To match the grim times Australia is in, Macquarie Dictionary has announced that the phrase “cozzie livs” is 2023’s Word of the Year.
Yep, that’s right, “cozzie livs” — a phrase we’ve been flammed for using (LOL) — has been crowned Macquarie Dictionary’s Committee Choice Word of the Year for 2023. For folks who don’t know what the phrase means, cozzie livs is defined as a “humorous play on cost of living“.
To pull that thread, cost of living, as defined by Macquarie Dictionary, is “the average retail prices of food, clothing, and other necessities paid by a person, family, etc., in order to live at their usual standard.” Unfortunately, in this day and age, the cost of living ain’t that great.
The Committee recognised that the phrase originated in the UK. However, it has “resonated soundly with Australia”.
“Although cozzie livs was coined in the UK, it has resonated soundly with Australians, with its -ie suffix and its clipped formation, reminiscent of menty b and locky d. And what could be a more Australian approach to a major social and economic problem than to treat it with a bit of humour and informality?” The Committee said following the announcement of the Word of the Year.
As for the People’s Choice Word of the Year, which was selected by votes cast on the Macquarie Dictionary website, was awarded to “Generative AI”.
It’s another phrase that is quite scary (in my eyes) but fitting for 2023.
As defined by Daddy Mac Dic, generative AI refers to “an artificial-intelligence application which is capable of producing new content, such as text, images, videos, etc., through the use of machine learning.”
This also includes those trippy AI filters on TikTok that turn people into high school yearbook portraits. Cute, but it sends shivers down my spine. Maybe I’ve watched too much I, Robot and Black Mirror.
“Unlike many other previous People’s Choice winners, generative AI isn’t a clever or humorous construction, but it has touched a nerve. A clear winner, it shows that AI is figuring prominently in our minds this year,” the committee said.
Other ~unique~ phrases that made it to the Word of the Year shortlist include:
- Angry Water — a cheeky phrase for carbonated water.
- Bopo — which stands for body positivity.
- Doof Stick — those awesome location markers folks use at music festivals.
- Doorway Effect — a “psychological phenomenon” when someone forgets something when they cross “some kind of boundary like moving from one room to another”.
- Rizz — AKA Charisma.
- Scrotox — botox for the skin on ya bollocks.
To peep the full list of shortlisted phrases and words, you can click right through here.
Last year, “teal” was awarded The Committee’s Choice Word of the Year alongside “bachelor’s handbag”, which was crowned the People’s Choice Word of the Year.
Honestly, I think scrotox should’ve won in 2023, alongside doof stick. But at the end of the day, I’m just glad it wasn’t rizz.
We need to bury that word deep into the Mariana Trench and never let it out again.
