WOTY Candidate

[Dave Wilton]

"Santorum" so skewed my perception of Most Outrageous that I didn't even
think of that for "macaca," which is positively tame by comparison.

I don't like "macacagate" at all. It's just another tired use of the "-gate"
suffix; nothing new or noteworthy about it. Plus Google has less than 600
hits for it.

--Dave Wilton
  dave at wilton.net

-----Original Message-----
From: American Dialect Society [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf Of
Beverly Flanigan
Sent: Tuesday, January 02, 2007 8:57 AM
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Subject: Re: WOTY Candidate

Did you all see the article on WOTY by one Marsha Mercer of the Media
General News Service (new to me)?  She reviewed 2004 and 2005 and then
interviewed Wayne Glowka, Grant Barrett, and David Barnhart on this year's
possibilities.  Her own choice: 'macaca':  "If it isn't the Word of the
Year, it surely is Most Outrageous."

Anyway, have fun at ADS, you all--I'll forgo Anaheim this year and head for
sunny Mexico instead!

Beverly

At 11:10 AM 1/2/2007, you wrote:
>At 7:53 AM -0800 1/2/07, Dave Wilton wrote:
>>I didn't see this on Grant's or Wayne's lists, but a word that I think
>>should be seriously considered is "macaca."
>
>One of the words on the list (compiled from students' New Word
>Journals) I just sent Wayne was "macacagate", which incorporates the
>denial and attempted coverup by Allen (ultimately thwarted by
>you-tubing his actual comment at the rally, as you mention).  Another
>I liked from the list is "be Plutoed".  But there will be plenty of
>opportunities for vigorous debate.
>
>LH
>
>>
>>Seldom does a single word have such an impact. "Macaca" was the catalyst
>>that destroyed the campaign of a heavily favored senate incumbent and
>>would-be 2008 presidential nominee. The word is also linked with YouTube
and
>>the rise of participatory web sites in 2006.
>>
>>Not sure that it's a good fit for any of the usual sub-categories.
Possibly
>>most euphemistic. Least likely to succeed is also possible as I don't
think
>>it will retain currency except as a historical reference.
>>
>>Have fun in Anaheim. Wish I could be there this year.
>>
>>--Dave Wilton
>>   dave at wilton.net
>>
>>------------------------------------------------------------
>>The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>
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>The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

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