Let’s dive right in and continue our look at some of the words that the lexicographers at Dictionary.com have recently agreed are worthy of inclusion in their ever-expanding list of words.

Beginning with “the ick,” which is said to have gotten its start on the television program “Ally McBeal,” and is the sudden feeling of disgust for another person.

That sudden feeling of ickiness could be brought on by someone who’s “bed rotting,” or “spending many hours in bed during the day, often with snacks or an electronic device, as a voluntary retreat from activity or stress.”

Maybe our bed-rotting friend is suffering from the “keto flu,” which Harvard Medical School says “is a group of symptoms that may appear two to seven days after starting a ketogenic diet. Headache, foggy brain, fatigue, irritability, nausea, difficulty sleeping, and constipation are just some of the symptoms of this condition, which is not recognized by medicine.”

Once they’re up and about again, our friend might choose to attire themselves in what’s known as “slow fashion,” which is said to be a movement “that emphasizes eco-friendly, well-made clothing, (and) maintenance and repair of garments to extend their lifespan.”

Originating from the difference between “fast food” and “slow food,” the words “fast” and “slow,” notes the dictionary, “will likely continue to be applied in other contexts where there is interest in sustainable practices.”

Then there’s something called “Barbicore,” which is “an aesthetic or style featuring playful pink outfits, accessories, decor, etc., celebrating and modeled on the wardrobe of the Barbie doll.” Dictionary.com goes on to remind us of the trend of “using -core to form names for niche aesthetics, such as cottagecore or normcore.”

Perhaps dwelling in all that pinkness we’ll find a “girl mom” or a “boy mom,” which is defined as a woman who has only female or male children, respectively. (In the interest of equality, the dictionary has also included “girl dads” and “boy dads.”)

The term “Bechdel test” has been added and refers to a test of gender inequity that’s usually applied to movies. Equity or inequity is determined by whether or not a film includes at least two fairly important female characters who talk to each other about something other than men. In some versions of the test, which got its name from a 1985 Alison Bechdel comic strip, Dykes to Watch Out For, the female characters are also required to have names.

Similar to the recently added word “shrinkflation” (the practice of charging the old price for less product), the term “greedflation” is the act of executives and landlords raising prices “solely to increase profits that are already healthy or excessive.”

“Decision fatigue” is defined as mental and emotional exhaustion caused by excessive or relentless decision making, especially the cumulative effect of small decisions made throughout the day.

My guess is that a lot of that fatigue is brought about by “information pollution,” which is “the introduction of falsehood, irrelevance, bias and sensationalism into a source of information, resulting in a dilution or outright suppression of essential facts.”

All of this pollution only serves to “pessimize” our news-watching experiences — pessimize being a verb meaning “to make less good, efficient, fast, functional, etc., especially in the context of computers or information technology.”

The perfect companion word to “information pollution” is “unfalsifiable” or “not able to be proven false, and therefore not scientific.” This whole fake news thing gives me the ick.

Jim Witherell of Lewiston is a writer and lover of words whose work includes “L.L. Bean: The Man and His Company” and “Ed Muskie: Made in Maine.” He can be reached at jlwitherell19@gmail.com.

Copy the Story Link