A book for those who are not screenagers

LONDON, England (Reuters) -- The new edition of the Oxford Compact English dictionary is out and an obsession with fashion and beauty has provided many of the new candidates.

The lookist -- someone who discriminates on grounds of how a person looks -- evidently doesn't appreciate the chuddies (underpants), carpenters (multi-pocketed trousers with loops for tools), and shrug (close-fitting cardigan) which many fashion-concious young people are wearing.

Non-fashion-related gems included in the new edition reflect the growing Internet culture.

Dot.com is in

Cybersquatting (registering web names in the hope of selling them on), dot.com (company that conducts business on the Internet) flexecutive (worker whose hours and place of work are flexible due to the new technology) are all in.

Screenager (internet or computer-addicted teenager), Frankenfood (food with genetically modified ingredients) and gaydar (ability of one gay person to recognise another) are also new recruits.

In all there are 67 new words included with those from the catwalk providing 10. Among these are superwaif (for thin model), notch-neck (blouse), and bindhi (sticker jewellery).

The dictionary was last updated in 1996 by researchers who watch TV, scan newspapers, and magazines as well as monitoring the Internet to find out which words are used the most.

Only words still in common use at the time of publication are included in the new editions.

One of the words which could be included in the next edition is bumster which is the description of the low cut trousers invented by British fashion designer Alexander McQueen.

But there is one notable omission. "Blairism," for which publishers Oxford University Press provided no definition, did not make it in. OUP said the term would first have to prove it could "pass the test of time."

Reuters contributed to this report.

Brave new words
July 3, 2000
They're looking up 'Yankspeak' for the Oxford English Dictionary
July 5, 2000

See related sites about Europe

Note: Pages will open in a new browser window

External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.