By Kirsty OUP-UK
Back in October I told you about our poll to discover which word could sum up the 21st century so far. Well, I’m pleased to report that over 1,000 people took part, and the results are now in…
9/11 has emerged as the narrow winner with 248 votes.
The phrase has become the immediate reference point for the terrorist attacks against America in 2001. Their repercussions have resonated throughout the years since, and many might consider them to be the catalyst for a chain of political and social events which have dominated the decade.
Susie Dent, author of OUP’s annual Language Report said: ‘The power of “9/11” is that it will forever serve as shorthand for a single moment in time and as a reference for a whole series of emotions and political actions which came after it. Like “ground zero”, it illustrates perfectly how history can be preserved in just a word or phrase – in this case the simple statement of a date – which is packed with associations and which will evoke it instantly.’
Footprint, named ‘Word of the Year’ from OUP-UK, came a close second with 226 votes.
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