Gangnam Style gallops into common parlance

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Korean singer Psy’s

After dashing past one billion views to become the most-viewed video ever on YouTube, Korean singer Psy’s pop sensation Gangnam Style has made its way into the Collins dictionary. Gangnam Style has been named among the words of the year along with “mummy porn”, “fiscal cliff” and “Romneyshambles”.

The popularity of these words and phrases may reserve them a place in a dictionary, but are these words actually used in common parlance?
“Definitely,” says content developer Parvez Rizvi. “These phrases or terms are symbolic of events, situations or qualities for which no one word exists. Since they become popular in the public imagination, they have quick recall value. Also they have the cool quotient attached to them. It’s cool to use Kolaveri, for example, in a conversation. These words normally don’t get inside the pages of books as mainstream literature usually steers clear of them. But they are used more by columnists in newspapers.”
“Popular words have their own place and relevance because they allude to something very specific in a cultural context. As far as their shelf life is concerned, it depends on the universality of the word’s scope. So obviously some words will outlast others,” adds Sudeep Sen, poet and editor of The HarperCollins Books of English Poetry.
“A dictionary is a reservoir of words, including the ones that created a trend of sorts. Picture this. Ten years down the line if you tell your kids about Gangnam style they should have some reputable source to refer to. I can’t say for how long they stay in fashion as it totally depends on the intensity of its popularity, but with some words like ‘mommy porn,’ you know that they are here to stay,” says author Faraaz Kazi.