Do you have an earlier record of a word which our editors are currently researching? Please submit your evidence in the comments. woke earlier than 2008
#staywoke. In the last few years, the injunction to ‘stay woke’ in the face of racial discrimination or social injustice has ensured that […]
Posted by OED_Editor on 25 June 2017 15.53
Tags: 1960s, 2000s, North American, slang
slider (Bristol regionalism) earlier than 1997
National Poetry Day 2017 takes place on the 28th of September, and for the occasion the BBC, working with […]
Posted by OED_Editor on 12 June 2017 23.45
Tags: 1990s, British
Cheers! (‘thank you’) earlier than 1976
With the Christmas season upon us, you may find yourself hearing and saying cheers! more often, whether as a toast before drinking with friends or perhaps in exchange for a gift […]
Posted by OED_Editor on 9 December 2016 16.33
Tags: 1970s, British, Christmas, colloquial, television
Arnold Palmer earlier than 1991
An ‘Arnold Palmer’ is a refreshing, summery drink made by mixing equal parts iced tea and lemonade and named for the American professional golfer Arnold Palmer. So far, the earliest evidence we have […]
Posted by OED_Editor on 3 August 2016 13.11
Tags: 1990s, Food & Drink, golf, North American
teleserye (meaning ‘TV soap opera’) before Nov. 2000
The term appears to have been coined by Emmanuel dela Cruz, one of the writers on the series Pangako Sa ‘Yo; a 2000 article supplied by Bryn made the discovery of this coinage possible.
‘Teleserye’ is the Philippine English word for a television soap opera, combining tele- from television with the Tagalog word for series, serye. The word was apparently first used in […]
Posted by OED_Editor on 24 May 2016 15.25
Tags: 2000s, Philippine English, World English
kilig (describing excitement or romance) before 1994
A 1981 antedating was found by Bryn.
‘Kilig’ is a borrowing from Tagalog that has taken on a variety of meanings and uses in Philippine English. The word can be used as a noun to refer to the thrill caused by an exciting or romantic experience, or […]
Posted by OED_Editor on 24 May 2016 15.24
Tags: 1980s, 1990s, Philippine English, World English
add oil (expressing encouragement) before 2005
A 1964 antedating supplied by Bryn has been verified.
‘Add oil’ is an expression that has gained a lot of currency in Hong Kong in the last few years. A literal translation of the Cantonese phrase ga yao, it [..]
Posted by OED_Editor on 17 May 2016 15.00
Tags: 2000s, Hong Kong English, World English
shroff (meaning ‘cashier’ or ‘payment booth’) before 1973
The ‘cashier’ sense has been antedated to 1950; evidence from 1970 of the ‘payment booth’ sense was found by Doug Clark.
‘Shroff’ is a word whose use in English can be traced back to colonial times. An Anglo-Indian corruption of the Persian borrowing saraf, it was used to refer to local bankers and money changers in former British territories in Asia such as India, Singapore, and Hong Kong. Today, the word has almost completely fallen out of use, except in Hong Kong English, where it has taken on the more modern sense of a cashier or […]
Posted by OED_Editor on 17 May 2016 15.00
Tags: 1970s, 1990s, Hong Kong English, World English
sabo earlier than 1977/1960
An equivalent use of saboing dating to 1917 in a source unconnected to Singapore was identified by Bryn.
‘Sabo’, an abbreviated form of the English word sabotage, is a Singaporean slang term that means tricking people or intentionally making trouble for them, especially to gain a personal advantage. The word can be used as both a noun and a verb […]
Posted by OED_Editor on 10 May 2016 17.28
Tags: 1960s, 1970s, Singapore English, World English
shiok earlier than 1977
‘Shiok’ is a borrowing from Malay that has acquired multiple uses and meanings in everyday Singapore English. It is an exclamation expressing admiration or approval, just like ‘cool!’ and ‘great!’ It is also an adjective that describes delicious food or a superb meal, or […]
Posted by OED_Editor on 10 May 2016 17.26
Tags: 1970s, 1980s, Singapore English, World English