This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at WVU chapter.
Every year we see trends come and go: fashion, electronics and music being some of the big ones, and it seems the English language is no exception. Thousands of words were added to the dictionary this year and not all of them are what you might call, sophisticated. How many times did you hear the word selfie in 2014? And how many selfies did you take? There was even an entire song based around it! Although not all of them are in the dictionary yet, here is a list of 7 words that came out in 2014.
Basic: dull, boring or typical person/thing
I’ll admit I’m guilty of using this word on more than one occasion and I’ve been called it. But I can’t help how comfortable my NorthFace and Uggs are, sue me.
Bae: means ‘before anyone else’
Alternate way of saying babe or babyIt started as a joke, but all of my friends only know my boyfriend as bae. As much as we all make fun of how often high school kids use it, it’s become part of our regular vocabulary.
Fleek: on point (eyebrows on fleek)
This word, like many others, is completely made up and its origins are unknown. But believe me, if your eyebrows or outfit are not ‘on fleek’, you hear about it.
Bye Felicia: a phrase used to show you don’t care about a person, labeling them insignificant
This one speaks for itself. If you’re just not feeling someone, give ‘em the ‘Bye Felicia’.
“Doe”: a shorter version of the word ‘though’
Where dey at doe? We all know where this word came from. T.I. posted a video responding to rumors about him getting two black eyes in a fight with professional boxer Floyd Mayweather, a few people started dubbing the video with a Bobby Shmurda song and the rest is history.
Feels: another way of saying feelings, or how something makes you sad (you’re in your feels)
We all get in our feels. We see something sad about a puppy being saved from a burning building or a kid crying when they see their parent returning from overseas. These are the things that make us sad and make us reevaluate all at the same time.
Yeet: a term to express excitement
Although this is the ‘formal definition’, I’ve heard this word used in several different ways. It all started with a Vine of a kid dancing and now people use it as a way to either show they’re excited or to brush someone off. Whichever way you use it, make sure you emphasize the word correctly, or it’ll just sound crazy.