WORD OF THE YEAR 2007: EARLY CANDIDATES

Here are some words I noticed this year (once or twice with the help of a friend):

belief tank

botnet

efforting ("The stinkiest addition to the language is 'efforting'—as in TV producers saying, 'I'm efforting a picture we can use of Lindsay Lohan.' Please—I'm efforting to vomit, darling."—Michael Musto, The Village Voice (Feb 7-13, 2007)

favorited (noted by David Bergdahl)

Juneuary

PowerPoint Ranger (seen in Doonesbury; also, "'PowerPoint Ranger' is a derogatory term for a desk-bound bureaucrat more adept at making slides than tossing grenades.")

rehab (It's been around for a while, but it seemed to take on a new life—or a new nuance?—in terms of media/celebrity coverage since the beginning of 2007.)

school shooter (Students interviewed at Virginia Tech seemed to have a clear a priori understanding of the meaning of this term.)

shipper (A fandom term used since the late 1990s, it might have gained traction this year.)