“Selfie,” “bitcoin,” “twerk” and “phablet.” No, they’re not misspelled words. These odd-looking letter combinations are among the most recent Internet-speak additions to the Oxford Dictionaries Online, which focuses on modern meanings of English words.
If someone wants to show you the selfie he took with his phablet on one of your beds, he’s not a social deviant. According to the dictionary, he simply is inviting you to look at a photo he took of himself with a large-screen smartphone or webcam and uploaded to a social media site.
And when you’re ready to cut loose, find someone who enjoys twerking, a “dance to popular music in a sexually provocative manner involving thrusting hip movements and a low, squatting stance.” Although people have twerked for years, Miley Cyrus made the dance infamous in August at the MTV Video Music Awards.
More additions: Bitcoin, a digital currency that doesn’t require a bank, and BYOD, bring your own device.
