Another week, another WOTY. Because marketing. The most recent and the final additional winner is because, chosen by the American Dialect Society a few days ago. Because “because marketing” … I mean, because expressions such as “because marketing” broke into the mainstream in 2013. This represents “new grammatical possibilities in informal online use,” says Ben Zimmer in the ADS Press Release:
No longer does because have to be followed by of or a full clause. Now one often sees tersely worded rationales like ‘because science’ or ‘because reasons.’
Oddly enough, science was Merriam-Webster’s WOTY, announced back in early December. You’ll remember that selfie was Oxford Dictionaries’ choice, because internet. Also because internet, the less-than-credible Global Language Monitor has “determined” that 404 is the 2013 WOTY [though GLM likes my guy, fail (n.), for the number 2 spot].
With so many competing WOTYs, what I would like to propose is a WOTYOTY, determined by knock-out tournament, to be held in late January every year.
Also reported, with a good number of good comments, on LL:
http://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=9477
And also this on LL, with no comments, because Pullum:
http://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=9494
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