When you’re a planet, and you get disrespected by the folks who study planets, where do you go?

To the English department!

Last year, Pluto was deemed by the General Assembly of the International Astronomical Union to be unworthy of planet status. But on Jan. 5, Pluto got even when it was named “2006 Word of the Year” by the American Dialect Society.

To “pluto,” according to the ADS, is to demote or devalue someone or something, the same way the astronomers demoted and devalued the poor planet of Pluto (or non-planet, as the case may be).

“It was good that the society focused on a genuine scientific concern,” said Professor Wayne Glowka of George College and State University, chair of the New Words Committee of the ADS. “Though I believe the nomination came in from outer space.”

Revenge is sweet, and for Pluto, it’s double-sweet this year. Pluto was also voted “2006 Name of the Year” by the ADS’ sibling organization, the American Name Society.

“Our members believe the great emotional reaction of the public to the demotion of Pluto shows the importance of Pluto as a name,” said ANS President Cleveland Evans. “We may no longer believe in the Roman god Pluto, but we still have a sense of personal connection with the former planet.”

The ex-planet did have some competition at the ADS’ annual meeting in Anaheim, Calif., though. It actually won a run-off race with “climate canary.”

“Climate canary?” asked Jennifer Rose, of Tahlequah. “I’ve never heard of that.”

Few people probably have heard of “climate canary,” but according to the ADS, it’s an organism or species that hints at environmental catastrophe.

“OK, that makes sense,” said Rose. “Like Al Gore.”

Exactly.

Just like Al Gore, the former vice president who’s found a second career as the director of environmental documentaries.

(Actually, according to the ADS, a true climate canary hints at environmental catastrophe because it’s in poor health, or has declining numbers. Gore seems to be putting on some weight, which doesn’t bode well for his health. As there appears to be only one of him, declining numbers would definitely be a negative situation, if not for the environment, at least for Gore.)

“Macaca” was next in the running, after “pluto” and “climate canary.”

The word – along with its derivative, “macaca moment” – stems from a remark made by former Virginia Sen. George Allen. The comment is considered the beginning of the end for Allen’s re-election hopes, and means “treating an American citizen as an alien.”

Other words that received recognition at the recent convention included “YouTube” (used as a verb, not a noun), the popular video Web site; “surge,” which refers a large, but brief, increase in troop strength; and “flog,” a fake blog created by a corporation to promote a product.

Other noteworthy words this year included winner of the most unnecessary category, “SuriKat,” the supposed nickname of the baby girl produced by Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes; second most-unnecessary word, “the decider,” President Bush’s description of himself as the one who would make the final decision on whether Donald Rumsfeld would leave his job as secretary of defense; and winner of the most creative award, “lactard,” a person who is lactose-intolerant.

The award for the most outrageous word went to “Cambodian accessory,” as personified by Angelina Jolie’s adopted Cambodian child.

The most euphemistic word last year was actually one that’s been around for a few years, but just hasn’t received the recognition it deserved. That would be “waterboarding,” an interrogation technique in which the subject is immobilized and doused with water to simulate drowning.

According to the ADS, winning words don’t have to be new, they just have to have gained new prominence in the last year.

Of course, some people just aren’t satisfied to use words that some “society” or another has deemed worthy.

Take Tommy Rogers, for example.

“The word of the year should be ‘oscalante,’” he said.

And what, one might ask, does “oscalonte” mean?

In fact, one did ask.

“It’s a word I made up in high school,” Rogers said. “It means a hot, beautiful female.”

Barney Ross didn’t make up the word “cattywampus,” but he would like to see it – and at least one of its derivatives – recognized.

“I’m quite impressed by ‘cattywampus,’” he said, adding that the meaning is “crooked, not straight.”

“I’d like to see it get more recognition, but I’d also like to know if cattywampus can be used as a noun, too. I’d like to call people ‘cattywampers.’”



Learn more

For more information about the American Dialect Society and the Word of the Year, visit www.americandialect.org.



Eddie Glenn writes for Tahlequah (Okla.) Daily Press.