2009 December’s Issue
"Unfriend" the Word of the Year
When you remove someone as a “friend” on Facebook, what do you call it?
The New Oxford American Dictionary – OAD for short – said that the 2009 Word of the Year is “unfriend”, as in “to remove someone as a ‘friend’ on a social networking site”.
Christine Lindberg, a lexicographer for the dictionary, said, “In the online social networking context, its meaning is understood, so its adoption as a modern verb form makes this an interesting choice for Word of the Year. It has both currency and longevity."
Though some say “unfriend” is in fact the verb they use to describe the action of deleting a “friend” from their friend lists on social networks. Others prefer ‘defriend’.
“It should be de-friend, not unfriend. I've been using facebook since it began and do not agree with unfriend, and I guarantee my facebook friends would agree with me,” commented one Facebooker on a blog.
Another did agree, “I also use ‘defriend’ and have never heard of ‘unfriend’. For the record, I’m 24 and use Facebook most regularly. I first signed onto Facebook when I was 19, right when it opened up to my college.”
But the new word of the year also has its backers. “‘Defriend’ misses the whole point and is both boring and uncreative. Unfriend should be compared to undo – which is in social networking exactly what one does. It's not befriending someone and making acquaintances in reverse, it's just undoing a function – unhitting the friend button."
Finalists from technology for 2009 included “netbook”, a small laptop, and “sexting”, the sending of sexually explicit text messages and pictures by cell phone. In economy, there was “funemployed”, referring to people taking advantage of newly unemployed status to have fun or pursue other interests. In the current affairs section, finalists included “choice mom”, a person who chooses to be a single mother.
Adapted from the article “‘Unfriend’ or ‘Defriend’? Facebook Fans Debate” by Ki Mae Heussner,
published in ABC News on 17 November, 2009
Vocabulary
|
Word |
Part of Speech |
Meaning |
|
for short |
phr. |
as an abbreviation (簡稱) |
|
currency |
n. |
the fact that something is used by a lot of people (流行) |
|
longevity |
n. |
long life, the fact of lasting a long time (長壽、持久) |
|
guarantee |
v. |
to be certain that something will happen (確保、肯定) |
|
backer |
n. |
someone who helps or gives support (支持者) |
|
uncreative |
adj. |
not having the ability to invent and develop new ideas, especially in the arts (缺乏創造力的) |
|
undo |
v. |
to reverse an effect (還原) |
|
acquaintance |
n. |
a person that you know but not a close friend (泛泛之交) |
|
explicit |
adj. |
expressed or shown clearly and openly (直接言明的) |
|
text message |
n. phr. |
a written message that you send using a mobile phone (手機短訊) |
Questions for
F.1 – F.3
Questions for F.4 – F.5
Questions for F.6 – F.7
Answer Key
(F.1 – F.3)
|
a |
longevity |
f |
text message |
|
b |
uncreative |
g |
backers |
|
c |
undo |
h |
for short |
|
d |
explicit |
i |
guarantee |
|
e |
acquaintances |
j |
currency |
(F.4 – F.5)
|
1 |
B |
2 |
A |
3 |
C |
4 |
C |
|
a |
unfriends / defriends |
d |
funemployed |
|
b |
currency |
e |
netbook |
|
c |
longevity |
f |
sexting |
Answers (b) and (c) can be swapped.
Answers (e) and (f) can be swapped.
Lai Chack Middle School
Winners of Monthly News Review Competition
(2009 December’s Issue)
2A (95.1%), 3A (100%), 3B (100%)
Individual Prize winners:
Form 1-3:
1A (11) 張瑋晏 ZHANG WEIYAN
1E (2) 張美森 CHEUNG MEI SUM
2A (22) 胡嘉雯 WU KA MAN
2B (17) 林鳳茹 LAM FUNG YU
3B (14) 譚嘉奇 TAM KA KI
Form 4-5:
4A (37) 謝耀洲 XIE YAOZHOU
5D (15) 農嘉慧 LUNG KA WAI
Form 6-7:
7A (4) 徐詠德 TSUI WING TAK
7A (5) 韋子深 WEI TSZ SUM MICHELLE
7B (2) 陳文英 CHAN MAN YING
7B (3) 陳燕玲 CHAN YIN LING
7B (5) 趙寶華 CHIU PO WA