大象传媒

'Goblin mode' has been chosen as the publisher of the Oxford English Dictionary's 'Word of the Year' for 2022. For the first time it's been chosen by the public, with almost 319 thousand votes, that's 93 per cent of those that voted.

'Word of the Year' is a word or expression reflecting the ethos, mood, or preoccupations of the past twelve months, one that has potential as a term of lasting cultural significance.

The options for 2022 were 'metaverse', '#IStandWith' and the phrase 'goblin mode'.

The term is used to describe self-indulgent, lazy or greedy behaviour. The phrase first surfaced in 2009, but went viral this year when it was featured in a fake headline about the actress, Julia Fox, and the rapper Kanye West.

Dr Nick Smith - Associate Professor in Applied Linguistics from the University of Leicester - explains why certain words and phrases catch on more than others.