BY GREG MARKLEY
OPINION —
This is my fifth annual column surveying Oxford Words of the Year. This year, I salute the memory of William “Bill” Safire, legendary word maven for The New York Times. On weekdays, many Times readers might shrug at his traditional conservative opinions, always well-written. But most Sundays, most readers enjoyed Safire’s “On Language” column in The Times. Readers looked forward to his views on popular etymology and the English language.
“If you re-read your work, you can find on re-reading a great deal of repetition can be avoided by re-reading and editing,” Safire, a Pulitzer Prize winner for Commentary, said. From another angle, he said, “The most successful column is one that causes the reader to throw down the paper in a peak of fit.”
On Dec. 4, the Oxford University Press announced ’rizz as 2023’s Word of the Year. It has been on social media as a term for a year or two. “Rizz” is short for “charisma.” This word will probably get a wider use soon, such as when calling a boring presidential candidate “rizz.”
The reverse is that a political hopeful has “rizz,” maybe with razzle and dazzle to spare. In higher education, a professor whose discussion puts you to sleep might be called “Dr. Rizz.” An energetic lecturer, perhaps under age 40, may display “rizz” in spades. He or she may be credited with piz-zazz as well as ‘rizz.
“Our language experts chose ‘rizz as an interesting example of how language can be formed, shaped and shared within communities, before being picked up more widely in society,” according to an Oxford University statement. “It speaks to how younger generations now have spaces, online or otherwise, to own and define the language they use.”
NBC News reported recently that on TikTok “rizz” has more than 36 billion views. The broadcast-er noted that the word is frequently used in phrases like “rizz god” or “rizz king” for a person who is very charming or persuasive. Perhaps next year, a new word for those who are not colorful or charismatic may appear.
“Some online, including the revered OUP, referred to actor Tom Holland when discussing the term,” NBC noted. “The ‘Spider-Man’ star went viral after using the slang in an interview with Buzzfeed in June. I have no rizz whatsoever,” he had said. Holland pointed to his playing the long game with actor Zendaya, his girlfriend. “I have limited rizz.”
Oxford University pointed out that to ‘rizz someone is to attract or seduce them. Does that mean ‘rizzing someone may be harmless and a compliment, but that someone else might call it teasing words that they deem sexual harassment? In politics, though having charisma is ideal, too much charisma is seen as mawkish and a charming person may seem a phony.
Alejandra Fonseca of DayTranslations blog suggests 10 top words from 2023 people that will be-come better known in 2024. First is Micro-influencer: an online user with a small but keen follow-ing such as Twitter (X), Instagram or YouTube. This should be welcomed as it seems almost eve-rybody wants to be a major influencer. Having a smaller but successful influencer identity is more realistic than being a worldwide sensation via social media.
“Micro-influencers are typically considered to have between 1,000-50,000 followers and they can often be a more cost-effective solution for advertisers when compared to influencers with larger followings,” Fonseca said. (So micro-influencers would be operating in Steele, Alabama, with just over 1,000 people. Also, Madison, Alabama, is an example of a city that has around 50,000 citizens (56,930).
The term JOMO, or “Joy of Missing Out,” is a fashionable English word to describe those who revel in not keeping up with the latest trends or activities. While FOMO “Fear of Missing Out” marks people who fear not being involved with current public doings, JOMO celebrates this as an opportunity to use more time for ourselves, for more personal time and having fun in our way. This concept of getting one’s favorite things to do is a challenge.
For example, how often do you meet a friend who sees you reading and says, “Oh, you are not doing much, just reading?” I usually accommodate people when they want to talk at an airport, etc. But if I am in the back of a restaurant reading a magazine, I don’t want to be bothered unless the place is on fire — that would be a helluva story.
Part 2 of 2 (Dec. 27 issue) will highlight more emerging words.
Greg Markley moved to Lee County in 1996. He has a master’s in education from AUM and a master’s in history from Auburn University. He taught politics as an adjunct in Georgia and Ala-bama. An award-winning writer in the Army and civilian life, he has contributed to the Observer since 2011. He writes on politics, education and books.