2010 Lexicon: 11 new words that entered our vocabulary this past year

2010 Lexicon: 11 new words that entered our vocabulary this past year

1. true belieber \troo bih-leeb-er\ n. (2010): Self-designative term adopted by mega-fans of Canadian entertainer Justin Bieber. Males identifiable by side-swept haircuts, high tops and hoodies. Females known for fierce loyalty and pathological bouts of hysteria. Natural habitat: Twitter. (See also: Bieber Fever)


2. Giambroner \jam-brohn-er\ n. (2010): Any scandal of a sexual nature that involves a couch. Named after former mayoral candidate Adam Giambrone, whose campaign for mayor of Toronto was thwarted after it was discovered that he had been engaging in horizontal activity on his office sofa with a woman who was not his live-in girlfriend. (See also: Clintonastrophe)


3. Drake-over \dreyk-oh-ver\ n. (2010): In reference to the hotel, not the Degrassi-star-cum-rapper (though, come to think of it, that kind of works, too). The term entered local dialect following a number of Drake-related expansions in 2010, including two new General Stores and a new barbecue hut just east of the original Queen West location.


4. fake lake \feyk leyk\ n. [emphasis: ~of gravy] (2010): Newly emerged shorthand for wasteful government spending. Named after a $2-million faux water body that served as the centrepiece of the international media centre for journalists covering G20 and G8. (See also: $5.5-million fence, $1.1-billion security).


5. Tru-dean’t \troo-did-nt\ n. (2010): A significant lapse in judgment causing offence to others. Named for Trudeau family Christmas card featuring Canadian member of Parliament Justin, his wife, Sophie, and their two young children wearing coyote fur hoods and draped in an animal fur blanket.


6. McSheen \muhk-sheen\ n. (2010): The romantic pairing of Canadian actress Rachel McAdams and Welsh actor Michael Sheen. Yeah, yeah, it’s not as catchy as McGosling, but Rachel has moved on, and so should we. See recent snaps of Canada’s sweetheart snogging her new beau at LAX.

7. Ossingtorium \oz-ing-tohr-ee-uhm\ n. (2010): The now-lifted year-long moratorium on opening new restaurants and bars along the city’s most prolific boozing destination. Championed by defeated mayoral wannabe Joe Pantalone, who probably should have spent a little less time trying to quash inevitable expansion and a little more time trying to quash Rob Ford.


8. George of the bungle \jawrj uhv thuh buhng-guhl\ n. (phrase) (2010): Overarching expression denoting George Smitherman’s total pooch screwing of the 2010 mayoral race—the one initially handed to him on a golden platter.


9. Cherry bomb \cher-ee  bom\ n. (idiom) (2010): Describing a disastrous public appearance by Donald Stewart “Grapes” Cherry, especially in the political realm. Such events are largely identified by over-blurting of phrases “left-wing kooks” and “pinkos.”


10. double down \duhb-uhl doun\ n. (2010): Formerly used to describe the doubling of one’s bet in a card game, the term now denotes the doubling of fried poultry in KFC’s hugely popular bread-free sandwich.


11. gravy train \grey-vee treyn\ n. (2010): Mode of transportation rumoured to be preferred by unidentified wasted funds at Toronto’s city hall. Like many other things that ride on rails, the gravy train will allegedly be stopped by landslide-winning mayor Robert Bruce Ford.

(Images: Bieber, Donkey Hotey; Giambrone, Tsar Kasim; Drake, Amber Dawn Pullin; lake, Michael Swan; McAdams, christopherharte; Sheen, Josh Jensen; Smitherman, Shaun Merritt; Cherry, CBC; Double Down, kslee; Ford, YouTube)