Internet. 
 
tenther: Someone who believes the federal government usurps states’ rights, in violation of the 10th Amendment. 
 
vook: A digital book that incorporates video.  — Greg Beaubien

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