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When it comes to slang, in some cases, what's new may actually be old.
The Oxford Dictionary is set to add a number of words including "twerk," "hot mess," "masshole," "autotune," "half-ass" and "fo'shizzle," according to Time. The words come complete with full histories of their origins and meanings.
It turns out the origins of “twerk,” didn’t just start with Miley Cyrus and her foam finger. Its orgins go back to 1820 when the word “twirk” was used to refer to “a twisting or jerking movement," Time reports. In the 1800s, “hot mess” was used to describe a warm meal that was served to a group and in the 1900s, it was used to refer to “a difficult or uncomfortable situation,” Time found. Similarly, “half-ass” was traced back to 1954 when it was referring “to performing (an action or task) poorly or incompetently.”
Other words Oxford is adding: "stanky," "sext," "koozie," "FLOTUS," "cisgender," "boiler room," "bridge-and-tunnel" and "backronym." Oxford's additions comes a month after Merriam Webster added a host of internet slang such as "WTF" to its dictionary.
Read more at Time.
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