of the Year // (Scott Johnson).
The AP hasn’t yet corrected its headline regarding the story that reported the word of the Year according to Merriam Webster. The headline is currently: “What headline?” “What headline?” is Merriam-Webster’s word for 2022 .”. This “Gaslighting” headline can’t be correct, can it? This must be the AP “Mush From the Wimp” moment.
Talking of mush from a wimp, I give credit to the Biden administration for the rise in “gaslighting”, which reached prominence in 2022. You won’t find any mention of the administration’s possible contributions to its popularity in the AP story. I am proud to have not used the word in 2022. It has become a mind-numbing cliché. I can’t afford losing my brain cells.
The same applies to “double up,” now amplified into a “triple down” administration. The Biden administration tripled down on gaslighting by 2022. What’s next? You decide. My motto has been Don’t overdo it with cliches
I will attempt to predict 2023’s word for the year. It will be “receipts,” which has the generalized meaning “evidence”. I haven’t been there yet and don’t plan to.
