Official dictionaries regularly add new words in order to keep up with our changing language. Often these have taken shape on social media platforms.
The Oxford Dictionary language reference site recently added ‘bae’, ‘selfie stick’ and ‘cyberwarrior’.
It was thrilling to see the term ‘concern troll’ listed on the site too because I’ve been thinking about new terms recently. (Clearly, a concern troll is “A person who disingenuously expresses concern about an issue with the intention of undermining or derailing genuine discussion”).
If you spend enough time on social media (for me, Twitter in particular) you see regular patterns of behaviour and I want to be able to name them. So ‘concern troll’, to me, is a terrific.
Now I need some help.
What’s the term for:
- When you’re not sure when to end a Twitter conversation. If you end it, you feel rude, if you continue the conversation, you’ll look needy. It’s awkward.
- When you see a funny or controversial tweet in your tweetstream and you make a mental note to respond or, at least, retweet. By the time you think of a response you’ve forgotten who posted it, you can’t find it and it’s lost in the Twitter ether.
- When you think someone is using a Twitter hashtag just to be part of the hashtag – jumping on a bandwagon to be noticed, but not adding anything creative. (“So what is #thisnewhashtag all about?”)
- When a tweet that includes your @handle is relentlessly Favorited or Retweeted by a bunch of others. It’s like being caught in a Reply All email trap.
- When you think you’ve tweeted something quite useful and intelligent and look back six hours later to spot the rediculous typo. (And others have already tweeted it).
If you know of an existing #sosheterm or, better yet, would like to make one up – please pitch in below.
Armchair etymologist, prolific word/portmanteau inventor, and cunning linguist checking in…
1) I don’t think this needs a term, it’s just a case of real life getting in the way and realising you DGAF, best I can think of is #outsideGITW. (h/t https://www.reddit.com/r/outside )
2) There’s several cool terms for “tip of my tongue” such as lethologica (forgotten word) and lethonomia (forgotten name) which are more to do with everyday life (lethe = Greek ‘forgetful’, logos = word, nom = name {not food!}), then there’s aphasia which is language disorders to do with brain damage – #lethotweetia would work but I don’t see it gaining traction unless a celeb uses it, you could use #twittophasia to describe someone you think is mental and forgetful as a classy insult. Amnesia is a better known term but this relates to a chronic condition and isn’t really suitable, however I think something like #twitnesia will be easily understood without much context. But if you don’t care about offending people you can use #twitzheimers.
3) #hashhikers – from hitchhikers, who don’t know where this ride has been or is going, but hope it will get them somewhere for free (“not adding anything creative”).
4) #giltbyassociation – it’s raining gold but you didn’t contribute directly.
5) This never happens.
6) Bonus round! #twitlexia – when you mix up hashtags or @ the wrong person.
Love it! Thanks Ash.
#giltbyassociation is #puregold
5) As if.
When you’re not sure when to end a Twitter conversation. If you end it, you feel rude, if you continue the conversation, you’ll look needy. It’s awkward. #signingoffonthisthread #threadexit
When you see a funny or controversial tweet in your tweetstream and you make a mental note to respond or, at least, retweet. By the time you think of a response you’ve forgotten who posted it, you can’t find it and it’s lost in the Twitter ether. #threaddisconnect
When you think someone is using a Twitter hashtag just to be part of the hashtag – jumping on a bandwagon to be noticed, but not adding anything creative. (“So what is #thisnewhashtag all about?”) #hashtagcrasher
When a tweet that includes your @handle is relentlessly Favorited or Retweeted by a bunch of others. It’s like being caught in a Reply All email trap. #nothappyaboutthishashtagparty
When you think you’ve tweeted something quite useful and intelligent and look back six hours later to spot the rediculous typo. (And others have already tweeted it). #tweetregret
While not a term, I’ve had the conversation about ending Twitter convos before and it seems a popular method is to favourite a tweet. That way you’re acknowledging what’s been said without adding anything further.
That’s a nice solution Ash. 🙂
So glad it’s not just me who agonises over 1 – 5!
You’re definitely not alone!
I think we’ve been in a conversation or two where #1 has been in play …
And I think #BadAsh has way too much time on his hands 🙂