Q.
What are some of the lucky words that have been bestowed official word status in the 2024 Oxford dictionary?

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A.

With a 150-year history and 500,000 word and phrase entries, the Oxford Dictionary is ever evolving. In March of this year, the OED added 1,000 new or revised words, senses, and phrases.

Here’s a sampling, with the definitions tweaked in our own (i.e. non copy-and-paste) words.

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Back Pocket
This feels like one of those ‘must be a trick’ questions on a mean multiple-choice quiz. But, nope, this is exactly as it sounds – that wee opening on the back of your, say, jeans.

Bibliophobe
Someone with a serious discomfort with books, reading, or studying from books.

Chicken Salt
An Australian spice created from a yellow-orange mix of salts, herbs, and spices.

Dead-Ass
An all-purpose insult. Are you saying this person is boring, feeble-minded, or slothful?

Fatmouth
It’s a verb that accuses someone of blathering on. Their topic? Could be indiscernible nothingness, egotistical tangents, groundless threats…

Fishnetted
These body parts are ensconced in fishnet.

Jumping Castle
Also known as a bouncy castle. A highlight of street carnivals and bougie birthday parties.

Kintsugi
It’s that beautiful word used to describe the Japanese practice of repairing broken ceramics with gold-dusted tree sap lacquer.

Misclick
Oops. You pushed the wrong button on your mouse, touchpad, or screen. Let’s hope it wasn’t an errant delete or send.

No Wuckers
It’s all good. No worries. You can chill.

Overfished
The fish and shellfish one used to naturally find in this body of water are now depleted thanks to unchecked levels of human fishing.

Spy Balloon
In this case, they – military, intelligence agents – really are watching you.

Tudor Bonnet
Our closest parallel might be the graduation cap. Popular through the Tudor period, these head coverings were typically soft and round, with a thin brim, a low-sitting crown, and – for some extra zhuzh– a tassle.

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Header Art: A Young Lady, Aged 21. Painter Unknown. 1569