[Lexicog] When is an "in" word """in"""?

[Fritz Goerling]

A subject that has interested me for a while is when
does a neologism, new expression, word, term, coinage
or a new and unusual use of a term or expression
become common usage and even enter a dictionary?

Let's take the case of superlatives of approval or
appreciation which usually start among young people.
Here are a number of those which either are "in" at
the moment, those which "made it,"
and those, although in the dictionary (not in a
"Dictionary of New Words"), are on the way out.
The organization in which I mention them is arbitrary:

cool
dude
ace
bad
mad
rad
brill
wicked
awesome

All of them carry the general meaning of excellent,
remarkable, unusual, exciting, great, wonderful.
Some of these terms of approbation can be superlatives
of the hour. Others stay on and become established,
being used even by the older generation and inter-
nationally.
The reversal of meaning of "bad" meaning "stunningly good"
or "wicked" meaning "marvellous, great" (not sinless,
virtuous) is interesting. "mad" being used to express
"light-hearted, exuberant" follows a similar switch
from negative to positive.
The enthusiatic term of approval "awesome" has been around
since the eighties. Here a weakening of the meaning
"inspiring awe" (God is awesome!) has happened to the
word being used in the sense of "staggering, remarkable."
I love "dude" which has evolved from "cowboy dude" to "man"
(like "Hey, dude" = Hey, man") to being used by white
American youngsters for "great!"

Some are snappy monosyllables:

brill < brilliant (UK)
rad < radical (California)

Do you have other examples and explanations from English
(all varieties) and other languages?

What about the "longevity" of these expressions? Did any
of those you can mention make it into a general dictionary
or were they only mentioned in a "Dictionary of New Words?"

Fritz Goerling




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