What's new for 2002: the Collins Gem English Dictionary

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The Collins Gem English Dictionary is 100 years old in 2002, but despite its age it's never out of date. To mark this anniversary Collins have published a centenary edition, which includes a new supplement that takes a wry look at how English has developed over the last 100 years to reflect the changing world.

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Q. What has changed over the last century, then

A. To begin with, the dictionary has almost doubled in size. It started with 20,000 words and now includes 35,000. In 1902 the dictionary cost just 1d (a tad under 0.5p); today it costs �4.99 - admittedly a modest amount for 704 pages, but still an increase of nearly 1200 per cent.

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Q. So what is new for 2002

A. Editors at the dictionary have noted 140 novel usages noted in January 2002 alone. Try these:

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bed-blockers - people well enough to leave hospital but who have nowhere to go

brain-fingerprinting - a CIA anti-terrorist technique

eurocreep - how the single currency will worm its way into the British economy, then into the affections of voters

in silico - computer programming in virtual laboratories (apparently one of the most used words of 2002 so far)

mini-me - is best defined by the following example: 'Nigel Griffiths, Gordon Brown's mini-me...'

MVVD - male vertical volume drinkers: those who drink bucketloads while standing at the bar rather than sitting down

nopo - a no person-operated train.

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If these words and phrases continue in common use for another 11 months, they will get into next year's dictionary.

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The search is now on to find 2002's defining word.

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Q. Defining word of the year

A. Gem has compiled a list of words considered to define each year since the dictionary was first sold.

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Q. Any tips for this year's

A. The bookies' favourite so far is 'pink Viagra', that is Viagra for women, but it's really too early to tell.

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Q. How do they decide what's in and what's out

A. By monitoring usage in all print and electronic media and recording the regularity of the use of words. Those which slip out of use are slung out of the dictionary and new words are logged to gauge whether they have become a genuine part of the vocabulary.

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All words - in and out - are kept in a word bank of some 450 million words that have been part of the language at one stage or another.

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Q. What was new in 1902, then

A. The following appeared as new words in 1902 and are still very much in use: aerial, birthday card, cryogenic, door-to-door, floosie, glad rags, knock for six, limousine, manic depressive, matin�e idol, Middle East, pacifism, sexology, suitcase, women's movement

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However, some didn't make it: bovrilize (to condense - fancy some condensed cow on toast, anyone ), groceteria (a self-service grocery), marconigram (a radio telegram, after Marconi), to maffick (to celebrate extravagantly a national success, after from the relief of Mafeking in 1900) and to spike-bozzle (to disable an enemy weapon)

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However, some familiar words have in fact changed their meanings since inclusion in the 1902 dictionary.

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Q. Such as

A. Words that have mutated include:

nondescript - then: 'that which has not been described'; now: 'lacking outstanding features'

noodle - then: 'simpleton'; now 'long thin strips of pasta'

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Q. And 1902's defining word

A. Teddy bear

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Q. What about other years over the intervening century

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1905: depression

1906: suffragette

1907: allergy

1909: jazz

1995: road rage

1996: alcopop

2000: economy-class syndrome

2001: B4

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Find out more about the word bank at http://titania.cobuild.collins.co.uk/boe_info.html

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See also the answerbank articles on dictionaries and new words for 2001

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For more on Phrases & Sayings click here

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By Simon Smith