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The arbiter of the English language, the Oxford English Dictionary, has deemed "selfie" the Word of 2013. It beat "twerk" (thanks Miley), "binge-watch" (thanks Netflix), showrooming (thanks every shopper everywhere), and schmeat (???). The dictionary claims that "the frequency of the word selfie in the English language has increased by 17,000% since this time last year."
For reference, the definition reads, "A photograph that one has taken of oneself, typically one taken with a smartphone or webcam and uploaded to a social media website." The example of usage offered is "occasional selfies are acceptable, but posting a new picture of yourself everyday isn't necessary." Read the first known use of selfie below.
And then of course there is this gem from the announcement blogpost:
Research shows the word selfie in use by 2002. The earliest known usage is found in an Australian online forum post: 2002 ABC Online (forum posting) 13 Sept.Thanks random drunk Aussies! You did the world and the English language a service."Um, drunk at a mates 21st, I tripped ofer [sic] and landed lip first (with front teeth coming a very close second) on a set of steps. I had a hole about 1cm long right through my bottom lip. And sorry about the focus, it was a selfie."
· Oxford Dictionaries Word of the Year 2013: Selfie [OED Blog]
· Oxford English Dictionary Adds Flatforms, Jorts, Double Denim [Racked]