New word up

The New Oxford American Dictionary has added “Unfriend” to its 2009 edition. The listing reads:
• unfriend – verb – To remove someone as a ‘friend’ on a social networking site such as Facebook

"It has both currency and potential longevity," Christine Lindberg, senior lexicographer for Oxford’s U.S. dictionary program. "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. Most ‘un-‘ prefixed words are adjectives (unacceptable, unpleasant), and there are certainly some familiar ‘un-‘ verbs (uncap, unpack), but ‘unfriend’ is different from the norm. It assumes a verb sense of ‘friend’ that is really not used (at least not since maybe the 17th century!). Unfriend has real lex-appeal."

Every year, the New Oxford American Dictionary Word of the Year is debated and chosen, with the selection made to reflect the ethos of the year and its lasting potential as a word of cultural significance and use.

WORD OF THE YEAR FINALISTS
The other words Oxford considered for the new word included:

• hashtag – a # [hash] sign added to a word or phrase that enables Twitter users to search for tweets (postings on the Twitter site) that contain similarly tagged items and view thematic sets

• intexticated – distracted because texting on a cellphone while driving a vehicle

• paywall – a way of blocking access to a part of a website which is only available to paying subscribers

• freemium – a business model in which some basic services are provided for free, with the aim of enticing users to pay for additional, premium features or content

• funemployed – taking advantage of one’s newly unemployed status to have fun or pursue other interests

• zombie bank – a financial institution whose liabilities are greater than its assets, but which continues to operate because of government support

• birther – a conspiracy theorist who challenges President Obama’s U.S. birth certificate

• teabagger – a person who protests President Obama’s tax policies and stimulus package, often through local demonstrations known as "Tea Party" protests (in allusion to the Boston Tea Party of 1773

• deleb – a dead celebrity

• tramp stamp – a tattoo on the lower back, usually on a woman