World | USA
'Bailout' is Word of the Year
Everyone seems to want one, but apparently a lot of Americans aren't sure what exactly a "bailout" is.
- Agencies
- Published: 00:02 November 27, 2008
Springfield, Massachusetts: Everyone seems to want one, but apparently a lot of Americans aren't sure what exactly a "bailout" is.
The word, which shot to prominence amid the financial meltdown, was looked up so often at Merriam-Webster's online dictionary site that the publisher says "bailout" was an easy choice for its 2008 Word of the Year.
The rest of the list is not exactly cheerful. It also includes "trepidation," "precipice" and "turmoil."
"There's something about the national psyche right now that is looking up words that seem to suggest fear and anxiety," said John Morse, Merriam-Webster's president and publisher.
Several well-worn terms from the presidential campaign also made the cut: "maverick", "bipartisan" and, coming in at No. 2, "vet" - to appraise and evaluate, as in vetting a vice presidential pick.
But none topped "bailout," a seemingly simple word that suddenly took on $700 billion (Dh2.5 trillion) worth of importance in September.
How big was "bailout," etymologically speaking? While Congress was considering the enormous financial industry rescue package this autumn, searches for "bailout" eclipsed perennial puzzlers like "irony" and the bedeviling duo of "affect" and "effect."
What is the word, according to you, that defines 2008? Is there a word you used most often or feel was referred to most by friends and family?
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