It's "rizz" — short for "charisma."
Reported here in the NYT, which offers some detail on the procedure, because you want assurance that the selection is not rigged:
Usually, Oxford’s lexicographers assemble a shortlist of words or expressions that saw a statistically relevant surge, and then choose a winner. But... [l]ast year, Oxford let the public vote on three finalists. (“Goblin mode” came out on top, because 2022.) This year, the public was invited to cut the shortlist list in half by weighing in on four head-to-head thematic pairings. (Some 30,000 people voted, Oxford said.) Oxford’s team then made the final selection.
One pairing, “Swiftie” vs. “de-influencing,” related to celebrity culture. Others reflected personal characteristics (“rizz” vs. “beige flag,” a characteristic suggesting a partner is boring), the changing world (“prompt” vs. “heat dome”) and relationships (“parasocial” vs. “situationship”).
Grathwohl guessed, correctly, that the contest would ultimately come down to “Swiftie” vs. “rizz.” Which it did, but only after “de-influencing” (the practice of discouraging people from buying particular products, or reducing their consumption more generally) made a strong run at knocking out “Swiftie.”
If people are going to vote, looks matter. "Rizz" looks good. People just like the double "z" — jazz, snazzy, dizzy, dizzy mizz lizzy, buzz, fuzzy, fizz, jizz, zzzz.
If only Swifty could be Swizzy, she'd'a won.
"Swizzy" is a already slang word though, Urban Dictionary suggests (with 22 up votes against 2 downs):
Posts
36 comments:
I've noticed that cringe has been moved from verb to noun recently. Things are not cringeworthy or cringe-making. They are simply cringe. Can we look forward to it becoming cringe sometime soon. Language marches on.
Weak
The correct spelling is "RZZZZ!" No 'i,' five 'z's, all caps, terminating always with an exclamation mark.
And it’s a dumb abbreviation to boot.
You maniacs you blew it all up
“Goblin mode” is not a word; it’s an expression.
Charisma or semen.
Rizz charmed its way to number one.
Charisma or semen.
One thing leads to another.
When did we drift into the stupidest timeljne
I care not for the word or how it looks.
Pathetic.
You can trace the decline of Western Civilization by looking at the history of the 'word of the year' by Miriam-Webster and Oxford.
Rizz? Seriously?
Oxford transformed into The Oxford Urban Dictionary so quickly and quietly we barely noticed.
Prediction: 'Rizz' will last exactly 8-10 months in use and will be replaced by a new word that gets used by everyone on social media. Oxford will spend the next few years trying to keep up, to appear relevant.
If you have the rizz you will be straight bussin. The rizz is even more important than drip fr fr no cap.
If Rizz is short for charisma, and has exactly the same meaning as charisma, then how is it a new word, as opposed to simply a new pronunciation?
I wrote them a scathing tweet earlier today, so you can be assured action will be taken!
Dammit, meant to say can we look forward to cringe becoming ringe sometime soon, but autocorrect did its thing without me noticing. That's ringe isn't it?
It appears that in reality the Oxford word of the year is pledge.
Let's check again in 5 years if this "word" is still in use.
I pizz on your rizz.
My children are Gen Z. I have never heard them once use the word “rizz”. Makes you wonder who does use it…
I feel stupider for having contemplated this. @narciso 's comment made it all worthwhile, though.
When did OED start publishing a "word of the year"? And can we have a graphic, say, a cartesian 2D space plotting x, the word of the year, against y as a function of charm, wit, and usefulness?
I think it would look something like this.
Kids today. This sort of construction gives me a bad vibe.
My post is missing.
They abort syllables and transform words in order to reduce their linguistic burden and empathize with their progressive dissonant perceptions.
The election was rigged. I'm guessing that the people who voted were far more likely to be academics than Taylor Swift fana. If the election were held at a Taylor Swift concert, I'm pretty sure Swiftie would be the chosen word....Re deinfluencers. Dylan Mulvaney should be awarded recognition as the most influential de-influencer of all time. Bud Light should embrace the message. Hire Santos, Weiner, Jussie Smollett to be their spokespersons: "When I need a drink, I reach for a Bud Light". Couldn't possibly hurt, and it would give the aforementioned a much needed paycheck.
The election was rigged. I'm guessing that the people who voted were far more likely to be academics than Taylor Swift fana. If the election were held at a Taylor Swift concert, I'm pretty sure Swiftie would be the chosen word....Re deinfluencers. Dylan Mulvaney should be awarded recognition as the most influential de-influencer of all time. Bud Light should embrace the message. Hire Santos, Weiner, Jussie Smollett to be their spokespersons: "When I need a drink, I reach for a Bud Light". Couldn't possibly hurt, and it would give the aforementioned a much needed paycheck.
'Charisma or semen.'
Does Bill Clinton have rizz jizz?
Apparently he does...
30,000 votes doesn't seem like that many for an online poll by a big-name entity.
'My post is missing.'
Among other things...
The mizz lacks rizz.
I guess she'll have to settle for money and fame.
Weasels Ripped My Flesh
RZZZZZ
h/t F. Zappa
"Oxford’s team then made the final selection."
This description lacks any proof of linkage between the public's votes and the final outcome.
If I am not mistaken, I have seen this word used one time before in my life. It was used on this blog by Ride Space Mountain discussing Henry Kissinger. I found it very off-putting.
So far, the Word of This Decade is "fuct".
Good catch, baghdadbob.
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