Language: Twerk Tops Tread Lightly as Global Language Monitor’s Top Teleword Word of the Year

From Global Language Monitor:

The Global Language Monitor (GLM) today announced that “Twerk” is the Top Teleword of the Year followed by “Tread lightly,” “Facial profiling,” “Posh Soap,” and “Valar Morghulis”.   Rounding out the top ten were “Jersey Shore,” ”Honey Boo Boo,” “Royal Baby,” “Space jump,” and “@Pontifex”.
The awards are announced in conjunction with the Primetime Emmy awards at the beginning of the Fall television season in the US. This is the tenth annual analysis by Austin-based GLM.
“This is the first time we are recognizing words and phrases from all four screens of contemporary communications:  the television, the computer, the tablet and the smart phone.  Accordingly, this year’s words have originated (and spread) from any of the devices to the others ” said Paul JJ Payack, President and Chief Word Analyst of GLM. “This year’s list reflects the massive, never ceasing, continuing flow of information bombarding people the world over.”

Top 3 (of Ten) TV Words of the Year

1. “Twerk” (VMA) — Miley Cyrus’s sexually-suggestive gyrations have many precedents in American popular music from Jazz, to the Jitterbug, Elvis’ swiveling hips to hip hop, and now Twerking.
2. “Tread lightly” (Breaking Bad) — Walter White’s admonition to Walt had much the same effect as his earlier plans — as the world continues to swallow all around him.
3. “Facial Profiling” (Duck Dynasty) — OK so their beards can be considered unkempt, but no moreso then the rest of their lives, business, and personal affairs.

Access the GLM Blog Post
Includes Complete 2013 List and Review Top TV Words From Previous Lists (2002-2012)
See Also: Learn More About Global Language Monitor
See Also: Top Trending Words of 2013: Phony, the Optic, and Brycgwyrcende* Join the Battle for 2013 Top Word of the Year (via GLM)
August 8, 2013.

Filed under: Awards, News