The Words That Made 2014
There are fake words and acronyms that take years to catch on, and there are those that instantly become part of our daily vocabulary. This year’s best/ most annoying/most enlightening are remembered here.
Vape: Named Oxford Dictionaries Word of the Year, vape means to inhale or exhale from an electronic cigarette, which is a contraption that lets you “smoke” without any of the actual, harmful smoke found in fire-burning paper cigarettes. Recovering smokers/current vapers love to vape at inappropriate times like wedding ceremonies and boardroom meetings. There are vape shops where vapers can not only buy electronic cigarettes and e-juice — the nicotine-infused liquid that actually vaporizes — but also have a shot of espresso, reviving the age-old tradition of drinking coffee while having a cigarette.
Bae: A pet name, short for baby or babe, that refers to your significant other. Urban Dictionary suggests it means “before anyone else”. In Danish, “bae” actually means poop.
Health Goth: Goths who like to burn fat while maintaining a certain pallor. While goth jocks are encouraged to wear lots of black during sweat sessions, they are not encouraged to “bulk up”. The idea is to build muscle evenly, so you still look like a goth, not a jock. “Workout til you feel like death,” says the Health Goth Bible. Black lipstick is okay when working out health-goth style, although we’re not sure it’s ever advisable to wear makeup during exercise.
Alphet: A lazy way to say outfit. Works well as a hashtag when you post an Instagram selfie featuring a really cute ensemble. Menswear blog Four Pins, which has proliferated the use of the word, describes an describes an alphet as, “a signifier of an indescribable feeling: that overwhelming swell of esteem that starts deep in the cockles of your heart that replaces your marrow, courses through your sinews, emanates through your very being and oozes through your pores when you look at yourself in the mirror and every fucking detail is on point.” So, there’s that. Describing an #alphet as “so fire” is the greatest compliment.
Basic: To act and dress in a banal, painfully obvious fashion. “Basic bitches” and “basic bros” drink venti Pumpkin Spice lattes, watch Saved By the Bell reruns, and wear a lot of Lululemon.
Normcore: “Normcore”, in many ways, is a foil to “basic”. It references “basic” trends from the early 1990s — Patagonia sweaters, stonewashed jeans, puffy sneakers — although this time around, they’re hipster wardrobe staples. Since the term was introduced to the masses via New York magazine in early 2014, normcore has gone from internet meme to a high-fashion trend, influencing the runways at Prada, Joseph Altuzarra and Celine.
Fleek: A term that dates back to the early 19th Century, according to the historians over at Complexmag.com. Fleek is another way to say sleek. Perfectly groomed eyebrows should be described as “on fleek.” But really, the phrase can work when describing any look that warrants an “OK hand sign” emoji. As in, “That alphet is on fleek .” Watch Vimeo star Peaches Monroee use “on fleek” in a sentence.
Turn Up, Turn Down: Turn up means to go nuts partying, and turn down means to dial it back or sober up. In their December 2013 single, “Turn Down For What?”, DJ Snake and Lil Jon asked the question: why bother turning it down when we’re having such a good time? (Well, their actual lyrics go like this: Fire up that loud/Another round of shots/Turn Down For What?)
FTW: An acronym for “For the Win,” usually meaning that you’ve won some sort of minor competition, such as answering a TV trivia question correctly on Twitter, or clearing the most plates at an all-you-can-eat restaurant.