Yesterday (December 5), Oxford University Press revealed its Word of the Year 2022 – much to the confusion of some Oxonians.

The Oxford Word of the Year, run by Oxford University Press, is a word or expression which is described as “reflecting the ethos, mood, or preoccupations of the past twelve months, one that has potential as a term of lasting cultural significance”.

Previous words have included vax (2021), climate emergency (2019), and selfie (2013).

This year’s word was chosen by the public for the first time and after more than 300,000 votes ‘goblin mode’ came out as the winner.

The slang term is often used in the expressions ‘in goblin mode’ or ‘to go goblin mode’ and is “a type of behaviour which is unapologetically self-indulgent, lazy, slovenly, or greedy, typically in a way that rejects social norms or expectations”, the Oxford English Dictionary states.

After news of the winning word became public it was met with some bemusement by Oxford Mail readers, with many saying the same thing.

When readers were asked what they thought of the word, many pointed out that it is – in fact – a phrase comprised of two words rather than a singular one.

This is what you said:

Steven Verge Mercer: “Well... That's two words for a start...”

George McClements: “Goblin mode is 2 words!”

Tim Finn: “I must lead a sheltered life…never heard of it”

Adam Beasley: “That’s two words..”

Sarah Young: “Never heard it been said”

-

Read more from this author

This story was written by Sophie Perry. She joined the team in 2021 as a digital reporter.

You can get in touch with her by emailing: sophie.perry@newsquest.co.uk

Follow her on Twitter @itssophieperry

A message from our Editor

Thank you for reading this story and supporting the Oxford Mail.

If you like what we do please consider getting a subscription for the Oxford Mail and in return we’ll give you unrestricted access with less adverts across our website from the latest news, investigations, features, and sport.

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Tik Tok for more. 

You can also join the conversation in our Facebook groups: stay ahead of traffic alerts here, keep up to date with the latest from court here, share your favourite memories of Oxford here, get your daily dose of celebrity news here and take some time out with news that will make you smile. 

If you’ve got a story for our reporters, send us your news here. You can also list an event for free here.