2016 will be remembered, among other things, as the year that Donald Trump paved the way to the White House in a blaze of memes, outrage and insults.
For all it took away – Prince, Cohen, Bowie, all hope for the future of humanity – this year did at least gift the world a rich array of pithy putdowns and expressions of disagreement and annoyance. Here is our guide to some of the top slurs popularized by social media in 2016 - -- from “deplorables” to “clicktivists” to “unpresidented”. We’ve included guidance from Twitter on how to use them.
Clicktivist: A clicktivist is a 'digital activist', someone whose support for a cause relies on online forms and petitions, rather than - the term implies -- actually getting out from behind their computer and doing anything. See also 'slacktivist'. How to use it:
Delete your account: an exhortation to an individual to remove him/herself from an online community or social networking site. Popularised by Hillary Clinton when she tweeted it at Trump. How to use it: "@nytimes: Here's a recipe for guacamole and peas." "Everyone: @nytimes Delete your account."
Deplorables: Individuals of a racist, sexist or homophobic disposition. The word emerged in an uncharacteristic gaffe by Clinton in September, which saw her describe some Trump supporters as belonging to a 'basket of deplorables'. "You know, to just be grossly generalistic, you could put half of Trump's supporters into what I call the basket of deplorables. The racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, Islamophobic -- you name it," she said. The word 'deplorable' immediately trended on Google and #basketofdeplorables became a Twitter hashtag. Recently, it has been reappropriated by conservatives: you can now buy t-shirts declaring your membership of the basket of deplorables, and there is a petition to rename a US army ship 'USS The Deplorables.' How to use it: "Did you hear Australia is concerned about the rise of a new political class of deplorables?"
Dumpster fire: The phrase 'dumpster fire' - denoting a chaotic or disastrously mishandled situation -- was added to OxfordDictionaries.com in 2016. "Curiously enough, Donald Trump just happened to announce his campaign for the presidency on June 16th of last year," the OxfordDictionaries blog notes. How to use it: Just substitute it for anywhere you might say 'trainwreck', 'car crash' or '2016'.
Extra: An individual who is trying too hard or being over the top. How to use it: don't at all, unless you're under the age of 25.
Healther: A new breed of conspiracy theorist, which emerged during the 2016 election into the vacuum left by birthers. Healthers are people who believed that Hillary Clinton was concealing a grave illness during the U.S. Presidential election. How to use it: The election is over. Don't.
Hot mess: A person or thing that is spectacularly unsuccessful or disordered. How to use it:
Manterrupting: The 2016 iteration of mansplaining denotes any "unnecessary interruption of a woman by a man". Similar to 'bropriation' - the hijacking of a woman's idea by a man. How to use it: "I'd like to get a word in edgeways, if you could just stop manterrupting me."
Narrative: As in "Please excuse me from this narrative." Use to denote any event, obligation or situation you would rather not participate in. Popularized by Taylor Swift when she tweeted about an ex-boyfriend: "I would very much like to be excluded from this narrative, one that I have never asked to be a part of, since 2009." How to use it:
Slacktivist: A portmanteau of 'slacker' and 'activist'. Used to describe internet users who participate in unimpressive or unconvincing methods of support or protest, requiring little actual effort. How to use it: "Yup, still waiting on those slacktivist liberals to flock to Canada."
Snowflake: An insulting term used to imply liberal leanings among millennials, and suggest that they are oversensitive, cossetted whingers. The novelist Brett Easton Ellis describes the phenomenon: "Oh, little snowflakes, when did you all become grandmothers and society matrons, clutching your pearls in horror at someone who has an opinion about something?.?.?.?you snivelling little weak-ass narcissists?" Oversensitive, whinging narcissists, you say? Here's another way to use it:
Sus: Abbreviation of 'suspect' and 'suspicious' that has been in use in parts of Ireland for many years, but only recently took off on social media. How to use it: As you've always done.
Unpresidented: Gifted to the world by Donald Trump in a tweet, when he accused China of "stealing" a US navy drone - "ripping" it out of the water - in what he said was an "unpresidented" act. He later corrected the tweet to "unprecedented". The Guardian newspaper since made "unpresidented" its word of the year. How to use it:
Virtue-signalling: A cross between 'humblebragging' and 'slacktivism', 'virtue signalling' is saying or writing things to indicate that you are virtuous. The Spectator writer, James Bartholomew, who takes credit for having coined the phrase says: "By saying that they hate the Daily Mail or Ukip, they are really telling you that they are admirably non-racist, left-wing or open-minded." How to use it:
