A slang term for people who are shamelessly lazy and self-indulgent has been voted as the Oxford word of the year. The definition for 'Goblin Mode' is ‘a type of behaviour which is unapologetically self-indulgent, lazy, slovenly, or greedy, typically in a way that rejects social norms or expectations'.
The term first appeared in 2009 but it wasn't until February 2022 when it came to prominence thanks to the lockdowns caused by Covid. With everything closed down, lockdowns saw many people spending a majority of their days inside binge watching TV shows, ordering a large amount of fast food and in some cases not showering for days.
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This was known as 'going goblin mode', with many using social media to share their own habits without shame because the social stigma around being a 'bum' no longer existed because of the collective experience we were sharing being stuck inside.
This year, Oxford Languages asked people to vote for their favourite word of the year and thousands responded. 'Goblin Mode' came out on top with the phrase gaining a massive 318,956 votes, making up 93% of the total. The term was up against phrases like metaverse and #Istandwith.
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Casper Grathwohl, president, Oxford Languages, said the level of engagement caught them by surprise. "The strength of the response highlights how important our vocabulary is to understanding who we are and processing what’s happening to the world around us.
"Given the year we’ve just experienced, ‘Goblin Mode’ resonates with all of us who are feeling a little overwhelmed at this point. It’s a relief to acknowledge that we’re not always the idealized, curated selves that we’re encouraged to present on our Instagram and TikTok feeds.
"This has been demonstrated by the dramatic rise of platforms like BeReal where users share images of their unedited selves, often capturing self-indulgent moments in goblin mode. People are embracing their inner goblin, and voters choosing ‘goblin mode’ as the Word of the Year tells us the concept is likely here to stay.”
Ben Zimmer, American linguist and lexicographer, added: “Goblin Mode really does speak to the times and the zeitgeist, and it is certainly a 2022 expression. People are looking at social norms in new ways. It gives people the license to ditch social norms and embrace new ones.”
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