SOL24: Word of the Year?

            I’ve been noticing certain terms in my journal I never used before: “respiratory droplets,” “social distancing,” “Zoom” (the website). Then I thought of the American Dialect Society.

           The AmericanDialect Society chooses a Word of the Year at its annual conference in January. (Last year’s word was “singular they,” and it being the end of a decade, they chose “(my) pronoun” as the word of the decade. Okay, they’re not always single words: alternative facts and milkshake duck have also been winners.)

            So what will be the word/phrase of this year? “pandemic”? “coronavirus”? “COVid-19”? My suggestions above? I hope it won’t be “social collapse” or “depression.” The Society takes nominations all year long at woty@americandialect.org. (Can't seem to make this a clickable link, but you can always copy and paste.) Here’s your chance to weigh in.

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I’m participating in the 13th annual Slice of Life Challenge over at Two Writing Teachers. This is day 24 of the 31-day challenge.  It’s not too late to make space for daily writing in a community that is encouraging, enthusiastic, and eager to read what you have to slice about.  Join in!