A picture may be worth a thousand words, but selfie is worth the word that counts most: ‘best.’
The Oxford Dictionaries has named the ubiquitous word for a picture of one’s own self its Word of the Year. The organization reached its annual choice with rare unanimity, despite the word’s existence being traced to as far back as 2002.
“[O]ur Word of the Year need not be a new word. However, it does need to demonstrate some kind of prominence over the preceding year or so and selfie certainly fits the bill,” the Oxford Dictionaries blog post announcing the award read. “It seems like everyone who is anyone has posted a selfie somewhere on the Internet. If it is good enough for the Obamas or The Pope, then it is good enough for Word of the Year.”
Indeed, Pope Francis appeared in what has been dubbed the first ‘Papal selfie:’
@KofC epic #selfie #PopeFrancis pic.twitter.com/CLYduUpxDA
— Fabio M. Ragona (@FabioMRagona) August 29, 2013
And First Lady Michelle Obama snapped a selfie with ‘First Dog’ Bo earlier this year:
The social reach of the selfie extends beyond just the famous, however. Selfies are for all the Joes among us: the average or the dangerous. There are ‘how-to’ guides and tech widgets to help us capture that perfect moment of self: “How to Take a Spectacular Selfie,” “4 apps that will help you take better selfies,” “7 Tips For Great Selfies,” even scores of YouTube videos to show the world, in motion, that duck faces are ill-advised, and excellent lighting is crucial. (And don’t forget to avoid selfie situations in which your pregnant teacher might be experiencing labor pains in the background.)
Runners-up for the Word of the Year included the verb ‘binge-watch,’ applicable to anyone with a Netflix account; the digital currency bitcoin; and ‘twerk.’
