Yada Yada: The Oxford English Dictionary Adds Some New Words That Ensure Our Language Won’t Languish.

Say what you want about the inconsistencies of the English language, but it’s almost a living thing, able to adapt and morph itself while the world around it changes.

Which explains some of the latest official additions to our vocabulary. The Oxford English Dictionary, which many believe is the ultimate authority on our language, has added some words never before seen in its pages.

Among the latest that have made the usage grade: ‘yada yada’, the infamous phrase from a Seinfeld episode that researchers claim was actually being used as far back as the 60s in comic Lenny Bruce’s act.

So what’s the official meaning of the new phrase?

  1. Indicating (usually dismissively) that further details are predictable or evident from what has preceded: ‘and so on,’ ‘blah blah blah.’

2. Trivial, meaningless, or uninteresting talk or writing; chatter.

That’s disturbing, considering both Elaine and George’s girlfriend used it to refer to sex.

Other new entries include “Texas Hold ‘Em”, a reference to the most popular form of poker; “plasma TV”, which has skyrocketed in sales; “speed dating”, which George Costanza might want to try; “counterterrorism”, although it’s hard to imagine that wasn’t already there; “adware”, that sneaky stuff that gets onto your computer; and “blonde moment”, a reference to a dumb stereotype involving women with light coloured hair.

The editors scan blogs, newspapers, print references and even TV shows to decide what should – and shouldn’t – go into the record.

“English has always expanded and it will continue to expand,” explains editor Jesse Shedlower in a statement. The Oxford Dictionary contains more than 600,000 entries and it’s growing.

Which really makes it almost too much for words.

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Here’s a list of the new words entries. How many can you define?

401(k), n.

adware, n.

agri-, comb. form

air kiss, n.

amaretto, n.

Amarone, n.

anacronym, n.

andropause, n.

animateur, n.

anoraky, adj.

asylee, n.

autobiopic, n.

automagically, adv.

backlist, v.

backlisted, adj.

backlisting, n.

bad taste, n. and adj.

bashment, n.2

Biosteel, n.

bivvy, v.

body-surf, v.

body-surfing, n.

bouncebackability, n.

bourgie, adj. and n.

brewmaster, n.

Brillo, n.

broker, v.

Cadbury code, n.

calzone, n.

canyoning, n.

carpet muncher, n.

catfight, n.

chav, n.

chavvy, n.

cheesesteak, n.

chib, n.

chib, v.

chile mulato, n.

chip and PIN, n.

choanderm, n.

chowhound, n.

clocked, adj.

clocking, n.2

clocking, adj.2

close-caption, v.

close-captioning, n.

codec, n.

conterterrorism, n.

counterterrorism, adj. and n.

crunk, adj. and n.2

Cullen Skink, n.

cybrarian, n.

cybrary, n.

diddy adj.1 and n.2

diddy, adj.2

digicam, n.

distractability, n.

distractable, adj.

doobrey, n.

dotcom, v.

dromaeosaur, n.

dromaeosaurid, adj.

DVD, n.

ecotoxic, adj.

ecotoxiicity, n.

Energizer bunny, n.

engine room, n.

euonym, n.

fakelore, n.

faux adj. (and adv.)

feel-bad, adj.

flat-share, n.

flat-sharer, n.

flat-sharing, n.

flightseeing, n.

focaccia, n.

freakazoid, n. and adj.

free energy, n.

FYI, phr.,, adj., and n.

geno-, comb. form.

geocache, n.

geocaching, n.

Gibbs, n.

Google, v.2

go-to, adj.

grinch, n.

gut-buster, n.

gynocentric, adj.

gynocentrism, n.

hacktivism, n.

hacktivist, n.

Hall of shame n.

halloumi, n.

ho-bag, n.

Hold ‘Em, n.

houseshare, n.

housesharer, n.

housesharing, n.

iconify, v.

infantilize, v.

inner sanctum, n.

irie, adj., (adv.), and int.

Italian-American, adj. and n.

J-cloth, n.

just war, n.

Kalamata, n.

keepy-up, n.

keepy-uppy, n.

limited-over, adj.

love-struck, adj.

Macarena, n.

Mackem, n.

mash-up, n.

mesohyl, n.

nadger, n.

nanobot, n.

off book, adv. and adj.

on book adv. and adj.

out of place, adv. and adj.

PG, adj.

reimagine, v.

resveratrol, n.

rewriteable, adj.

route one, n.

rug muncher, n.

screenable n.

self-storage, n.

semi-skimmed, adj. and n.

skatepunk, n.

soirée musicale, n.

Speedo, n.2

squoval, adj.

Stanley knife, n.

Subbeteo, n.

super-max, n. and adj.

super-maximum adj.

tee, n.5

texting, n.

text message, v.

Tripitaka, n.

uninstall, v.

usual suspects, n.

Utahraptor, n.

Velociraptor, n.

vert, n.3 and adj.3

vibe, v.

vice grip | vise grip, n.

voddy, n.

Walter Mitty, n.

Walter Mittyish, adj.

wazoo, n.

win-win, adj.

yada yada, int. and n.