Gangnam Style’ in line for UK dictionary inclusion

We were looking for words that told the story of the year. Some words are from events that have been and gone ... but others are probably here to stay

He has the most-watched video in Youtube history, he has become a pop sensation with a horse-riding dance craze that has swept the world and now Korean singer Psy may cement his place in popular culture with recognition from a British dictionary.

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Gangnam Style — Psy’s signature song, has been chosen along with ‘fiscal cliff’ and ‘Romneyshambles’ as some of Collins Dictionary’s words of the year. “We were looking for words that told the story of the year,” said Ian Brookes, the dictionary’s consultant editor. “Some words are from events that have been and gone and so are not likely to stick around ... but others are probably here to stay,” added Brookes.

Touching a billion

Meanwhile Psy’s Gangnam Style video was galloping towards the one-billion-view mark on YouTube on Friday, a fresh milestone in the enduring global craze for the South Korean rapper and his horse-riding dance. At 6 in the morning, the view counter attached to Gangnam Style, which was only posted on the video-sharing site in mid-July, stood at 995.8 million and counting. Psy has swept all before him in the past five months, lapping up awards and scoring guest appearances with everyone from Madonna to the head of the United Nations.

The video and its singer have been given walk-on roles in major world events like the US presidential election and major maybe-events like the Mayan calendar-inspired speculation about looming global armageddon.