What the heck's a Milkshake Duck?
Macquarie Dictionary has announced its 2017 word of the year – and it's one that needs explaining.
It's 'Milkshake Duck' and unless you're a Twitter user, you'll probably have no idea what it means.
The word – able to be used as a verb and a noun – was initially coined by Australian cartoonist Ben Ward to describe a common effect of the viral news cycle.
It's what happens when the subject of a news story starts out as a cute and cuddly hero or some kind of feel-good tale, then, upon further investigation, a flaw is found and that is blown out of proportion to the point of worldwide castigation. The subject is then known as a milkshake duck.
But why?
Well, the original term comes from a cartoon by the aforementioned artist (@pixelatedboat) of a duck drinking milkshakes bearing the caption ""The whole internet loves Milkshake Duck, a lovely duck that drinks milkshakes! *5 seconds later* We regret to inform you the duck is racist."
What do you think of Macquarie using a made-up word as its word of the year? What do you thin kof the word itself? Had you ever heard of it before now?
Read more at www.abc.net.au
"Collins Dictionary Words of the Year 2017
fake news (?fe?k ?nju?z) noun: false, often sensational, information disseminated under the guise of news reporting
antifa (?ænt??f??) noun: (1) an antifascist organization (2) a member of an antifascist organization adjective: (3) involving, belonging to, or relating to an antifascist organization
Corbynmania (?k??b?n?me?n??) noun: fervent enthusiasm for Jeremy Corbyn, the leader of the UK Labour Party
cuffing season (?k?f?? ?si?z?n) noun: the period of autumn and winter, when single people are considered likely to seek settled relationships rather than engage in casual affairs
echo chamber (??k?? ?t?e?mb?) noun: an environment, especially on a social media site, in which any statement of opinion is likely to be greeted with approval because it will only be read or heard by people who hold similar views
fidget spinner (?f?d??t ?sp?n?) noun: a small toy comprising two or three prongs arranged around a central bearing, designed to be spun by the fingers as means of improving concentration or relieving stress
gender-fluid (?d??nd??flu??d) adjective: not identifying exclusively with one gender rather than another
gig economy (???? ??k?n?m?) noun: an economy in which there are few permanent employees and most jobs are assigned to temporary or freelance workers
Insta (??nst?) adjective: of or relating to the photo-sharing application Instagram
unicorn (?ju?n??k??n) noun: (1) an imaginary creature depicted as a white horse with one long spiralled horn growing from its forehead, regarded as symbol of innocence and purity (2) a recently launched business enterprise that is valued at more than one billion dollars"
I agree with the Collins Dictionary Words of 2017, with number one being FAKE NEWS
It is ‘false, often sensational, information disseminated under the guise of news reporting ... often used by Trump but he may be onto something there.
Is Fake News the greatest threats to democracy and free debate?
It is an inaccurate, sometimes sensationalistic report that is created to gain attention, mislead, deceive or damage a reputation....yes news created with the intent to manipulate someone or something.