The Oxford English Dictionary recently unveiled the word of the year 2022 that was selected by public votes - Goblin mode. According to their official website, it means ‘a type of behaviour which is unapologetically self-indulgent, lazy, slovenly, or greedy, typically in a way that rejects social norms or expectations.’ Despite first appearing in 2009, the word made its way to popularity after it went viral in February.
Oxford University Press also shared a tweet about the word. “The ‘goblin community’ has spoken! We’re pleased to announce goblin mode as the #OxfordWOTY 2022,” they tweeted.
Since being shared, the post has accumulated over 5,500 likes. It has also received tons of comments from people.
“Thank goodness for the Oxford dictionary—I’ve been misusing ‘goblin mode,’ thinking it was a landscaping term, describing poor grass-trimming technique as in: ‘That lawn looks like it was goblin mowed!’,” wrote a Twitter user. “Goblin Mode Activated,” posted another. “Sorry to be a bit picky but is that not two words?” asked a third.
{{/usCountry}}“Thank goodness for the Oxford dictionary—I’ve been misusing ‘goblin mode,’ thinking it was a landscaping term, describing poor grass-trimming technique as in: ‘That lawn looks like it was goblin mowed!’,” wrote a Twitter user. “Goblin Mode Activated,” posted another. “Sorry to be a bit picky but is that not two words?” asked a third.
{{/usCountry}}A few complained that they have never heard of the word. Just like this individual who posted, “Hmm. The word of the year (2 words!) is an expression that’s totally passed me by. I’ve neither heard it, read it, nor obviously used it. Is it because I’m old or am I just reading the wrong stuff?”
Here are some more reactions from netizens on Twitter:
“We were hoping the public would enjoy being brought into the process, but this level of engagement with the campaign caught us totally 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,” told Casper Grathwohl, President, Oxford Languages, reports a blog by Oxford.
“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,” Grathwohl added.