How were skibidi, delulu and tradwife added to the Cambridge dictionary?
Lexicographers acknowledge that Internet culture is changing English, and this effect is interesting to observe and record in dictionaries. Skibidi, delulu and tradwife have recently been added to the Cambridge Dictionary.
'Skibidi', 'tradwife' and 'delulu' are among the new words added to the Cambridge Dictionary this year, a selection that confirms the growing influence of the TikTok generation on the English language.
Anyone who thought these new words would just be a passing internet craze should think again. The compilers of these dictionaries say they are here to stay.
Colin McIntosh, dictionary program manager, said:
' Internet culture is changing English and this effect is interesting to observe and record in dictionaries ' -
' It's not every day you see words like 'skibidi' and 'delulu' appear in the Cambridge Dictionary. We only add words that we think will stick around. '
Older generations and non-TikTok users will have to get used to words like skibidi. Children often use it to emphasize sentences. It became popular thanks to Skibidi Toilet – a viral YouTube animation that shows a human head sticking out of a toilet.
The Cambridge Dictionary defines skibidi as " a word that can have many different meanings such as 'cool' or 'bad', or can be used as a joke without any real meaning ", an example of its use is: " What the skibidi are you doing? " - What the hell are you doing?.
Older Alphas are often disappointed when the word enters the dictionary. American writer and artist Lee Escobedo wrote in the Guardian earlier this year: ' Skibidi brainrot is a generation adept at irony but starved for meaning. This hyper-chaotic media is both entertainment and an ambivalent worldview for young men raised online. Their minds treat jokes as a form of expression as normal. '
The ' tradwife ' phenomenon , which has been around since at least 2020, has also been widely criticized. It refers to conservative social influencers who glorify caring for their husbands, children, and homes and post about it on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. The dictionary definition of a ' tradwife ' is ' a person who is particularly fond of posting on social media .'
Delulu, short for "illusional," is less controversial, but is associated with a post-truth world where personal beliefs are valued more than facts. The dictionary defines " delulu " as "believing in things that are not real or true, usually because you choose to do so ."
Delulu originated more than 10 years ago as an insult aimed at die-hard K-pop fans who questioned their belief that they would date their idols. The phrase " delulu is the solulu" to express your desire has been viewed billions of times on TikTok. The phrase " delulu with no solulu " was used by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese earlier this year to attack his opponents in parliament.
" Broligarchy ," a term for tech industry leaders whose platforms are spreading these new words, also made it into the dictionary.
Combining the words "bro" and "oligarchy", the Cambridge Dictionary says it refers to " a small group of men, especially those who own or are involved in a technological enterprise, who are extremely wealthy and powerful, and have or want to have political influence ".
Other new entries in the dictionary include " mouse jiggler ," a post-pandemic device or software used to make it feel like you're working even though you're not.
Meanwhile, " Work spouse" according to the dictionary is a phrase that refers to a relationship in the workplace, where two people help and trust each other.
