It’s that time of the year again. It is finally starting to get cold (if you are worried about the global warming maybe you should become carbon-neutral) and the New Oxford American Dictionary is preparing for the holidays by making its biggest announcement of the year. The 2007 Word of the Year is (drum-roll please) locavore.
The past year saw the popularization of a trend in using locally grown ingredients, taking advantage of seasonally available foodstuffs that can be bought and prepared without the need for extra preservatives.
The “locavore” movement encourages consumers to buy from farmers’ markets or even to grow or pick their own food, arguing that fresh, local products are more nutritious and taste better. Locavores also shun supermarket offerings as an environmentally friendly measure, since shipping food over long distances often requires more fuel for transportation.
“The word ‘locavore’ shows how food-lovers can enjoy what they eat while still appreciating the impact they have on the environment,” said Ben Zimmer, editor for American dictionaries at Oxford University Press. “It’s significant in that it brings together eating and ecology in a new way.”
“Locavore” was coined two years ago by a group of four women in San Francisco who proposed that local residents should try to eat only food grown or produced within a 100-mile radius. Other regional movements have emerged since then, though some groups refer to themselves as “localvores” rather than “locavores.” However it’s spelled, it’s a word to watch.
Runners-up for the 2007 Word of the Year include:
aging in place: the process of growing older while living in one’s own residence, instead of having to move to a new home or community
bacn: email notifications, such as news alerts and social networking updates, that are considered more desirable than unwanted “spam” (coined at PodCamp Pittsburgh in Aug. 2007 and popularized in the blogging community)
cloudware: online applications, such as webmail, powered by massive data storage facilities, also called “cloud servers”
colony collapse disorder: a still-unexplained phenomenon resulting in the widespread disappearance of honeybees from beehives, first observed in late 2006
cougar: an older woman who romantically pursues younger men
MRAP vehicle: Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle, designed to protect troops from improvised explosive devices (IEDs)
mumblecore: an independent film movement featuring low-budget production, non-professional actors, and largely improvised dialogue
previvor: a person who has not been diagnosed with a form of cancer but has survived a genetic predisposition for cancer
social graph: the network of one’s friends and connections on social websites such as Facebook and Myspace
tase (or taze): to stun with a Taser (popularized by a Sep. 2007 incident in which a University of Florida student was filmed being stunned by a Taser at a public forum)
upcycling: the transformation of waste materials into something more useful or valuable
Disagree with the word of the year? Leave a comment and let us know what you think.
Comments
Jon said :
Nov 12, 2007
re:locavore—
Anthony Bourdain’s “The Nasty Bits,” Ch. 5: “Are you a Crip or a Blood?”
http://saveyourfork.wordpress.com/2007/03/17/thats-just-nasty/
NYMag’s Great Cheapavore Challenge:
http://nymag.com/restaurants/cheapeats/2007/34996/
…and anything Alice Waters
Brian said :
Nov 13, 2007
Honestly, I don’t understand why locavore is the word of the year. Social graph I could see the logic in, but locavore is not destine for common usage and its selection reads more of an agenda than an educated choice. I just hope William Safire doesn’t read this…
Pamela Benjamin said :
Nov 13, 2007
I hope William Safire reads this.
Cogito ergo doleo said :
Nov 13, 2007
Lawzy, I hope there’s no lasting need MRAP. Jingoism, jingoism, jingo all the way???
Will said :
Nov 13, 2007
Boo I totally like Tase better..
Geoff Stief said :
Nov 14, 2007
Locavore, though not destined to be widely use in the short term, will be a more common term as society realizes the bodily harm that comes from eating imported, pesticide filled and even mass produced domestic, hormone and antibiotic filled foods. Each movement needs a grounding of standardized terminology and this is good first step.
rightwingprof said :
Nov 14, 2007
I’ve never heard it. I suppose that’s a good thing, because it’s a particularly ugly and ignorant coinage.
Mark said :
Nov 14, 2007
I first heard of this word when reading Barbara Kingsolver, in the March/April of Orion Magazine:
“In many social circles it’s ordinary for hosts to accommodate vegetarian guests, even if they’re carnivores themselves. Maybe the world would likewise become more hospitable to diners who are queasy about fuel-guzzling foods, if that preference had a name. Petrolophobes? Seasonaltarians? Lately I’ve begun seeing the term “locavores,”and I like it: both scientifically and socially descriptive, with just the right hint of livin’ la vida loca.”
Great word, great choice for word of the year!
XP said :
Nov 15, 2007
Previvor? Seriously? What a stupid word. And PS people have been using cougar for years. Just because a reality show puts it in a commercial doesn’t mean it hasn’t been widespread.
Jonquil said :
Nov 17, 2007
The first time I heard “locavore” was in its Word of the Year citation. And I eat regularly at a cafe that only cooks food raised within 150 miles.
Surely a Word of the Year ought to be at least common?
Jill said :
Nov 19, 2007
GREAT choice!! Between global warming and Peak Oil, it is more important than ever to get the oil out of our food.
Our conventional dinner plate guzzles gas throughout its 1500 mile journey, after being treated with pesticides (petroleum) and chemical fertilizers (natural gas).
“Of all the tools for social change, the fork might just be the strongest.” Roger Dwaran
Christine said :
Nov 19, 2007
Hmmmm…..locavore - makes sense it was coined in SF- for those of us living where it is winter 9 months of the year (and poor skiing the other 3) we’d be looking at scurvy and worse if we were locavores. Another nice conceit for those in lotus land!
Yam said :
Nov 20, 2007
Why not: localarian? localtarian? proxitarian? (as in: vegetarian)
After all, aren’t all animals (or all living things, for that matter) ‘locavores’?
Only human beings today would have beef from New Zealand, Tiger Prawn from Thailand, Lobster from North Atlantic, Salmon from Scandinavia, Rice from Australia, exotic fruits from South America … all in one meal, on a table somewhere in China.
While by and large I am supportive of the movement, ‘locavore’ is in fact a poorly coined word.
Personally I think __-arian (such as localtarian) is a better word that is more compatible with the concept, because it denotes a conscious choice, whereas the ‘vore’ in locavore or proxivore often points toward an instinctive nature.
Note the difference between a vegetarian and a herbivore.
Chewtoy said :
Nov 20, 2007
It took me a while to realise that the term “colony collapse disorder” was not “colon collapse disorder”, which I would have found a far more useful addition to our language.
–
I prefer “tase” over “locavore”, which is very contrived and has not found common usage.
I miss “crowdsourcing” in your shortlist, the term for the phenomenon of user generated content submitted for free and subsequently packaged by the host site for advertising revenue, complete with implicit connotations of feudal slavery (”webserfer”).
Diane Gandee Sorbi said :
Nov 20, 2007
What a fantastic choice! I became a locavore last year. Local food is fresher, healthier, and tastes better. Since it doesn’t require massive amounts of oil to ship it a long distance, buying and eating locally is really a patriotic act with the added advantage of benefitting the local economy. I hope the word and practice become commonplace.
Laura said :
Nov 28, 2007
Cheers to you on your selection of the word of the year! It’s great to see that your choice reflects the hard work of a grassroots movement that has done, and is still doing, so much to improve our quality of life and quality of land.
Sylvia said :
Dec 4, 2007
While I don’t have any great dislike for the word itself, I guess I’m uncomfortable with promoting the concept - that those who eat locally and who promote the benefits of this approach need to be treated as a different category of person, someone outside the mainstream. It feels as if the promotion of this new term may unintentionally serve to create unnecessary boundaries. I’m hoping that as we all learn more about the real costs of heavily processed and transported foods, more and more will choose to include locally produced foods in their routine diets.
That, by the way, is a major focus of my brand new blog, http://www.artisanbreadcheeseandwine.com. Pls visit. I’d like to hear from you.
Adam P. Knave said :
Dec 5, 2007
The word of the year is a SNIGGLET? Well that’s just depressing.
Joe said :
Dec 12, 2007
Locavores are the same types who actually think paying $5 for a bottle of water is the hip thing to do. I suggest a remake of the old PT Barnum ditty: “There’s a locavore, born every minute….”
Anonymous said :
Dec 14, 2007
Who says “cougar” anymore??
Peggy Vera said :
Dec 30, 2007
Yam’s comment of Nov 20, 2007 is the most intelligent comment, so far.
Using the ___ -arian versus ___-vore to distinguish between a conscious choice versus instinct makes so much sense!
And I sympathize with Christine and those who live where it’s winter 9 months of the year.
Ruby said :
Jan 3, 2008
The term “locavore” is used quite commonly where I live. In fact, alot of kids are learning about the importance of eating local through this funny little word. I think it’s only going to get more popular, so I can see why it was chosen.
lonbon said :
Jan 6, 2008
i love this word and what it means- i am going to buy local these days- i live near yakima and we have an abundance of local veggies and fruits…and it saves the environment and does not support the oil war…
immobilien said :
Feb 12, 2008
silly question: what means this word (Locavore)?
Anonymous said :
Feb 17, 2008
What’s wrong with “localvore”? “Locavore” is kind of anti-intuitive and pretentious, don’t you think?
Anonymous said :
Mar 22, 2008
A friend of mine, Carol Fink, came up with the word “Localist”. I don’t know if it was a word before she said it, but thought it was a great addition to “Locavore” and “Relocalization”.
Eating locally sure saves energy, and improves the quality of the food, and gives us feedback as to the effects of our food production techniques. So does “natural building” and other forms of meeting our need locally. And it is fun.
A group of organic ag students from MSU and OU met at my place for a full moon bonfire. They pulled out a guitar and a ukelele, grabbed one of my drums and began a beautiful music session complete with harmonies. Additionally, they brought wonderful food for the potluck ~ from kombucha tea to greens and beans. Chris Tarr brought some locally made organic spelt bread from Hampshire Farms in Kingston Michigan.
Several of them are taking the Midwest Permaculture certification, and we will be buying seed and indigenous fruit plants together, sharing the cost.
And this is just the tip of the iceberg (oh, that is not such a great phrase anymore, is it?). It’s really happening around here.
Kathy in Vermont said :
Mar 25, 2008
Living in Vermont, you’d think that being a localvore would present insurmountable difficulties. However, that’s not necessarily the case. We have a winter farmers’ market that provides wonderful vegetables year-round. There are beautiful and tasty hydroponic tomatoes which are grown within 10 miles of the market. For me, to be a Localvore is an aspiration. I don’t claim to meet the criteria but do believe it’s a laudable goal. At least I now cringe when buying asparagus from Mexico and cherries from Chile at the super market.
Matthew said :
Mar 25, 2008
To the right wing prof who had not heard of the word locavore, I say that as usual the right wing is less educated and under informed or just too stubborn to actually listen to news or do research on their own. In this day and age, locavore has been on every talk show, in every news print, and all online news outlets that you must live in a cave
Jackie said :
Apr 16, 2008
I love (note sarcasm) that Joe who posted on Dec 12th says that, “Locavores are the same types who actually think paying $5 for a bottle of water is the hip thing to do.”
He has so completly misinterpreted the meaning of this word that it is laughable. Of all the people in this country who would think that a $5 bottle of water is hip, locavores would be the last.
Unreal.
I am absolutly behind this word, its potential for bringing the issue to the mainstream, and the movement behind it. Rock on locavores!
pawan said :
Jun 3, 2008
locavore, in no sense should be the word of yer 2007
its lke they r tryin to do it just for fun
word of the year should have some sound within it and should be like, it can be used in day today life…like truthiness,plutoed…
i think wordsmiths should think over it
Kyz said :
Jul 11, 2008
Joe’s misunderstanding and dismissal of the term locavore is astonishing.
Most bottled water is typically consumed at considerable distance from its source (Fiji water, Evian, etc).
And even if it is ‘produced’ locally, to choose bottled water is not in keeping with locavore ideology which stresses efficiency of energy and resource use. A locavore would choose tap water where it is drinkable and prefer rainwater where it is available.
The reorientation of our economy towards the local is critical if we are ever going to transition towards true sustainability. We all consume food daily and so we all have considerable power to effect this change.
The locavore concept is far too important dismiss.
Some of the other words are interesting and useful, but ‘locavore’ is of the greatest relevance to humankind.
Brad said :
Jul 24, 2008
Bacn versus Spam…love it!
Jewel said :
Aug 26, 2008
[…] 2007, “locavore” was named word of the year by the Oxford New American Dictionary. The concept was heartily endorsed by literary giants such as […]
Atlanta Lawyers said :
Nov 24, 2008
“In many social circles it’s ordinary for hosts to accommodate vegetarian guests, even if they’re carnivores themselves. Maybe the world would likewise become more hospitable to diners who are queasy about fuel-guzzling foods, if that preference had a name. Petrolophobes? Seasonaltarians? Lately I’ve begun seeing the term “locavores,”and I like it: both scientifically and socially descriptive, with just the right hint of livin’ la vida loca.”
Great quote. I agree with you. Nice Opinion !
http://www.atlanta-lawyers-listing.com/
Los Angeles Lawyers said :
Nov 24, 2008
Living in Vermont, you’d think that being a localvore would present insurmountable difficulties. However, that’s not necessarily the case. We have a winter farmers’ market that provides wonderful vegetables year-round. There are beautiful and tasty hydroponic tomatoes which are grown within 10 miles of the market. For me, to be a Localvore is an aspiration. I don’t claim to meet the criteria but do believe it’s a laudable goal. At least I now cringe when buying asparagus from Mexico and cherries from Chile at the super market.
Great quote. I agree with you. Nice Opinion !
http://www.los-angeles-lawyers-listing.com/
debbie said :
Jan 2, 2009
One year later, I still have great social conversations about the word LOCALVORE! It is a great word, a great conversation, and a great social movement. My New Year’s resolution last year was to be more of a localvore and I succeeded in meeting that resolution. I will continue it again this year for my health and the health of the world!