B4 you take a nopo to meet an MVVD, try this Gem

Those up with the latest lingo will already know what MVVD, bed-blocking and nopo mean.

But people struggling to make sense of the trendy terms will soon be able to check their meaning in the dictionary.

Britain's Guardian newspaper has reported that these words are among 140 new coinages noted in January alone by editors of the Collins Gem pocket dictionary.

Yesterday, the dictionary celebrated a century of recording new words.

In 2000, the fashionable phrase was economy-class syndrome.

Last year, it was B4.

This year they are MVVD (male vertical volume drinker), nopo (a no person-operated train), bed-blocker (a person who is well enough to leave hospital but has nowhere else to go), and brain-fingerprinting (an anti-terrorist technique employed by the CIA).

If use of these terms continues for 11 months, they will get into next year's dictionary.

Which is not to say they will be a permanent addition to the language.

Marconigram, spike-bozzle (to disable an enemy weapon) and groceteria (supermarket), recorded in 1902 when the first Gem was published, did not go the distance.

But some of that year's coinages, such as aerial, cryogenic, pacifism, suitcase, manic depressive, Middle East, floosie, knock for six, sexology and women's movement, are still in use.

If you are still trying to work out what a male vertical volume drinker is, the definition from the dictionary should help.

"In some ways MVVDs are good for bar owners - they don't use seats, they don't take much space, they don't need glasses, they spend enormous money.

"But they also move from bar to bar and go to fast-food outlets.

"That's where they get involved in violence."