Each year, since 1990, the American Dialect Society (ADS) elects the words of the year (WOTTIES) in various categories, and the WOTY, winner of them all. The stated purpose of the vote is the following:
“to highlight language change, to bring a few aspects of the study of linguistics to the public’s attention, and to have a little bit of fun”. (ADS)
Nominations were accepted December 20th, 2017, up to the voting day, this evening, during the ADS Annual Meeting, held this year in Salt Lake City, UT, Jan. 4-9, 2018.
The list of ADS 2017 WOTY nominations includes the following terms.
For which words would you vote?
POLITICAL WORD OF THE YEAR
- antifa: Anti-fascist movements and organizations, treated as a whole
- dotard: An old person who shows a decline in mental faculties (used by Kim Jong-un of Donald Trump)
- persisterhood: Blend of “persist” and “sisterhood”
- take a knee: Kneel in protest, especially during a time when others are standing
- blockchain: Technology underlying cryptocurrencies like bitcoin, which exploded in value this year
- digital blackface: When a (usu. white) person uses images of black people as a proxy for themselves on social media
- initial coin offering: Capital-raising process to collect funds to start up a new cryptocurrency
- rogue adj.: Describing someone ostensibly working in an administration who is posting messages against it
SLANG/INFORMAL WORD OF THE YEAR
- shooketh: Mock-archaic way of expressing shock or excitement
- snatched: Good-looking, attractive
- wypipo: Humorous phonetic spelling of “white people” used to flag white privilege or absurdity
- angry react, sad react: Expression of anger or sorrow (describing reaction emoji, e.g. on Facebook)
- die by suicide: A variant of “to commit suicide” that does not suggest a criminal act
- millennial pink: Tint of pink used in goods and social media by and for millennials
- fake news: Disinformation or falsehoods presented as real news; actual news that is claimed to be untrue
- stan v.: Be a big fan (from Eminem song, “Stan”)
- unicorn: A one-of-a-kind person or thing
- askhole: Person who continuously asks ridiculous or obnoxious questions
- broflake: Man or boy who lacks resilience or coping skills in the face of disagreements or setbacks
- caucacity: Blend of “Caucasian” and “audacity”
- milkshake duck: Person or thing that is deeply loved until problematic behavior is revealed or unearthed
EUPHEMISM OF THE YEAR
- alternative facts: Contrary information that matches one’s preferred narrative or interpretation of events
- avocado toast: A minor indulgence for which people unfairly judge others, esp. millennials
- problematic: An understated way to say something is very wrong or unacceptably politically incorrect
WTF WORD OF THE YEAR
- covfefe: A (probably) mistyped word of unknown meaning used in a Donald Trump tweet
- procrastination nanny: Person who moderates productivity for other adults, esp. as a group event
- raw water: Water from natural sources without filters or treatment
HASHTAG OF THE YEAR
- #MeToo: Indication by women that they have experienced sexual harassment or assault
- #NeverthelessShePersisted: Feminist rallying cry based on Mitch McConnell’s warning to Elizabeth Warren during a Senate debate
- #Resist: Slogan of the (anti-Trump) resistance
- #TakeAKnee: Statement of support for NFL players protesting racial injustice and police brutality
EMOJI OF THE YEAR
: GOAT (Greatest Of All Time)- im
: impeach 
: woman with headscarf or hijab
References
ADS - Nominations for the 2017 Words of the Year
https://www.americandialect.org/nominations-for-2017-word-of-the-year-posted
ADS - All the Words of the Year, 1990 to the present
https://www.americandialect.org/woty/all-of-the-words-of-the-year-1990-to-present
ADS - Nominations now being accepted for the 2017 Words of the year
https://www.americandialect.org/woty2017
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