By Nick Perry
Electric puha, chateau cardboard and chocolate fish could find their way into a planned new edition of the Oxford English Dictionary.
Lexicographers are completely revising the 20-volume authority on the English language - which contains around 500,000 entries and a total of 59 million words - and are appealing
to English speakers around the globe to offer contributions.
An Oxford spokeswoman, Dimity Barber, says new words, including the language of the Internet, have yet to be included, while other words, phrases and descriptions have become antiquated. An example of meanings moving on was in the definition for hairbrush - "A toilet brush used for smoothing and dressing the hair."
While "toilet" was once used to describe anything to do with personal hygiene, most people would now flinch at the idea of using a toilet brush on their head.
Dr Harry Orsman, editor of the Oxford Dictionary of New Zealand English, says one of his favourite local expressions is "electric puha," used in Northland to describe cannabis. He says it is witty and combines Maori and English nicely.
He hopes the OED also considers including "chateau cardboard" - cheap, boxed wine - and "chocolate fish," which has gone beyond its culinary meaning to encompass any sort of booby-prize.
Orator David Lange says one of his favourite obscure words is "solipsistic," used to describe people who believe the solar system revolves around them. He says it may not be adequate to describe former Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke, who believes the universe revolves around him.
Mr Lange says the worst abuse of language may come from rugby commentators, who "seem to need to have failed a course in English as a second language as a job requirement." One commentator coined a new word unlikely to make it into the new dictionary. Murray Mexted this month described Andrew Mehrtens as a backline "falicitator."
NZ Dictionary Centre director Graeme Kennedy says New Zealand expressions which have come to the fore lately are "tinny house," a home used for cannabis dealing, and "perk-buster," as in MP Rodney Hide.
People wanting to submit entries can write to: The Director, NZ Dictionary Centre, Victoria University, PO Box 600, Wellington; or e-mail entries via the Website: www.oed.com.
