Misc.

 

Top Trending Business Buzzwords for Global English in 2015

 

The World of Business as Reflected in English Language Buzzwords, Second Edition

Austin, Texas, June 17, 2015– The Global Language Monitor has announced the Top Business Buzzwords of the Year, for Global English, the world’s pre-eminent language of commerce.

“It is often noted that the world of business includes its own specialized vocabularly, and this can certainly be found in the English language, the business language of the planet,” said Paul JJ Payack, President and Chief Word Analyst of the Global Language Monitor. “The Top Trending Business Buzzwords of 2015 represent some six continents, which continues to confirm the ever-expanding nature of the English language. This is the second annual ranking,”

GLM’s Word of the Year and Business Buzzwords of the Year rankings are based upon actual word usage throughout the English-speaking world, which now numbers more than 1.83 billion people. To qualify for these lists, the words, names, and phrases must be found globally, have a minimum of 25,000 citations. and the requisite ‘depth’ and ‘breadth’ of usage. Depth is here defined as appearing in various forms of media; breadth that they must appear world-over, not limited to a particular profession or social group or geography.

CELEBRITY PROM DRESSES

Top 50 Business Buzzwords

Rank, Previous Rank, Change, Business Buzzword, Comment

2015 2013 Change Business Buzzword Comment

1 1 0 Content — Far and away the No. 1 Business Buzzword leader

2 37 35 Net-Net – Consider a sportswriter for the Brooklyn Nets basketball team: “The net-net for the Nets was the netting of the final shot.”

3 10 7 Big Data — Soon Human Knowledge will be doubling every second. ’Big’ does not begin to describe what’s coming at us.

4 19 15 At-the-end-of-the-day — More likely the end of the quarter or fiscal year

5 2 -3 Social Media — Reality: Social media impacts less than 15% of the Web

6 15 9 Offline — ‘I’ll be offline’. The statement is meaningless unless one includes cell phones, tablets, smarty TVs, not to mention all atomic clocks.

7 41 34 Face time– Before it was a product, it was a meeting with a C-Level executive.

8 9 1 Ping — High tech lingo seeping into the mainstream; now it means ‘get back to you’. Originally, a tool to send message packets to a network address to measure the time & quality of the response.

9 44 35 Rock-and-a-hard-place — A supposedly intractable situation though it usually gets back on track (Our ‘between Iraq and a hard place’ is being replaced because of the on-going political situation}

10 20 10 Win-Win Much — more positive than tie-tie or lose-lose

11 35 24 As if it was — Used some four times more than the correct, ‘as if it were’. You know, conditional voice.

12 7 -5 Utilize (rather than use) — Please deflate the diction and utilize the word ‘use’

13 5 -8 Literally — Principally used in non-literal situation, e.g., “Literally, an explosion of laughter”.

14 11 -3 Any noun used as a verb — To concept. To ballpark, and the like ….

15 6 -9 Guru — Someone moderately skilled in a subject or particular field (cf. ‘rocket scientist’ or ‘brain surgeon’).

16 42 26 Re-purpose — Finding a new use for an old ‘solution. Unfortunately anything thing can be re-purposed, including your job (or yourself).

17 8 -9 Robust — Applies to oh-so-many products: software, tablets (computer and otherwise), coffee, perfume, mileage, and hundreds of others

18 38 20 Value-add — P+E+VA, where Product (is P) + Enhancement (is Ε ), and Value add (is VA)

19 4 -15 Transparency — Remains a goal far from corporate reality; perhaps a handy scale would be 1} Opaque, 2} Translucent, 3) Transparent.

20 12 -8 Seamless — Seldom actually seamless (Cf. Obamacare website), often merely ‘seemless’ or meaningless

21 3 -18 Sustainability — No. 1 Word in 2007; have been rising in BizBuzz every year

22 51 29 Hashtag — The number-sign and pound- sign grows more powerful every day.

23 16 -7 Bandwidth — Measurement of electronic communications devices to send and receive information with upper and lower limits

24 40 16 Glass is half-full — Used nine times more that glass is half empty …

25 22 -3 Pro-active — Evidently better than amateur-active

26 46 20 Quick-and-dirty — Cited tens of thousands of times; we prefer ‘quick-and-clean’

27 18 -9 Synergy — The interaction of two efforts that result in a greater return than the sum of the two

28 14 -14 The Cloud — Everything (and every one) now apparently ‘lives in the cloud’ though networking clouds pre-date the web by a decade or two

29 36 7 In the Cloud — Yes, dwelling within the Cloud merits a special mention.

30 21 -9 Game changer — A step way below a paradigm-shift but still usually an exaggeration nonetheless.

31 48 17 Touch base — Another baseball allusion: if you don’t actually touch the base you are ‘called out’. Cf Cricket allusions, such as using ‘sticky wicket ‘ for a quandary.

32 13 -19 Moving Forward — From the results of those countless ‘moving forwards’, moving sideways might be more appropriate

33 23 -10 Rock Star — What’s the hierarchy among Guru, Rocket Scientist, Brain Surgeon, and Rock Star?

34 39 5 Future proof — In reality an impossible feat because it assumes you are cognizant of future events; in Marketing, just another day of concepting.

35 47 12 Push the envelope — A phrase few actually understand; Originally a descriptor of breaking through the sound barrier by X-Series Test Pilots (e.g., X-15).

36 33 -3 Ballpark — Another name for a ‘guesstimate’ (another baseball allusion).

37 31 -6 Multi-task — Swapping in and out of tasks quickly is the key to multi-tasking not doing many things as once which actually decreases productivity (as imagined by Dave Nelson and other tech industries leaders in the 1970s).

38 30 -8 110% — We believe it’s time to synchronize the exertion scale. As a hiring manager, how do you compare 110% from an Ivy school with an exertion level of 130% from the Big Ten?

39 26 -13 Resonate — Produce or be filled with a deep, full, reverberating sound, belief or emotion

40 29 -11 Deliverable — An output, product, result, or outcome; a term of great flexibility.

41 27 -14 Monetize — The attempt to transmute Internet lead into gold.

42 34 -8 Flounder — A ship might ‘founder’ along New England’s rocky coastline. Over time the act of foundering became collated with flounder the fish. Your grasp of the language is telegraphed by this confusion.

43 32 -11 Rocket science –One step up (or down) from a guru; equivalent to a Brain surgeon).

44 17 -27 New paradigm == Revolutionary new ideas that change the then-existing worldview; think Copernicus, think Newton, think Einstein, most definitely not your next product.

45 28 -17 Double Down — To double an investment in an already risky proposition.

46 43 -3 Brain surgery — One step up (or down) from a guru; equivalent to a Rocket Scientist.

47 45 -2 Bleeding edge — Leading edge of the leading edge (top ten per cent).

48 50 2 Low-hanging fruit — Easy pickin’s for the sales force; unfortunately, obsolete since 2008

49 24 -25 30,000 foot level — Let’s decide if we are viewing the topic from the 30,000-, 40,000-, or 100,000 foot level. Airlines typically fly at a 35,000 foot cruise level

50 49 -1 Herding cats — Used in high tech circles for several decades regarding controlling headstrong engineers, a seemingly impossible task.

51 25 -26 Out-of-the-Box (experience) — OOBE is evermore important to the marketing of consumer electronic devices.

This study is updated from earlier in the year.

GLM employs its NarrativeTracker technologies for global Internet and social media analysis. NarrativeTracker is based on global discourse, providing a real-time, accurate picture about any topic, at any point in time. NarrativeTracker analyzes the Internet, blogosphere, the top 375,000 print and electronic global media, as well as new social media sources as they emerge.

About the Global Language Monitor

In 2003, The Global Language Monitor (GLM) was founded in Silicon Valley by Paul J.J. Payack on the understanding that new technologies and techniques were necessary for truly understanding the world of Big Data, as it is now known. Previous to this Payack was the founding president at yourDictionary.com, and a senior executive for a number of leading high tech companies.

Today, from its home in Austin, Texas GLM provides a number of innovative products and services that utilize its ‘algorithmic services’ to help worldwide customers protect, defend and nurture their branded products and entities. Products include ‘brand audits’ to assess the current status, establish baselines, and competitive benchmarks for current intellectual assets and brands, and to defend products against ambush marketing.

These services are currently provided to the Fortune 500, the Higher Education market, high technology firms, the worldwide print and electronic media, and the global fashion dress industry, among others.

For more information, call 1.512.801.6823, email info@LanguageMonitor.com, or visit www.LanguageMonitor.com

 

The Top Business Buzzwords of Global English for 2014

Second Annual Survey

The World of Business as Reflected in English Language Buzzwords

Austin, Texas, Easter Weekend, 2015– The Global Language Monitor has announced the Top Business Buzzwords of the Year, for Global English, the world’s pre-eminent language of commerce.

“It is often noted that the world of business includes its own specialized vocabularly, and this can certainly be found in the English language, the business language of the planet,” said Paul JJ Payack, President and Chief Word Analyst of the Global Language Monitor. “TheTop 50 Global Business Buzzwords of 2014 represent some six continents, which continues to confirm the ever-expanding nature of the English language. This is the second annual ranking,”

GLM’s Word of the Year and Business Buzzwords of the Year rankings are based upon actual word usage throughout the English-speaking world, which now numbers more than 1.83 billion people. To qualify for these lists, the words, names, and phrases must be found globally, have a minimum of 25,000 citations. and the requisite ‘depth’ and ‘breadth’ of usage. Depth is here defined as appearing in various forms of media; breadth that they must appear world-over, not limited to a particular profession or social group or geography.
Top 50 Business Buzzwords
GLM employs its NarrativeTracker technologies for global Internet and social media analysis. NarrativeTracker is based on global discourse, providing a real-time, accurate picture about any topic, at any point in time. NarrativeTracker analyzes the Internet, blogosphere, the top 375,000 print and electronic global media, as well as new social media sources as they emerge.
2014 2013 Change Business Buzzword Comment
1 1 0 Content Far and away the No. 1 BizBuzz leader
2 37 35 Net-Net Consider a sportswriter for the Brooklyn Nets basketball team: “The net-net for the Nets was the netting of the final shot.”
3 10 7 Big Data Soon Human Knowledge will be doubling every second. ’Big’ does not begin to describe what’s coming at us.
4 19 15 At-the-end-of-the-day More likely the end of the quarter or fiscal year
5 2 -3 Social Media Reality: Social media impacts less than 15% of the Web
6 15 9 Offline ‘I’ll be offline’. The statement is meaningless unless one includes cell phones, tablets,smarty TVs, not to mention all atomic clocks.
7 41 34 Face time Before it was a product, it was a meeting with a C-Level executive.
8 9 1 Ping High tech lingo seeping into the mainstream; now it means ‘get back to you’. Originally, a tool to send message packres to a network address to measure the time & quality of the response.
9 44 35 Rock-and-a-hard-place A supposedly intractable situation though it usually gets back on track
10 20 10 Win-Win Much more positive than tie-tie or lose-lose
11 35 24 As if it was Used some four times more than the correct, ‘as if it were’. You know, conditional voice.
12 7 -5 Utilize (rather than use) Please deflate the diction and utilize the word ‘use’
13 5 -8 Literally Principally used in non-literal situation, eg, Literally, “an explosion of laughter”
14 11 -3 Any noun used as a verb To concept. to ballpark, and the like ….
15 6 -9 Guru Someone moderately skilled in a subject or particular field (cf ‘rocket scientist’ or ‘brain surgeon’)
16 42 26 Re-purpose Finding a new use for an old ‘solution. Unfortunately anything thing can be re-purposed ,including your job (or yourself).
17 8 -9 Robust Applies to oh-so-many products: software, tablets (computer and otherwise), coffee, perfume, mileage, and hundreds of others
18 38 20 Value-add P+E+VA, where Product (is P) + Enhancement (is Ε ), and Value add (is VA)
19 4 -15 Transparency Remains a goal far from corporate reality
20 12 -8 Seamless Seldom actually seamless (Cf Obamacare website), often merely ‘seemless’ or meaningless
21 3 -18 Sustainability No. 1 Word in 2007; have been rising in BizBuzz every year
22 51 29 Hashtag The number- and pound- sign grows evermore powerful
23 16 -7 Bandwidth Measurement of electronic communications devices to send and receive information with upper and lower limits
24 40 16 Glass is half-full Used nine times more that glass is half empty …
25 22 -3 Pro-active Evidently better than amateur-active
26 46 20 Quick-and-dirty Cited tens of thousands of times; we prefer ‘quick-and-clean’
27 18 -9 Synergy The interaction of two efforts that result in a greater return than the sum of the two
28 14 -14 The Cloud Everything (and every one) now apparently ‘lives in the cloud’ though networking clouds pre-date the web by a decade or two
29 36 7 In the Cloud Yes, dwelling within the Cloud merits a special mention.
30 21 -9 Game changer A step below a paradigm-shift but exaggeration nonetheless
31 48 17 Touch base Another baseball allusion: if you don’t actually touch the base you are ‘called out’. Cf Cricket allusions, such as using ‘sticky wicket ‘ for a quandary.
32 13 -19 Moving Forward From the results of those countless ‘moving forwards’, moving sideways might be more appropriate
33 23 -10 Rock Star What’s the hierarchy among Guru, Rocket Scientist, Brain Surgeon, and Rock Star?
34 39 5 Future proof In reality an impossible feat because it assumes you are cognizant of future events; in Marketing, just another day of concepting.
35 47 12 Push the envelope A phrase few actually understand; Originally a descriptor of breaking through the sound barrier by X-Series Test Pilots (e.g., X-15)
36 33 -3 Ballpark Another name for a ‘guesstimate’.
37 31 -6 Multi-task Swapping in and out of tasks quickly is the key to multi-tasking not doing many things as once which actually decreases productivity (as imagined by Dave Nelson and other tech industries leaders in the 1970s).
38 30 -8 110% We believe it’s time to synchronize the exertion scale. As a hiring manager, how do you compare 110% from an Ivy school with an exertion level of 130% from the Big Ten?
39 26 -13 Resonate Produce or be filled with a deep, full, reverberating sound, belief or emotion
40 29 -11 Deliverable An output, product, result, or outcome; a term of great flexibility.
41 27 -14 Monetize The attempt to transmute Internet lead into gold.
42 34 -8 Flounder A ship might ‘founder’ along New England’s rocky coastline. Over time the act of foundering became collated with flounder the fish. Your grasp of the language is telegraphed by this confusion.
43 32 -11 Rocket science One step up (or down) from a guru; equivalent to a Brain surgeon).
44 17 -27 New paradigm Revolutionary new ideas that change the then-existing worldview; think Copernicus, think Newton, think Einstein, most definitely not your next product
45 28 -17 Double Down To double an investment in an already risky proposition
46 43 -3 Brain surgery One step up (or down) from a guru; equivalent to a Rocket Scientist.
47 45 -2 Bleeding edge Leading edge of the leading edge (top ten per cent)
48 50 2 Low-hanging fruit Easy pickin’s for the sales force; unfortunately, obsolete since 2008
49 24 -25 30,000 ft level Let’s decide if we are viewing the topic from the 30,000-, 40,000-, or 100,000 ft level. Airlines actually fly at a 35,000 ft cruise level
50 49 -1 Herding cats Used in high tech circles for several decades regarding controlling headstrong engineers, a seemingly improbable task.
51 25 -26 Out-of-the-Box (experience) OOBE is number 25 on the list of TrendTopper

 

 

 

Top 50 Business Buzzwords of 2013

For the Top Business Buzzwords of 2014, the second annual survey, click here

Global Language Monitor’s First Annual Global Survey

Complements the Tops Words of 2013, click here.

,

AUSTIN, Texas Holiday Weekend (Nov. 29 – Dec. 1, 2013) — The Global Language Monitor has announced its first annual Top 50 Global Business Buzzwords, a global survey.

Top 50 Global Business Buzzwords of 2013 represent some six continents, which continues to confirm the ever-expanding nature of the English language.”

Methodology: GLM’s Word of the Year and Business Buzzwords of the Year rankings are based upon actual word usage throughout the English-speaking world, which now numbers more than 1.83 billion people. To qualify for these lists, the words, names, and phrases must be found globally, have a minimum of 25,000 citations. and the requisite ‘depth’ and ‘breadth’ of usage. Depth is here defined as appearing in various forms of media; breadth that they must appear world-over, not limited to a particular profession or social group or geography.

Top 50 Business Buzzwords
GLM employs its NarrativeTracker technologies for global Internet and social media analysis. NarrativeTracker is based on global discourse, providing a real-time, accurate picture about any topic, at any point in time. NarrativeTracker analyzes the Internet, blogosphere, the top 375,000 print and electronic global media, as well as new social media sources as they emerge.

The Top Business Buzzwords of 2013 follow Rank / Word / Comments

  1. Content — Far and away the No. 1 BizBuzz leader

  2. Social Media — Reality: Social media impacts less than 15% of the Web

  3. Sustainability – No. 1 Word in 2007; have been rising in BizBuzz every year

  4. Transparency – Remains a goal far from corporate reality

  5. Literally – Principally used in non-literal situation, eg, Literally, “an explosion of laughter”

  6. Guru – Someone moderately skilled in a subject or particular field (cf ‘rocket scientist’ or ‘brain surgeon’)

  7. Utilize (rather than use) – Please deflate the diction and utilize the word ‘use’

  8. Robust – Applies to oh-so-many products: software, tablets (computer and otherwise), coffee, perfume, mileage, and hundreds of others

  9. Ping — High tech lingo seeping into the mainstream; now it means ‘get back to you’. Originally, a tool to send message packres to a network address to measure the time & quality of the response.

  10. Big Data — Soon Human Knowledge will be doubling every second. ’Big’ does not begin to describe what’s coming at us.

  11. Any noun used as a verb – to concept. to ballpark, and the like ….

  12. Seamless – Seldom actually seamless (Cf Obamacare website), often merely ‘seemless’ or meaningless

  13. Moving Forward — From the results of those countless ‘moving forwards’, moving sideways might be more appropriate

  14. The Cloud — Everything (and every one) now apparently ‘lives in the cloud’ though networking clouds pre-date the web by a decade or two

  15. Offline – ‘I’ll be offline’. The statement is meaningless unless one includes cell phones, tablets,smarty TVs, not to mention all atomic clocks.

  16. Bandwidth – Measurement of electronic communications devices to send and receive information with upper and lower limits

  17. New paradigm – Revolutionary new ideas that change the then-existing worldview; think Copernicus, think Newton, think Einstein, most definitely not your next product

  18. Synergy – The interaction of two efforts that result in a greater return than the sum of the two

  19. At-the-end-of-the-day — More likely the end of the quarter or fiscal year

  20. Win-Win — Much more positive than tie-tie or lose-lose

  21. Game changer – A step below a paradigm-shift but exaggeration nonetheless

  22. Pro-active – Evidently better than amateur-active

  23. Rock Star – What’s the hierarchy among Guru, Rocket Scientist, Brain Surgeon, and Rock Star?

  24. 30,000 ft level – Let’s decide if we are viewing the topic from the 30,000-, 40,000-, or 100,000 ft level. Airlines actually fly at a 35,000 ft cruise level

  25. Out-of-the-Box (experience) – OOBE is number 25 on the list of TrendTopper

  26. Resonate – produce or be filled with a deep, full, reverberating sound, belief or emotion

  27. Monetize – The attempt to transmute Internet lead into gold.

  28. Double Down – To double an investment in an already risky proposition

  29. Deliverable – An output, product, result, or outcome; a term of great flexibility.

  30. 110% — We believe it’s time to synchronize the exertion scale. As a hiring manager how do you compare 110% from an Ivy school with an exertion level of 130% from the Big Ten?

  31. Multi-task – Swapping in and out of tasks quickly is the key to multi-tasking not doing many things as once which actually decreases productivity (as imagined by Dave Nelson and other tech industries in the 1970s).

  32. Rocket science – One step up (or down) from a guru; equivalent to a Brain surgeon).

  33. Ballpark – Another name for a ‘guesstimate’.

  34. Flounder – In history a fish found plentifully off the coast of New England, while a ship might ‘founder’ along it’s rocky coastline. Over time the act of foundering became collated with the fish. Your grasp of the language is telegraphed by this confusion.

  35. As if it was — As if it were, please. You know, conditional voice.

  36. In the Cloud — Yes, dwelling within the Cloud merits a special mention.

  37. Net-Net – Consider a sportswriter for the Brooklyn Nets basketball team: “The net-net for the Nets was the netting of the final shot.”

  38. Value-add – P+E+VA, where Product (is P) + Enhancement (is Ε ), and Value add (is VA)

  39. Future proof – In reality an impossible feat because it assumes you are cognizant of future events , in Marketing, just another day of concepting.

  40. Glass is half-full – Since 90% of new companies (and new products) fail, it might be better to adjust this cliché to: “Is the glass 1/10th full or 90% empty?”

  41. Face time – Before it was a product, it was a meeting with a C-Level executive.

  42. Re-purpose – Finding a new use for an old ‘solution. Unfortunately anything thing can be re-purposed ,including your job (or yourself).

  43. Brain surgery – One step up (or down) from a guru; equivalent to a Rocket Scientist.

  44. Rock-and-a-hard-place – A supposedly intractable situation though it usually gets back on track

  45. Bleeding edge – Leading edge of the leading edge

  46. Quick-and-dirty – Cited tens of thousands of times; we prefer ‘quick-and-clean’

  47. Push the envelope – A phrase few actually understand; Originally a descriptor of breaking through the sound barrier by X-Series Test Pilots (e.g., X-15)

  48. Touch base – Another baseball allusion: if you don’t actually touch the base you are ‘called out’. Cf Cricket allusions, such as using ‘sticky wicket ‘ for a quandary.

  49. Herding cats – Used in high tech circles for several decades regarding controlling headstrong engineers, a seemingly improbable task.

  50. Low-hanging fruit – Easy pickin’s for the sales force; unfortunately, obsolete since 2008

About The Global Language Monitor
Austin-Texas-based Global Language Monitor analyzes and catalogues the latest trends in word usage and word choices and their impact on the various aspects of culture, with a particular emphasis upon Global English.
For more information, call 1.512.801.6823, email info@LanguageMonitor.com, or visit www.LanguageMonitor.com.

*******

 

How 9/11 Changed the Way We Talk

Attention: Any part of article may be used as a quote, or as a story or a segment within a larger story.No permissions necessary.

By Paul JJ Payack

AUSTIN, Texas. September 11, 2011. For the decade, The Global Language Monitor, and its predecessors have been keeping track of the manner in which the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 have changed the way Americans Talk. We have updated our findings several times since, as the language has evolved with the ensuing events of the decade, most tragic (Iraq, 7/7, Afghanistan, the Global Economic Restructuring), others seemingly beyond surreal (the Southeast Asian Tsunami, the inundation of New Orleans) a welcome few comforting.

We have found subtle yet profound differences in our everyday speech since that day when terrorist attacks unfolded on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and the pending targets in Washington, D.C., widely suspected to be the White House or the Capitol Building. The changes we have tracked include the way Americans speak in terms of subject matter, vernacular, word choice and tone.

9/11

The first case is the use of 9/11, itself, as a shorthand for the 2001 terrorist attacks. Using various web metrics, 9/11 outpaces any other name, including the spelled out ‘September 11th” by 7:1 margin. This designation, in itself, is quite interesting. It is true that Franklin D. Roosevelt proclaimed the Pearl Harbor attack as “December 7th, 1941 as a day which will live in infamy”. But there were no “12/7″ rallying cries thereafter. Neither were the dates immortalized of the original battles of the Korean War, the Gulf of Tonkin Incident which preceded the major escalation of the Vietnam War, the Persian Gulf War, the siege of Afghanistan siege, or the invasion of Iraq. Only the 7/7 attacks on the London transportation system are recorded in common memory by their date (and primarily in the UK). .

 

Ground Zero

The name Ground Zero now evokes a sacred place, where the World Trade Center’s Twin Towers once stood. It is also revered as a burial ground since thousands of bodies literally vaporized in the ensuing collapse with no remains found whatsoever.

Almost universally, it is capitalized as any other proper name, with a few exceptions, most notably the New York Times(and later legitimized in the AP Style Guide).

In fact, the Times continues to insist on referring to Ground Zero in the lower case, calling it, for example, ‘the area known as ground zero’. Admittedly, ground zero also refers to the epicenter of a nuclear blast. In the minds of this generation, this is a close as they have ever gotten to such an event (or ever expect to).

Names are officially bestowed in a number of ways, most often by bureaucratic committees following arcane sets of rules, answering to few. In this case, we kindly request those nameless bureaucrats to follow the lead of hundreds of millions around the world who have formally bestowed upon that special place, the formal name: Ground Zero.

 

 

Heroes

In mythology, heroes were men and women often of divine ancestry endowed with the gifts of courage and strength. In reality, everyday heroes of the late 20th and early 21st centuries were sports figures (‘Be like Mike’ and ‘Where have you gone, Joe DiMaggio’), comic book and cartoon characters ala

Superman and Spiderman, and all too frequently ‘anti-heroes’ known for the colossal damage they might inflict upon a helpless (and often hapless) world.

Into this tableaux, came the heroes of 9/11, very real men and women, rushing into and up the Towers as everyone else was rushing down and out; rushing the cockpit of Flight 93, with plastic knives and forks and hot coffee, forcing the startled highjackers to abandon their plans of crashing into the Capitol or White House rather than the previously unheralded soil of Swanksville, PA; and the men and women who quietly stood their posts at the Pentagon, just doing their duty, not knowing if they would be subjected to another horrific, and more deadly, attack at any moment.

In the post-9/11 world, the term has now come to apply to any who place their lives in danger to foster the common good, especially ‘first-responders’ such as: firefighters, EMTs, and police, who quietly place their lives on the line every day.

Another historic change is the treatment of American soldiers with the respect they have been unaccustomed to since the days of the Vietnam War. The public has evidently been able to separate the politics of the wars from the all-too-human participants.

-stan

The suffix in Persian and related languages that means, literally, ‘land of,’ hence, Afghanistan or Land of the Afghans, or Kurdistan (or Kurdish Territories), or even this relatively new moniker: Londonistan. Talibanistan, referring to Afghanistan and the ‘tribal lands’ in Pakistan. The suffix has been appropriated in various, often humorous, ways such as the famous New Yorker cover that referred to the various ‘-stans’ one encounters in post-Modern life.

The Demarcation of Time

The date 9/11 now has a special place as a time marker or time stamp; we now frequently delineate time periods as either pre-9/11 or post 9/11.

 

The unCivil (or inCivil) War

Since 9/11, the political discourse of American politics has, arguably, descended to its lowest level since the Civil-War era when Lincoln was typically depicted as a know-nothing, Bible-spouting Baboon. Even speech of the Watergate era was spared the hyperbole commonly heard today, as respect for the institution of the presidency remained high, even though the President was widely disdained.

Today, political opponents are routinely called ‘liars,’ are typically compared to Hitler, Nazis and Fascists by those who evidently know little of either history or political theory.

When tragedies do occur (the inundation of New Orleans, the Gulf Oil Spill, the Global Economic Restructuring), no opportunities are overlooked to demonize the sitting president by the ‘loyal’ opposition. And the vitriol has steadily increased throughout the decade as measured by various longitudinal indices of GLM. In fact, much of the frustration with President Obama now associated with liberals and progressives has been trending upward since his inauguration, though it was overlooked by the conventional media and polling organizations because traditional polling and information gathering often finds itself at a disadvantage when compared to Internet and social-media based trend-tracking organizations.

It is very difficult to pinpoint the exact cause of this debasement of political speech and rhetoric, but it has been suggested that in the face of a nearly invisible, constantly morphing, enemy, we have turned the attack inward, upon ourselves, and our institutions.

Apocalyptic-type Terminology

In an exclusive of the worldwide media, GLM has also found a decided rise in apocalyptic-type terminology in the description of tragedies but even with events of inconvenience (such as Washington’s Snowmageddon of last winter or the recent Carpocalypse in Los Angeles). After all it does snow in Washington, D.C. every winter and freeways are frequently closed the world over for repairs.

This trend town alarming references include: Biblical, Hiroshima-type references, Catastrophe, Holocaust, Apocalypse, decimation, and End-of-the-World scenarios. These alarmist references are recorded across the full spectrum of print and electronic media. It appears as if the world is stunned the string of early 21st catastrophes. (By the way, the world still has to deal with the so-called end of the Mayan calendar extinction event that is scheduled to occur on December 22nd of next year.)

The global media appear mesmerized by the constant bombardment of television images of apparently rampaging, out-of-control elements, such as

the truly catastrophic combination of earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear meltdown in Japan, where authorities encounter vast difficulties in keeping their own people fed, sheltered, evacuated, and, even, from dying on the street.

During the inundation of New Orleans, the Sunday Times (London) stated, “Devastation that could send an area the size of England back to the Stone Age”. The story continues, “AMERICA comes to an end in Montgomery, Alabama … it has been replaced by a dangerous and paranoid post-apocalyptic landscape, short of all the things fuel, phones, water and electricity needed to keep the 21st century switched on. By the time you reach Waveland, Mississippi, the coastal town of 6,800 where corpses lie amid a scene of Biblical devastation, any semblance of modern society has gone. “

Everyday language changes with 9/11

Some ten years on, we now speak of terror levels (since obsoleted), duct tape, Homeland Security, Full-body scanners, shoe-bombs and shoe-bombers, the Freedom Tower (since renamed), Shanksville, the Ground Zero Mosque, Imans, drones, high-value targets, Ramadan, Burquas, face veils, Sharia Law, and scores of other 9/11-related terms that now inhabit the English Linguasphere.

Obama election tops all news stories since Year 2000

Obama election tops all news stories since Year 2000

 

More than double all the other major news events COMBINED

 

Does a new decade begin January 20th?

 

Austin, TX December 29, 2008 (MetaNewswire) – The election of Barack Obama to the Presidency of the United States tops all major news stories since the year 2000 according to a analysis released by the Global Language Monitor (www.LanguageMonitor.com). In fact citations of Barack Obama in the global print and electronic media, on the Internet, and throughout the blogosphere more than double the other main stories of the last decade combined. These include in descending order: the Iraq War, the Beijing Olympics, the Financial Tsunami, Hurricane Katrina, the death of Pope John Paul II, the 9/11 Terrorist Attacks and the Asian Tsunami.

Media, Internet & Blogosphere
Rank Story
1 Obama
2 Iraq War
3 Beijing Olympics
4 Financial Tsunami
5 Hurricane Katrina
6 Pope John Paul II
7 9/11 Terrorist Attacks
8 S. Asian Tsunami

 

 

When separating out the global print and electronic media alone, GLM found that more stories have appeared about the election of Barack Obama to the Presidency of the United States than the number of stories about Hurricane Katrina (No. 2), the Financial Tsunami (No. 3), and the Iraq War (No. 4) combined. Next on the list of top stories since the Year 2000 include The 9/11 Terrorist Attacks (No. 5), the Beijing Olympics (No. 6), the Death of Pope John Paul II (No.7), and the South Asian Tsunami (No.8)

The stories were measured in the print and electronic media for a one year period after the event.

Print and Electronic Media
Rank Story
1 Obama
2 Hurricane Katrina
3 Financial Tsunami
4 Iraq War
5 9/11 Terrorist Attacks
6 Beijing Olympics
7 Pope John Paul II
8 S. Asian Tsunami

““The historical confluence of events in the year 2008 is unprecedented. Aside from Obama’s election, we witnessed the Financial Tsunami which appears to be a vast restructuring of the world economic order, and the Beijing Olympics, which can be viewed as the unofficial welcoming of China into the world community as a nation of the first rank,” said Paul JJ Payack, president and chief word analyst of GLM. “This lends some credence to the idea that on January 20th, 2009 we are about to embark on the second decade of the second millennium.

To the popular mind, History rarely follows chronology: the Fifties ended with JFK’s Assassination in 1963; the Sixties with the Nixon’s resignation in ‘74; the Eighties with the fall of the Berlin Wall; while the Nineties, as well as the 20th century persisted until 9/11/2001.

 

 

 

How 9/11 Changed the Way We Speak

How 9/11 Changed the Way Americans Speak

Subtle Yet Profound Differences

Austin, Texas, USA. September 11, 2008. (Updated) The Global Language Monitor today released an updated analysis of how the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, The Pentagon, and the pending targets in Washington, D.C., widely suspected to be the White House or the Capitol Building, have changed the way Americans speak in terms of vernacular, word choice and tone.

Updating an earlier analysis completed on the Fifth Anniversary of the attacks, it a continued and historic change in an ‘unCivil War‘ in terms of the vitriolic exchange currently witnessed on the American Political scene. According to Paul JJ Payack, President and Chief Word Analyst of GLM (www.LanguageMonitor.com), these are a few of the ways where the events of 9/11 have impacted the way Americans speak.

  1. 9/11 — The first case is the use of 9/11, itself, as a shorthand for the 2001 terrorist attacks. Using various web metrics, 9/11 outpaces any other name, including the spelled out ‘September 11th” by 7:1 margin. This designation in itself it quite interesting. It is true that Franklin D. Roosevelt proclaimed the Pearl Harbor attack as “December 7th, 1941 as a day which will live in infamy”. But there were no “12/7” rallying cries thereafter. Neither were the dates immortalized of the original battles of the Korean War, the Gulf of Tonkin Incident which preceded the major escalation of the Vietnam War, The First Gulf War, The Afganistan siege, or even the recent Iraqi Invasion. Only the 7/7 attacks on the London Subway system are recorded in common memory by their date (and primarily in the UK in general,and London in particular).
  2. Ground Zero — The name Ground Zero evokes a sacred place, where the World Trade Center’s Twin Towers once stood. It is also revered as a burial ground since thousands of bodies literally vaporized in the ensuing collapse with no remains found whatsoever. Almost universally, it is capitalized as any other proper name, with a few exceptions, most notably the New York Times. Even this week, The Times insisted on referring to Ground Zero in the lower case, calling it ‘the area known as ground zero’. (Sic) Names are officially bestowed in a number of ways, most often by bureaucratic committees following arcane sets of rules, answering to few. In this case, we kindly request those bureaucrats to follow the lead of hundreds of millions around the world who have formally bestowed upon that special place, the formal name of Ground Zero.
  3. Hero — In mythology, heroes were men and women often of divine ancestry endowed with the gifts of courage and strength. In reality, everyday heroes of the late 20th and early 21st centuries were sports figures (‘Be like Mike’ and ‘Where have you gone, Joe DiMaggio’), comic book and cartoon characters ala Superman and Spiderman, and all too frequently ‘anti-heroes’ known for the colossal damage they might inflict upon a helpless (and often hapless) world. Into this tableaux, came the heroes of 9/11, very real men and women, rushing into and up the Towers as everyone else was rushing down and out; rushing the cockpit of Flight 93, with knives and forks and steaming hot coffee, forcing the startled highjackers to abandon their plans of crashing into the Capitol or White House rather than the previously unheralded soil of Swanksville, PA; and the men and women who quietly stood their posts at the Pentagon, just doing their duty, not knowing if they would be subjected to another horrific, and more deadly, attack at any moment. In the post-9/11 world, the term has now come to apply to any who place their lives in danger to foster the public good, especially ‘first-responders’ such as: firefighters, EMTs, and police, who quietly place their lives on the line every day.
  4. -stan — The suffix in Persian and related languages that means, literally, ‘land of,’ hence, Afghanistan or Land of the Afghans, or Kurdistan (or Kurdish Territories), or even this relatively new moniker: Londonistan.Talibanistan, referring to Afganistan and the ‘tribal lands’ in Pakistan in the New York Times Sunday Magazine is the latest instantiation.
  5. The unCivil War — Since 9/11 after a very short reprieve, the political discourse of American politics has, arguably, descended to its lowest level since the Civil-War era when Lincoln was typically depicted as a know-nothing, Bible-spouting Baboon. Even speech of the Watergate era was spared the hyperbole commonly heard today, as respect for the institution of the presidency remained high. Today, political opponents are routinely called ‘liars,’ are typically compared to Hitler, Nazis and Fascists; are accused of purposely allowing New Orleans’ inundation in order to destroy disenfranchised elements of our population, and so on. It is very difficult to pinpoint the exact cause of this reaction. It has been suggested that in the face of a nearly invisible, constantly morphing, enemy, we have turned the attack inward, upon ourselves, and our institutions.

For more information, call 1.512.801.6823, email info@LanguageMonitor.com, or visit www.LanguageMonitor.com.

*******

No Zuo No Die: Giving Chinglish a Try

Chinese-Canadian Bart Li recently started a course for Chinese businesspeople and others wanting to work in the West in Winnipeg, Canada. The course name? Advanced Chinglish. The course covers features of Chinglish, the value of Chinglish and so on.

[Read More.]

 

Chinese puts in a good word for the English language

Chinese Puts in a Good Word for English

Reprinted From November 2, 2013

Chinese puts in a good word for the English language

Updated: 2013-11-02 00:37

By JIN ZHU in Beijing and CHEN JIA in San Francisco (China Daily)

Words of Chinese origin are playing a key role in driving the ongoing globalization of English, experts in both languages say.

“The fact that some 300 million Chinese people are now studying or have studied English means the important impact of Chinese on the language can’t be denied,” said Paul J.J. Payack, president and chief analyst at Global Language Monitor.

The consultancy, based in Austin in the US state of Texas, documents, analyzes and tracks trends in language usage worldwide, with a particular emphasis on English.

It says some 10,000 words are added to the English language annually, with about 1.83 billion people using English as their native, second, business or technical language.

But the global figure was only about 250 million in 1960, with English-speakers mainly located in Britain and its Commonwealth of former colonies, as well as the United States.

“It’s estimated that a new English word is created every 98 minutes,” Payack said.

“One example of a word used in English that originated from Chinese that has appeared recently is chengguan (city patrol officer). A quick Google search results in nearly a million citations, far in excess of our minimum number of required citations.”

The Oxford English Dictionary, which waits 10 years before entering a word to ensure it has “staying power”, now has about 1,000 words of Chinese origin, such as taikonaut.

Read more

The New Silk Road

Una serie de reportajes por más de 25 países, para explicar la conquista silenciosa del mundo por parte de China. Esta serie constituye un viaje desde las minas de la República Democrática del Congo hasta las explotaciones de gas en el desierto entre Uzbekistán y Turkmenistán, pasando por la Venezuela de Hugo Chávez o el Irán de los ayatolás.

En diciembre de 2009, el centro de análisis estadounidense The Global Language Monitorpublicaba un dato significativo de nuestro tiempo: la “emergencia de China” era “la noticia de la década”. El crecimiento y expansión del gigante asiático desbancaba al atentado del 11-S en Nueva York o la victoria de Barack Obama como hecho noticioso más publicado, buscado y comentado desde el arranque del nuevo siglo en medios de comunicación tradicionales (radio, prensa, televisión), foros y redes sociales.

Que la emergencia del gigante asiático sea “la noticia de la década” puede suponer para muchos una sorpresa. Pero no es más que la consecuencia de una tendencia silenciosa e inexorable que está llamada a cambiar el signo del mundo actual: la expansión de China por los cinco continentes, el deseo de Pekín de volver a ser una superpotencia.

Esta serie lleva por título La Nueva Ruta de la Sedapor razones históricas. Y es que durante siglos la Ruta de la Seda, el comercio, en definitiva, fue una de las pocas -si no la única, junto a las misiones religiosas europeas- forma de contacto de la China imperial con el resto del planeta, particularmente Asia Central, Oriente Medio y Europa. Si la corte de la dinastía Qing (1644–1912) rechazaba en 1792 la visita del enviado del rey británico Jorge III, George Macartney, para abrir más puertos comerciales a la Corona, hoy Pekín avanza en sentido contrario: un proceso de internacionalización sin parangón en su historia que la lleva a los cuatro rincones del globo.

[Read More.]

 

What do top English words tell?

By Xiao Xiaoyan (China Daily)

Ten years ago, no one had heard of “H1N1”, “Web 2.0”, “n00b”, or talked about “de-friending” someone on “Twitter” or “Facebook”. Now these are part of people’s everyday vocabulary.

The world is changing. Inevitably, so are our words.

The English language is going through an explosion of word creation. New words are coined – some, like “n00b”, may not even look like words; old words take on new meanings – “twitter” today bears little relation to the Middle English twiteren. According to the Global Language Monitor (GLM), in 2009 the English language tipped the scales with a vocabulary of one million words. Not good news for the 250 million people acquiring English in China.

GLM, the San Diego-based language watcher, publishes annual lists of top words and phrases by tracking words in the global print and electronic media, the Internet, blogs, and social media such as Twitter and YouTube.

Each year’s list reflects major concerns and changes taking place that year. For instance, from the 2009 list, we have to acknowledge the fact that technology is reshaping our ways of living (twitter, web 2.0).

We need to face up to the after-effects of a “financial tsunami” (stimulus, foreclosure), a pandemic (H1N1), the death of revered pop icon (MJ, King of Pop) and the debates over “healthcare reform” and “climate change” that mark the year.

A quick rundown of GLM’s top words/phrases of the decade is precisely like watching clips of a documentary of the decade. From the lists we are reminded of the series of world-shaping events from 9/11(2001), tsunami (2004) to H1N1 (2009), and we see the huge impact the Internet and new technologies have made on our lives, from the burst of the “dot.com bubble” (2000) to blog (2003), Google (2007) and Twitter (2009), which represent a new trend in social interaction.

The lists are also witnesses of the influences of entertainment sector such as the film “Brokeback” (2004) a new term for gay to “Vampire” (2009), now a symbol of unrequited love. Michael Phelps’s 8-gold-medal accomplishments at the Beijing Olympics had created a Phelpsian (2008) pheat.

The Chinese equivalence of top words came in a more complex fashion. First there are lists of expressions only, not single words. Second, there exist two completely separate lists. One is the list of top expressions from mainstream print media, while the other popular Internet expressions is selected annually from netizen votes.

The mainstream list first appeared in 2002; the Internet version came out in 1999. What is most interesting is that the top expressions on the two sets of lists rarely overlap: The one being mostly concerned with what is public, official, involving macro concerns and interests; the other being private and personal, reflecting attitudes and feelings of the younger generation.

Just like the English top words lists, the Chinese mainstream lists also reflect major events, albeit with a different angle, for instance, anti-terror (2002), Saddam Hussein (2003), bird flu (2004), prisoner abuse (2004) and G20 Summit (2009). The Chinese press also seem much more concerned with the two Olympics and the two World Cups taking place during the decade.

Internet-spawned new words are also creeping into the Chinese language: texting, blog, Baidu (Google’s main competitor in China) and QQ (the Chinese social-networking site) became buzz-words in China, though somewhat later than their English counterparts.

The Chinese entertainment sector is leaving a much bigger impact on the language. Famous lines from Chinese movies or popular shows pass on to become everyday expressions. For instance, “Integrity makes the man” from Cell Phone; “You will pay for what you have done sooner or later” from the Hong Kong movie “Infernal Affairs,” which most Chinese people believe was copied by Hollywood in “The Departed.” ” Money is not a problem” a theme line from a popular skit has become the standard version to satirize certain Chinese people’s pompous attitude to money and concern over face rather than over efficiency.

Green living as a concept is becoming a focus of concern in China too, though on a delayed time schedule. Compared with the fact that “climate change” has dominated the English lists since 2000, the Chinese version didn’t become a top expression till 2009, though expressions like “energy-conservation society” and “energy conservation and emissions reduction” did make their way to the 2005 and 2008 lists.

Although Chinese top expressions demonstrate similar trends to those in English, there are a few most distinctive features. A strong political flavor is found in the Chinese list as reflected in top expressions like the Three Represents (2002), Scientific Approach to Development (2004), and Peaceful Development (2005).

Another most outstanding feature of the Chinese lists is the contrast between the mainstream print media and the Internet: The English lists represent the spread of words in both print and digital media, the Internet, blogs and social media. The Chinese Internet buzzwords are mostly used on the Internet; although many have passed on into everyday life, only a small number have crept into the mainstream media.

Unlike the mainstream media, popular Internet expressions represent what the ordinary Chinese people are actually talking about in non-official contexts. Most of the expressions are highly colloquial, living, creative, and can be cynical. Some of the expressions reveal the new values and attitudes towards current affairs. For instance, da jiang you, which literally means “on the way to get soy sauce”, speaks of a “not concerned” or “staying out of it” attitude. This attitude is also reflected in the expression: zuo fu wo cheng, which literally means “doing push-ups”, in other words not paying any attention to what’s happening.

Some Internet words have gained acceptance in the mainstream media. For instance shan zhai, which literally means “mountain village”. It has now been adapted to mean “counterfeit”, or things done in parody, as in “shanzhai mobile phones”, “shanzhai New Year’s Eve Gala”, and even “shanzhai celebrities”.

From a linguistic point of view, language is simply a tool for communication. When new ideas and concepts pop up, language needs to adapt itself to allow the communication of these ideas and concepts. If the Internet is reshaping our lives, the net-language is only reflecting such changes.

The author is associate professor at the English Department of Xiamen University.

(China Daily 04/16/2010 page9)

 

Chinglish and the Olympics

 

Will the Beijing Olympics Finally Eradicate Chinglish?

Is this the End to ‘Deformed-man Toilets’ and ‘Racist Parks’

We think not.

 

Austin, Texas, USA. July 30, 2008. MetaNewswire. There has been much publicity about Beijing’s vaunted attempt to eradicate Chinglish before the 2008 Games begin. Menus at the top hotels have been replaced with standardized, albeit less poetic, versions (no more ‘exploding shrimp’.)

And many of the city’s traffic signs have been tamed (no more signposts to the Garden with Curled Poo). “We have worked out 4,624 pieces of standard English translations to substitute the Chinglish ones on signs around the city,” said Lu Jinlan, head of the organizing committee of the Beijing Speaks Foreign Languages Programme (BSFLP).

Is this really the end of Chinglish, that delightful admixture of Chinese and English?

Studies by the Global Language Monitor suggest that Chinglish will persist – and even thrive – far after the Games have ended.

Chinglish is the outgrowth of several convening forces, including:

  • the widespread acceptance of English as a Global Language
  • the fact that some 250 million Chinese are currently studying English as a second, auxiliary or business language
  • he astonishing complexity and richness of the Mandarin language
  • the English language vocabulary is approaching the million word mark
  • The Chinese people evidently enjoy wearing Chinglish on their clothing

 

Mandarin has more than 50,000 ideograms each of which can be used to represent any number of words. In

addition, Mandarin is a tonal language meaning that tonal variations in pronunciation can distinguish one word from another. Therefore attempting to map a precise ideogram to any particular word in the million-word English lexicon is a nearly impossible task.

The difficulty is further evidenced on the official Olympic website of the Beijing Olympic Games, http://en.beijing2008.cn, where it states that “we share the charm and joy of the Olympic Games”. Hundreds of scholars have proofed the site and decided that the word charm is most appropriate in describing the Games. In past Olympiads words such as ‘power’, ‘pride,’ ‘heroic,’ ‘majesty,’ ‘triumph,’ and, even, ‘tragedy’ frequently have been used to described the Olympic movement but the word ‘charm’ has largely been ignored. Charm has a number of meanings including the ‘individuating property of quarks and other elementary particles’. In this case, we assume the authorities were using the definition of charm as a transitive verb: to attract or please greatly; enchant; allure; fascinate; or delight.

Finally, there is the on-going cross-pollination between English and Mandarin, with Chinglish at the epicenter of the movement. Recently, the Ministry of Education (MOE) accepted some 171 neologisms into the Chinese language. Words were considered only after they passed the scrutiny of a dozen scholars associated with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) Institute of Linguistics. These included a new ideogram for ‘brokeback,’ a word popularized from the banned movie Brokeback Mountain to indicate ‘gay’.

You will find brokeback in few English-language dictionaries, but it already has been accepted into the Chinese. Words passed over for formal entry, which despite their frequency of use were deemed inappropriate included: “cool”, “zip it”, 3Q for “thank you” and “kick your ass”.

Recently, the Global Language Monitor listed its all-time favorite Chinglish words and phrases. These included:

 

  • Deformed man toilet (handicapped restroom)

 

  • Airline Pulp (food served aboard airlines – no explanation necessary

 

  • The slippery are very crafty (slippery when wet)

 

  • If you are stolen, call the police

 

  • Do not climb the rocketry (rock wall)

 

 

Chinglish Adds Flavor to Alphabet Soup

 

 

 

2/19/2008 (China Daily)– San Diego-based consultancy group – Global Language Monitor claims Chinglish is adding the most spice to the alphabet soup of today’s English by contributing more words than any other single source to the global language.

And the more Chinese I learn, the more appetizing this seems.

Subscribing to the Elizabethan definition of a word as “a thing spoken and understood”, GLM is using a predictive quantities indicator (PQI) to scan the Web for emergent English words and track their mainstream use over time.

As GLM president Paul JJ Payack says: “Language colors the way you think. Thinking in Chinese is completely different.”

And every day that I learn more Chinese, the more vibrant this coloration becomes in my mind. This is mostly because of the descriptive nature of the language, in which many words are created by mixing and matching diasylobolic words to create new diasylobolic words.

Generally speaking, English is more definitional, so its words are more terminological than descriptive. For example, a “spider” is a spider – the word in itself tells you nothing about what it represents. But the Chinese word for spider (zhizhu) literally translates as “clever insect” – a description it earns in Chinese by spinning intricate webs to ensnare prey.

In Chinese, you don’t ride a bike, bus or train; you instead respectively ride a (zixinche) “self-walk vehicle”, a (gonggongqiche) “public all-together gas vehicle” or a (huoche) “fire vehicle”.

A massage is a (anmo) “press and touch”. A pimple is a (qingdou) “youth bean”. Investing is to (touzi) “throw funds”. And when you don’t make your money back, the disappointment is conveyed directly as (saoxing) “sweep interest”.

While linguists ballyhoo English’s capacity for specificity, this has in some ways become its weakness, as the definitional often trumps the descriptive, with wonderful exceptions, such as “rainbow”. But that’s where the other widely vaunted strength of the language – its capacity to ravenously gobble up other languages’ words – could become a beautiful thing. And I’m glad to know the English language is developing a growing taste for Chinese food.

In the 1960s, there were about 250 million English speakers, mostly from the United States, the United Kingdom and their former colonies.

Today, the same number of Chinese possesses some command of the language, and that number is growing. One possibility is the plethora of localized “lishes”, such as Chinglish, Hinglish (a Hindi-English hybrid) and Spanglish (an English-Spanish hybrid) could branch so far from English, they become mutually unintelligible tongues sharing a common root, much as Latin did in Medieval Europe.

Many linguists agree that if the lishes splinter, Chinglish will likely become the most prominent offshoot by virtue of sheer numbers, giving Chinese primary ownership of the language.

Perhaps then, English could become more beautiful than I could now describe – at least with its currently existing words. (Contributed by China Daily)

The Million Word March. Fueled by Chinglish?

‘No Noising’ and ‘Airline Pulp’ named Top Chinglish Words

 

San Diego, Calif. November 22, 2006. ‘No Noising’ and ‘Airline Pulp’ have been named the Top Chinglish Words of 2006 in The Global Language Monitor’s annual survey of the Chinese-English hybrid words known more commonly as Chinglish. Though often viewed with amusement by the rest of the English-speaking world, The Chinglish phenomenon is one of the prime drivers of Globalization of the English Language.

The Annual Survey by the Global Language Monitor

“The importance of Chinglish is the fact that some 250,000,000 Chinese are now studying, or have studied, English and their impact (and imprint) upon the language cannot be denied,” said Paul JJ Payack, President and The WordMan of the Global Language Monitor. “Since each Chinese ideogram can have many meanings and interpretations, translating ideas into English is, indeed, difficult. Nevertheless, the abundance of new words and phrases, unlikely as this may seem, can and will impact Global English as it evolves through the twenty-first century”.

With the English Language marching steadily toward the 1,000,000 word mark, there are now some 1.3 billion speakers with English as their native, second, business or technical tongue. In 1960, the number of English Speakers hovered around 250,000,000 mainly located in the UK and its Commonwealth of former colonies, and the US.

Some scholars maintain that you cannot actually count the number of words in the language because it is impossible to say exactly what a word is, talking rather of memes and other linguistic constructs, are afraid that Global English is just another form of cultural Imperialism. GLM take the classic view of the language as understood in Elisabethan England, where a word was ‘a thing spoken’ or an ‘idea spoken’.

Others say that English is undergoing a rebirth unlike any seen since the time of Shakespeare, when English was emerging as the modern tongue known to us today. (Shakespeare, himself, added about 1700 words to the Codex.) English has emerged as the lingua franca of the planet, the primary communications vehicle of the Internet, high technology, international commerce, entertainment, and the like.

Chinglish is just one of a number of the -Lishes, such as Hinglish (Hindu-English hydrid) and Singlish, that found in Singapore. A language can best be view as a living entity, where it grows just like any other living thing and is shaped by the environment in which it lives. With the continuing emergence of China on the world stage — and with the Olympics coming to Beijing in 2008, the state is now attempting to stamp-out some of the more egregious examples of Chinglish.

In its annual survey the Global Language Monitor has selected from hundreds of nominees, the top Chinglish words and Phrases of 2006.

The Top Chinglish Words and Phrases of 2006 follow:

  1. “No Noising”. Translated as “quiet please!”
  2. “Airline pulp.” Food served aboard an airliner.
  3. “Jumping umbrella”. A hang-glider.
  4. “Question Authority”. Information Booth.
  5. “Burnt meat biscuit.” No it’s not something to enjoy from the North of England but what is claimed to be bread dipped in a savory meat sauce.

Bonus: GLM’s all-time favorite from previous surveys: “The Slippery are very crafty”. Translation: Slippery when wet!

Independent News (London): Chinglish Phrases on the Rise

People’s Daily (China): Global Language Monitor: Many Chinglish into English

The Sunday Times (London): Chinglish: It’s a word in a million

Click here to add your thoughts to the China Daily Online Translation Community

Chinese Translation Exam Features GLM (Section 7)

Chinglish one of the Top Words of the Year!

Read More.

Click here to Read and Listen to the Chinese Radio Int’l (CRI) Report

For more information, call 1.512.801.6823, email info@LanguageMonitor.com, or visit www.LanguageMonitor.com.

 

Chinglish

Will the Beijing Olympics Finally Eradicate Chinglish?

Is this the End to ‘Deformed-man Toilets’ and ‘Racist Parks’

We think not.

Austin, Texas, USA. July 30, 2008. MetaNewswire. There has been much publicity about Beijing’s vaunted attempt to eradicate Chinglish before the 2008 Games begin. Menus at the top hotels have been replaced with standardized, albeit less poetic, versions (no more ‘exploding shrimp’.)

And many of the city’s traffic signs have been tamed (no more signposts to the Garden with Curled Poo). “We have worked out 4,624 pieces of standard English translations to substitute the Chinglish ones on signs around the city,” said Lu Jinlan, head of the organizing committee of the Beijing Speaks Foreign Languages Programme (BSFLP).

Is this really the end of Chinglish, that delightful admixture of Chinese and English?

Studies by the Global Language Monitor suggest that Chinglish will persist – and even thrive – far after the Games have ended.

Chinglish is the outgrowth of several convening forces, including:

  • the widespread acceptance of English as a Global Language
  • the fact that some 250 million Chinese are currently studying English as a second, auxiliary or business language
  • he astonishing complexity and richness of the Mandarin language
  • the English language vocabulary is approaching the million word mark
  • The Chinese people evidently enjoy wearing Chinglish on their clothing

Mandarin has more than 50,000 ideograms each of which can be used to represent any number of words. In addition, Mandarin is a tonal language meaning that tonal variations in pronunciation can distinguish one word from another. Therefore attempting to map a precise ideogram to any particular word in the million-word English lexicon is a nearly impossible task.

The difficulty is further evidenced on the official Olympic website of the Beijing Olympic Games,http://en.beijing2008.cn, where it states that “we share the charm and joy of the Olympic Games”. Hundreds of scholars have proofed the site and decided that the word charm is most appropriate in describing the Games. In past Olympiads words such as ‘power’, ‘pride,’ ‘heroic,’ ‘majesty,’ ‘triumph,’ and, even, ‘tragedy’ frequently have been used to described the Olympic movement but the word ‘charm’ has largely been ignored. Charm has a number of meanings including the ‘individuating property of quarks and other elementary particles’. In this case, we assume the authorities were using the definition of charm as a transitive verb: to attract or please greatly; enchant; allure; fascinate; or delight.

Finally, there is the on-going cross-pollination between English and Mandarin, with Chinglish at the epicenter of the movement. Recently, the Ministry of Education (MOE) accepted some 171 neologisms into the Chinese language. Words were considered only after they passed the scrutiny of a dozen scholars associated with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) Institute of Linguistics. These included a new ideogram for ‘brokeback,’ a word popularized from the banned movie Brokeback Mountain to indicate ‘gay’.

You will find brokeback in few English-language dictionaries, but it already has been accepted into the Chinese. Words passed over for formal entry, which despite their frequency of use were deemed inappropriate included: “cool”, “zip it”, 3Q for “thank you” and “kick your ass”.

Recently, the Global Language Monitor listed its all-time favorite Chinglish words and phrases. These included:

  • Deformed man toilet (handicapped restroom)
  • Airline Pulp (food served aboard airlines – no explanation necessary
  • The slippery are very crafty (slippery when wet)
  • If you are stolen, call the police
  • Do not climb the rocketry (rock wall)

Chinglish Adds Flavor to Alphabet Soup

2/19/2008 (China Daily)– San Diego-based consultancy group – Global Language Monitor claims Chinglish is adding the most spice to the alphabet soup of today’s English by contributing more words than any other single source to the global language.

And the more Chinese I learn, the more appetizing this seems.

Subscribing to the Elizabethan definition of a word as “a thing spoken and understood”, GLM is using a predictive quantities indicator (PQI) to scan the Web for emergent English words and track their mainstream use over time.

As GLM president Paul JJ Payack says: “Language colors the way you think. Thinking in Chinese is completely different.”

And every day that I learn more Chinese, the more vibrant this coloration becomes in my mind. This is mostly because of the descriptive nature of the language, in which many words are created by mixing and matching diasylobolic words to create new diasylobolic words.

Generally speaking, English is more definitional, so its words are more terminological than descriptive. For example, a “spider” is a spider – the word in itself tells you nothing about what it represents. But the Chinese word for spider (zhizhu) literally translates as “clever insect” – a description it earns in Chinese by spinning intricate webs to ensnare prey.

In Chinese, you don’t ride a bike, bus or train; you instead respectively ride a (zixinche) “self-walk vehicle”, a (gonggongqiche) “public all-together gas vehicle” or a (huoche) “fire vehicle”.

A massage is a (anmo) “press and touch”. A pimple is a (qingdou) “youth bean”. Investing is to (touzi) “throw funds”. And when you don’t make your money back, the disappointment is conveyed directly as (saoxing) “sweep interest”.

While linguists ballyhoo English’s capacity for specificity, this has in some ways become its weakness, as the definitional often trumps the descriptive, with wonderful exceptions, such as “rainbow”. But that’s where the other widely vaunted strength of the language – its capacity to ravenously gobble up other languages’ words – could become a beautiful thing. And I’m glad to know the English language is developing a growing taste for Chinese food.

In the 1960s, there were about 250 million English speakers, mostly from the United States, the United Kingdom and their former colonies.

Today, the same number of Chinese possesses some command of the language, and that number is growing. One possibility is the plethora of localized “lishes”, such as Chinglish, Hinglish (a Hindi-English hybrid) and Spanglish (an English-Spanish hybrid) could branch so far from English, they become mutually unintelligible tongues sharing a common root, much as Latin did in Medieval Europe.

Many linguists agree that if the lishes splinter, Chinglish will likely become the most prominent offshoot by virtue of sheer numbers, giving Chinese primary ownership of the language.

Perhaps then, English could become more beautiful than I could now describe – at least with its currently existing words. (Contributed by China Daily)

The Million Word March. Fueled by Chinglish?

‘No Noising’ and ‘Airline Pulp’ named Top Chinglish Words

San Diego, Calif. November 22, 2006. ‘No Noising’ and ‘Airline Pulp’ have been named the Top Chinglish Words of 2006 in The Global Language Monitor’s annual survey of the Chinese-English hybrid words known more commonly as Chinglish. Though often viewed with amusement by the rest of the English-speaking world, The Chinglish phenomenon is one of the prime drivers of Globalization of the English Language.

The Annual Survey by the Global Language Monitor

“The importance of Chinglish is the fact that some 250,000,000 Chinese are now studying, or have studied, English and their impact (and imprint) upon the language cannot be denied,” said Paul JJ Payack, President and The WordMan of the Global Language Monitor. “Since each Chinese ideogram can have many meanings and interpretations, translating ideas into English is, indeed, difficult. Nevertheless, the abundance of new words and phrases, unlikely as this may seem, can and will impact Global English as it evolves through the twenty-first century”.

With the English Language marching steadily toward the 1,000,000 word mark, there are now some 1.3 billion speakers with English as their native, second, business or technical tongue. In 1960, the number of English Speakers hovered around 250,000,000 mainly located in the UK and its Commonwealth of former colonies, and the US.

Some scholars maintain that you cannot actually count the number of words in the language because it is impossible to say exactly what a word is, talking rather of memes and other linguistic constructs, are afraid that Global English is just another form of cultural Imperialism. GLM take the classic view of the language as understood in Elisabethan England, where a word was ‘a thing spoken’ or an ‘idea spoken’.

Others say that English is undergoing a rebirth unlike any seen since the time of Shakespeare, when English was emerging as the modern tongue known to us today. (Shakespeare, himself, added about 1700 words to the Codex.) English has emerged as the lingua franca of the planet, the primary communications vehicle of the Internet, high technology, international commerce, entertainment, and the like.

Chinglish is just one of a number of the -Lishes, such as Hinglish (Hindu-English hydrid) and Singlish, that found in Singapore. A language can best be view as a living entity, where it grows just like any other living thing and is shaped by the environment in which it lives. With the continuing emergence of China on the world stage — and with the Olympics coming to Beijing in 2008, the state is now attempting to stamp-out some of the more egregious examples of Chinglish.

In its annual survey the Global Language Monitor has selected from hundreds of nominees, the top Chinglish words and Phrases of 2006.

The Top Chinglish Words and Phrases of 2006 follow:

  1. “No Noising”. Translated as “quiet please!”
  2. “Airline pulp.” Food served aboard an airliner.
  3. “Jumping umbrella”. A hang-glider.
  4. “Question Authority”. Information Booth.
  5. “Burnt meat biscuit.” No it’s not something to enjoy from the North of England but what is claimed to be bread dipped in a savory meat sauce.

Bonus: GLM’s all-time favorite from previous surveys: “The Slippery are very crafty”. Translation: Slippery when wet!

Independent News (London): Chinglish Phrases on the Rise

People’s Daily (China): Global Language Monitor: Many Chinglish into English

The Sunday Times (London): Chinglish: It’s a word in a million

Click here to add your thoughts to the China Daily Online Translation Community

Chinese Translation Exam Features GLM (Section 7)

Chinglish one of the Top Words of 2005

Read More.

Click here to Read and Listen to the Chinese Radio Int’l (CRI) Report

For more information, call 1.512.801.6823, email info@LanguageMonitor.com, or visit www.LanguageMonitor.com.

 

 

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‘Green’ Dethrones ‘Climate Change’ as the Top Earth Day Word for 2015

Global Language Monitor’s Earth Day Words that Changed the World analysis

Since 1970 a whole new vocabulary has entered the English Language.

New Words and New ‘Senses’ of Old Words

 

Austin, Texas,Earth Week April 2015. For the first time since its annual survey began, ‘Climate Change’ has been dethroned in the Global Language Monitor’s Earth Day Words that Changed the World analysis. ‘Climate change’ fell to No. 7 while its close companion, ”global warming fell to No. 12. in the fourth annual analysis of Global English.

Since the first Earth Day was celebrated as an ‘environmental teach-in’ on April 22, 1970 a whole new vocabulary has entered the English Language. The Global Language Monitor has determined the top new words and new ‘senses’ of old words that have been engendered since that first Earth Day. The words are ranked by order of present-day usage in the English-speaking world. The study was updated the second week of April 2015

“The fact that neither ‘climate change’ nor ‘global warming’ tops this years list is interesting, indeed,” said Paul JJ Payack, president and chief word analyst of GLM. “In fact,there appears to be a profound shift in the awareness of environmental change on everyday living-level. This is certainly suggested by words like ‘eco-‘, free-range, and vegan moving toward the top of this year’s list.”

The words analyzed are but the most profound examples of a movement that has been gaining momentum at least since the 1960s, especially since the publication of Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring.

GLM used its Narrative Tracker methodologies to determine and rank the Earth Day words. The criteria included determining which words have had an impact on the environmental movement and/or were influential in its growth.

The Top Words Engendered by Earth Day and the Environmental Movement since 1970 are listed below.

Rank/Word/Last Year’s Rank/Definition

Rank Word 2014 Change Comment
1 Green 3 2 Practices that are in harmony with nature.
2 Eco- (as a prefix) 5 3 Shorthand for ‘ecological’; from the Greek ‘oikos’ for house (or table).
3 Free-range 26 23 The animal has been raised with access to the outside; not the same as ‘free roaming’.
4 Sustainable 2 -2 The ability to create self-replicating systems that can persist over time. Sustainable was GLM’s word of the year in 2006.the environment.
5 Vegan 6 1 Those who abstain from eating animal or dairy products, often avoiding any products made from animals (such as leather or gelatin); coined in 1944 in the UK by Donald Watson.
6 Emissions 12 6 In this sense, gases and particles sent out into the atmosphere through industrial production, automobiles, etc.; from the Late Latin emittere, to send out of.
7 Climate Change 1 -6 Now used twice as much as the term ‘global warming’. Originally favored by those who think the warming of the planet is primarily dues to long-term atmospheric cycles.
8 Ecology 7 -1 The relations of beings to each other and their environment; from the Greek ‘oikos’ for house (or table).
9 Recycle 8 -1 The re-using of materials once viewed as waste.
10 Renewable energy 15 5 Energy derived from solar, wind, geothermal, biomass and similar ‘sustainable’ sources.
12 Global warming 4 -8 Favored by those who think the warming of the planet is primarily due to human influence. (Compare Climate Change, above.)
13 Solar Power 28 15 China adds Solar the Size of France’s total capacity in First Quarter of 2015
14 Biomass 22 8 Material derived from plants that can be used as a renewable energy source.
15 Hybrid (car) 9 -6 Cars that use a mixture of technologies to reduce their reliance on fossil fuels.
16 Biodegradable 18 2 Organic material that decays naturally in a relatively short time.
17 Organic food 16 -1 Food grown or produced without synthetic fertilizers, insecticides, hormones, irradiation and genetic modification.
18 Greenhouse gas (GHG) 19 1 Any gas emitted into the atmosphere that trap heat (e.g., CO2); without them the Earth would be uninhabitable for humans; with an excess the Earth would be uninhabitable for humans.18. Solar power (12) — Energy derived by harnessing the sun’s electromagnetic radiation.
19 Carbon footprint 17 -2 The total amount of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions generate by a human activity. Driving a late-model, fuel-efficient car emits about 6 pounds of CO2 every ten miles. Term first used in 1980. Alternative definition — Your life reduced to the a series of equations on energy (carbon) consumption.
20 Biofuels 23 3 Finally, we are reaching a break-even point with sugar based biofuels in Brazil.
21 Natural (food) 14 -7 Food grown with without artificial ingredients (such as color) and produced in a manner similar to that used in a well-stocked home kitchen.
22 Post-consumer (waste) 20 -2 Material that can be used as a resource to build new products.
23 Greenhouse Effect 24 1 The heating of the Earth’s surface in a fashion similar to a greenhouse, with GHG acting as glass windows that trap heat. The result of the increased emission of CO2 and other GHGs.
24 Greenwash 21 -3 Highlighting aspects of a product that may or appear to be favorable to the environment in order to re-shape its brand image.
25 Locavore 10 -15 Thinking globally while eating locally.
26 Carbon trading 25 -1 Trading, in effect, the rights to pollute between different manufacturers in the global marketplace.
27 Xeriscape 13 -14 Literally ‘dry landscaping’; using natural elements in a desert landscape for yard enhancement. Begging the question: must every yard resemble an English Manor?
28 Save a Tree! 27 -1 One of the first rallying cries of the Environmental Movement. Unfortunately, replacing a renewable resource with one made of petroleum created ecological problems of its own.

For this analysis, the Global Language Monitor collected data from the Internet, blogosphere, the top 300,000 print and electronic media, as well as new social media as they emerge.

About the Global Language Monitor

Austin-Texas-based Global Language Monitor analyzes and catalogues the latest trends in word usage and word choices and their impact on the various aspects of culture. GLM analyzes the Internet, blogosphere, the top 250,000 print and electronic news media, as well as new social media sources (such as Twitter) as they emerge. The words, phrases and concepts are tracked in relation to their frequency, contextual usage and appearance in global media outlets.
In 2003, The Global Language Monitor (GLM) was founded in Silicon Valley by Paul J.J. Payack on the understanding that new technologies and techniques were necessary for truly understanding the world of Big Data, as it is now known. GLM provides a number of innovative products and services that utilize its ‘algorithmic services’ to help worldwide customers protect, defend and nurture their branded products and entities.
For more information, call 1.512.801.6823, email info@LanguageMonitor.com, or visit www.LanguageMonitor.com.

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‘Green’ Dethrones ‘Climate Change’ as the Top Earth Day Word for 2015

Global Language Monitor’s Earth Day Words that Changed the World analysis

Since 1970 a whole new vocabulary has entered the English Language.

New Words and New ‘Senses’ of Old Words

 

Austin, Texas,Earth Week April 2015. For the first time since its annual survey began, ‘Climate Change’ has been dethroned in the Global Language Monitor’s Earth Day Words that Changed the World analysis. ‘Climate change’ fell to No. 7 while its close companion, ”global warming fell to No. 12. in the fourth annual analysis of Global English.

Since the first Earth Day was celebrated as an ‘environmental teach-in’ on April 22, 1970 a whole new vocabulary has entered the English Language. The Global Language Monitor has determined the top new words and new ‘senses’ of old words that have been engendered since that first Earth Day. The words are ranked by order of present-day usage in the English-speaking world. The study was updated the second week of April 2015

“The fact that neither ‘climate change’ nor ‘global warming’ tops this years list is interesting, indeed,” said Paul JJ Payack, president and chief word analyst of GLM. “In fact,there appears to be a profound shift in the awareness of environmental change on everyday living-level. This is certainly suggested by words like ‘eco-‘, free-range, and vegan moving toward the top of this year’s list.”

The words analyzed are but the most profound examples of a movement that has been gaining momentum at least since the 1960s, especially since the publication of Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring.

GLM used its Narrative Tracker methodologies to determine and rank the Earth Day words. The criteria included determining which words have had an impact on the environmental movement and/or were influential in its growth.

The Top Words Engendered by Earth Day and the Environmental Movement since 1970 are listed below.

Rank/Word/Last Year’s Rank/Definition

Rank Word 2014 Change Comment
1 Green 3 2 Practices that are in harmony with nature.
2 Eco- (as a prefix) 5 3 Shorthand for ‘ecological’; from the Greek ‘oikos’ for house (or table).
3 Free-range 26 23 The animal has been raised with access to the outside; not the same as ‘free roaming’.
4 Sustainable 2 -2 The ability to create self-replicating systems that can persist over time. Sustainable was GLM’s word of the year in 2006.the environment.
5 Vegan 6 1 Those who abstain from eating animal or dairy products, often avoiding any products made from animals (such as leather or gelatin); coined in 1944 in the UK by Donald Watson.
6 Emissions 12 6 In this sense, gases and particles sent out into the atmosphere through industrial production, automobiles, etc.; from the Late Latin emittere, to send out of.
7 Climate Change 1 -6 Now used twice as much as the term ‘global warming’. Originally favored by those who think the warming of the planet is primarily dues to long-term atmospheric cycles.
8 Ecology 7 -1 The relations of beings to each other and their environment; from the Greek ‘oikos’ for house (or table).
9 Recycle 8 -1 The re-using of materials once viewed as waste.
10 Renewable energy 15 5 Energy derived from solar, wind, geothermal, biomass and similar ‘sustainable’ sources.
12 Global warming 4 -8 Favored by those who think the warming of the planet is primarily due to human influence. (Compare Climate Change, above.)
13 Solar Power 28 15 China adds Solar the Size of France’s total capacity in First Quarter of 2015
14 Biomass 22 8 Material derived from plants that can be used as a renewable energy source.
15 Hybrid (car) 9 -6 Cars that use a mixture of technologies to reduce their reliance on fossil fuels.
16 Biodegradable 18 2 Organic material that decays naturally in a relatively short time.
17 Organic food 16 -1 Food grown or produced without synthetic fertilizers, insecticides, hormones, irradiation and genetic modification.
18 Greenhouse gas (GHG) 19 1 Any gas emitted into the atmosphere that trap heat (e.g., CO2); without them the Earth would be uninhabitable for humans; with an excess the Earth would be uninhabitable for humans.18. Solar power (12) — Energy derived by harnessing the sun’s electromagnetic radiation.
19 Carbon footprint 17 -2 The total amount of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions generate by a human activity. Driving a late-model, fuel-efficient car emits about 6 pounds of CO2 every ten miles. Term first used in 1980. Alternative definition — Your life reduced to the a series of equations on energy (carbon) consumption.
20 Biofuels 23 3 Finally, we are reaching a break-even point with sugar based biofuels in Brazil.
21 Natural (food) 14 -7 Food grown with without artificial ingredients (such as color) and produced in a manner similar to that used in a well-stocked home kitchen.
22 Post-consumer (waste) 20 -2 Material that can be used as a resource to build new products.
23 Greenhouse Effect 24 1 The heating of the Earth’s surface in a fashion similar to a greenhouse, with GHG acting as glass windows that trap heat. The result of the increased emission of CO2 and other GHGs.
24 Greenwash 21 -3 Highlighting aspects of a product that may or appear to be favorable to the environment in order to re-shape its brand image.
25 Locavore 10 -15 Thinking globally while eating locally.
26 Carbon trading 25 -1 Trading, in effect, the rights to pollute between different manufacturers in the global marketplace.
27 Xeriscape 13 -14 Literally ‘dry landscaping’; using natural elements in a desert landscape for yard enhancement. Begging the question: must every yard resemble an English Manor?
28 Save a Tree! 27 -1 One of the first rallying cries of the Environmental Movement. Unfortunately, replacing a renewable resource with one made of petroleum created ecological problems of its own.

For this analysis, the Global Language Monitor collected data from the Internet, blogosphere, the top 300,000 print and electronic media, as well as new social media as they emerge.

About the Global Language Monitor

Austin-Texas-based Global Language Monitor analyzes and catalogues the latest trends in word usage and word choices and their impact on the various aspects of culture. GLM analyzes the Internet, blogosphere, the top 250,000 print and electronic news media, as well as new social media sources (such as Twitter) as they emerge. The words, phrases and concepts are tracked in relation to their frequency, contextual usage and appearance in global media outlets.
In 2003, The Global Language Monitor (GLM) was founded in Silicon Valley by Paul J.J. Payack on the understanding that new technologies and techniques were necessary for truly understanding the world of Big Data, as it is now known. GLM provides a number of innovative products and services that utilize its ‘algorithmic services’ to help worldwide customers protect, defend and nurture their branded products and entities.
For more information, call 1.512.801.6823, email info@LanguageMonitor.com, or visit www.LanguageMonitor.com.
* * * * * *

How Kate Middleton Ranks against the Top Ten Fashion Models

Austin, TEXAS, May 13, 2016 — Her Royal Highness, the Duchess of Cambridge AKA Kate Middleton is re-entering the world of fashion by posing for British Voguein her first-ever fashion shoot.

hollywood dresses

Global Language Monitor compared Kate’s Moda Quotient (MQ) compared with a number of the world’s highest paid fashion models like Cara Delevingne and Gisele Bundchen and she is … No 2 on the chart already

In this chart, you can what each of the Top Ten Models earned in 2015, according to Forbes.

 

Kate vs Top Models

 

British Voguecelebrated its centennial issue with seven new photographs of Her Royal Highness. The photos were taken by Josh Olins in the East Anglia countryside, the home to Cambridge household. The session was a collaboration with the National Portrait Gallery, which will feature two of the portraits.

Of course, this is not the first time, Kate has made the list.

In 2015, Kate made the list, though in an oblique manner: “4. Kate’s Baby girl — A little princess waiting in the wings?”

The Princess waiting in the wings was none other than Princess Charlotte.

Previous to this, Kate made her debut as a global fashion leader by knocking Lady Gaga who had captured the Top Spot in 2010. Kate took the Top Spot again again 2012, and ceded the Top Spot to London in 2013.

  • London (2013)
  • the Princess Effect (2012)
  • Kate Middleton (2011)
  • Lady Gaga (2010)

The Princess Effect was noted in 2012 when one UK newspaper quipped, ‘She turns everything she wears into sold. At the time, the Princess Effect was said to contribute some £1 billion to the UK economy annually.

 

Methodology: GLM’s various word analyses are longitudinal in nature covering a number of years that varies with the particular analysis. The rankings are based upon actual word usage throughout the English-speaking world, which now numbers more than 1.83 billion people. GLM analyses billions of web pages, millions of blogs, 300,000 print and electronic news organizations, and new social media sites as they emerge. To qualify for GLM’s lists, the words, names, and phrases must be found globally, have a minimum of 25,000 citations. and the requisite ‘depth’ and ‘breadth’ of usage. Depth is here defined as appearing in various forms of media; breadth that they must appear world-over, not limited to a particular profession or social group or geography.

 

The Impact of Fashion on Presidential Campaigns

celebrity dresses
The 2016 Pesidential Elections

Read Vanessa Friedman’s Take in the New York Times

Austin, Texas February 1, 2016 The 2016 major-party election candidates provide perhaps as broad a set of individuals as ever assembled for the Quadrennial White House scramble: a brash New Your billionaire, with perhaps another waiting on the sideline, a former first Lady (and senator & Secretary of State), a former high tech CEO, a soft-spoken neurosurgeon, a number of Evangelicals, a pastor, former governors, a hopeful member of a political dynasty, and a handful of minority candidates, among others.

It is a historical truism that a young, tanned, and relaxed John F. Kennedy won his 1960 televised debate with a sickly, sweaty Richard M. Nixon because JFK wore blue shirt and the just released from the hospital, Nixon grew a five o’clock shadow. A follow-up study found that Nixon won the debate among those who listened to the debate on radio, while Kennedy was declared the winner with those who viewed the debate on television.

Kennedy Proved the Victor Over Nixon -- on Style Points
Kennedy Proved the Victor Over Nixon — on Style Points

Fifty-six years later, in an age where image is key (namely The Optic) thanks to the likes of ubiquitous cell phones (read: cameras), combined with applications with hundred of millions of users (like Facebook, Twitter and Vine), an analysis of each candidate’s sartorial choices is a worthy area of investigation.

So far, we’ve seen Mr. Rubio’s high(er) heals from the mall, Hillary’s expanded palette for her designer pantsuits, Mr. Trump’s loud, outrageous, sometime obnoxious ties, Sanders in his glorious dishevelment, Carly as the avenging CEO warrior from Silicon Valley, Hillary in her ever-the-same, ever changing pantsuits, and the like, and to think that it all officially officially begins today….

 

Two Top Democratic Contenders: Clinton and Sanders
Two of the Top Republican Contenders
Two of the Top Republican Contenders

The Global Language Monitor, annually presents a study of the Top Global Fashion Capitals; in the same manner GLM recently conducted a study of the Major US Presidential Candidates and subjected them to a slightly modified criteria of that which it has used in its Top Global Fashion Capitals ranking.

For our purposes, the candidates sartorial styles were divided into several categories, plus an overall winner that will surprise few. The country is again entering another period of transition. The fact remains that Mr. Obama is leaving office with the same approval rating as his predecessor, GW Bush (hovering around 48%). Again, there is tremendous uncertainty in the land, on all sides of the political spectrum.
And once again, the voting public appears to be fascinated with their shiny, new toy(s): Trump, Sanders, Carson, Rubio, Fiorina, Cruz, etc.

For this analysis, the Global Language Monitor used its proprietary Brand Affiliation Index (BAI), the same technology used to measure global brand equity for the Olympics, World Cup, the Fortune 500, and others. This exclusive, GLM study is a Big Data textual analysis based on billions of webpages, millions of blogs, the top 375,000 global print and electronic media, and new social media formats as they appear.

This is GLM’s first study of Fashion in Politics, though it has been tracking differing issues in politics for about a decade and here and even into the future, here.

The results of the study will be published on February 1, 2016 …here is a Top Level Overview, which will be deconstucted below.

Total Score for Presidential Candidates
Total Score for Presidential Candidates: This chart will be deconstructrd later on Februry 1.

 

This Total Scores for Presidential Candidates, of both major parties. This chart provides a top- overview of all seventeen candidates for both the Democratic and Republican parties. Also included are potential candidates who might later enter the fray, such as Michael Bloomberg, Elizabeth Warren, and Joe Biden.

The Candidates that are being tracked follow:

  • Bernie Sanders
  • Carly Fiorina
  • Chris Christie
  • Donald Trump
  • Elizabeth Warren
  • Hillary Clinton
  • Jeb Bush
  • Jim Gilmore
  • Joe Biden
  • John Kasich
  • Marco Rubio
  • Martin
  • Michael Bloomberg
  • Mike Huckabee
  • Rand Paul
  • Rick SantorumTed Cruz

Of course, some half dozen of these candidates will be out of the race in the next several days.

You can find a Brief Sartorial Overview of US Presidents here.

 

Overall Candidate Fashion Ranking

Overall, Donald Trump outdistances the field, which could be expected for the Trump PR Machine. However, doubling the score of the second grouping of Cruz, Clinton, Christie, Bush and Biden, suggests that he’s gaining a significant number of style points.

The bottom four candodates would normally rate an asterisk (*) but the actual scores, themselves tell their own

This is a very interesting chart with Chris Christie topping the chart, closely followed by Cruz and Trump.

Clinton and Sanders are equally matched which is interesting because Sander’s overall demeanor is that of a wide-eyed, democratic socialist frpm a very small (read: inconsequential) state. Come to think of it that WAS his demeaner for most of his decades-long career.

Interesting to note is Marco Rubio;s middling finish.

 

Presidential Style

 

 

Off-the-Rack Ranking

In haute couture, OTR connotes designer styled clothing that are not tailored to the individual.

In American presidential politics, it can mean Bloomingdale, Nordstrom, and Saks, or OMG! Target. Not always a positive connotation.

 

 

OTR

 

 

 

Pret-a-Porter Ranking

Chris Christie leads Pret-a-Porter. That’s right the Jersey Shore icon actually leads the category but by an incredibly small magin.

 

Pret

 

Overall Score

Finally, the Overall Score, a composite of all of the the above.

Total Score Presidential Fashion

 

Paris Towers Over World of Fashion as Top Global Fashion Capital for 2015

shop new discount bridesmaid dresses

The Global Language Monitor’s 11th Annual Survey

Paris nearly doubled Scores of New York and London

Where’s Milano? (No. 6)

Paris Fashion Week, Autumn 2015, New York and Austin, Texas — Paris has stunned New York City toppling it from its one year reign as the Top Global Fashion Capital in the Global Language Monitor’s 11th Annual survey. London remained in the third spot as did L.A.at No. 4.

Rounding out the Top Ten were Rome, Milano, Barcelona, Berlin and Madrid, followed by Tokyo. Currently, there are fifty-six fashion capitals being charted, with a number under watch for 2016. In 2015 GLM added one city to the analysis, Washington, DC, which made a splash, er belly flopped, to No. 53.

EMMY AWARDS RED CARPET DRESSES
Paris redevient la capitale mondiale de la mode
Moving up from No.12 to No.6 word ordinarily send the City’s Fashion Establishment into an ecstatic state. No so, if you are Milano. And especially so if you followed Roma, at No. 5.

Last March, Milano was the Top Fashion Buzzword for 2015 followed by, Suede, Booty, and Kate’s Baby Girl. However, this is a far cry from the Top Global Fashion Capital ranking, where Milano then ranked No. 12. Much of the internet mediabuzz, not all of it positive, revolves upon these efforts to revive its ‘brand’. Recent reports from Milano Moda Donna 2015 were mixed

Milan has been working hard to re-establish itself as the pre-eminent capital of Global Fashion, or at least to being consistently named as one of the Big Four (with Paris, New York and London). Currently, the No. 4 spot is occupied by LA, which GLM sees as representing the Red Carpet phenomenon.

After an extraordinary two-year reign (2011-2012), London has settled into the No. 3 spot, comfortably behind Paris and New York — for the second year in a row. London also took the third spot in all four major areas of measurement used in determining the annual rankings for the Global Language Monitor.

London Fashion Week Settles Firmly into the No. 3 Spot
.
Last year New York topped Paris by less than .05%, the tightest margin ever; this year Paris returned the favor — and then some — by nearly doubling New York’s score. In another first, Paris topped all four categories worldwide.
“In a world torn by war, repression, and the brutal subjugation of women and girls, fashion remains a bastion of self-expression.” said Paul JJ Payack, Chief Word Analyst and president of GLM. “And fashion can be a force for good that can be experienced in a positive manner in every culture and tradition.”
DESIGNER CELEBRITY EVENING DRESSES
Sydney remains strong as Melbourne falters; for the first time New Delhi and Mumbai resulted in a virtual dead heat.
The Global Fashion Capitals for Swimwear were Miami, Barcelona, and Bali.

Barcelona, Berlin and Madrid remain hot as does what we are calling the East Asian Cluster: Tokyo, Singapore, Shanghai and Hong Kong. Seoul remains on the outside, very outside, of the cluster at No. 56.

The Top Global Fashion Capital Rankings are listed below, in the format: Ranking, Fashion Capital, and Previous Position.
Top Global Fashion Capitals 1 to 25
Top Global Fashion Capitals 26 to End
The Watch List for 2016 includes: Abidjan, Accra, Auckland, Beirut, Jakarta, Kuala Lampur, and Lagos.

Top Fashion Capitals by Region

Europe:
Paris, London, Rome, Milano, Barcelona, Berlin, Madrid, Florence, Monaco, Amsterdam, Antwerp, Copenhagen, Stockholm, and Frankfurt.
India:
Mumbai, New Delhi (statistical dead heat)
Australia:
Sydney, Melbourne
East Asia:
Tokyo, Singapore, Shanghai and Hong Kong. Seoul
RSA:
Cape Town, Johannesburg
Middle Europe:
Moscow, Prague, Vienna, St Petersburg, Warsaw and Krakow
Canada:
Toronto, Montreal,and Vancouver,
Mideast:
Dubai, Abu Dhabi
Spain:
Barcelona, Madrid
Latin America:
Sao Paulo, Rio de Janerio, Buenos Aires, Caracas, , Santiago and Mexico City
Regional US:
New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Dallas, Boston, Las Vegas, Chicago, Houston, Atlanta, San Francisco, Austin and Washington, DC
Methodology: For this analysis, the Global Language Monitor used its proprietary Brand Affiliation Index (BAI), the same technology used to measure global brand equity for the Olympics, World Cup, the Fortune 500, and others. This exclusive, GLM longitudinal-study encompasses the prior three years to better assess short-term velocity and longer-term momentum. The study is a Big Data textual analysis based on billions of webpages, millions of blogs, the top 375,000 global print and electronic media, and new social media formats as they appear. This is the eleventh edition of the survey, which was first made public in 2007.

About the Global Language Monitor

In 2003, The Global Language Monitor (GLM) was founded in Silicon Valley by Paul J.J. Payack on the understanding that new technologies and techniques were necessary for truly understanding the world of Big Data, as it is now known. Previous to this Payack was the founding president at yourDictionary.com, and a senior executive for a number of leading high tech companies.

Today, from its home in Austin, Texas GLM provides a number of innovative products and services that utilize its ‘algorithmic services’ to help worldwide customers protect, defend and nurture their branded products and entities. Products include ‘brand audits’ to assess the current status, establish baselines, and competitive benchmarks for current intellectual assets and brands, and to defend products against ambush marketing.

These services are currently provided to the Fortune 500, the Higher Education market, high technology firms, the worldwide print and electronic media, and the global fashion wedding industry, among others.

For more information, call 1.512.801.6823, email info@LanguageMonitor.com, or visit www.LanguageMonitor.com

 

“Milan” Tops Fashion Buzz of 2015; Kate’s Baby Girl (if and when) currently at No. 4

The Eighth Annual Analysis by the Global Language Monitor

NEW YORK, March 4, 2015 – Milan is the Top Fashion Buzzword for 2015 followed by, Suede, Booty, Kate’s Baby Girl, and Yellow Hues. Rounding out the Top Ten were Blue & White; Plus Size, Gingham, Shirt Dresses, and Trans Models. Wrapping up this year’s list are Denim, Flourishes, Corduroy, Retro Fashion, and Transparents.

Milan has been working hard to re-establish itself as the pre-eminent capital of Global Fashion, or at least to being consistently named as one of the Big Four. Milan last held the Top Spot in Global Language Monitor’s annual ranking in 2008. Much of the internet mediabuzz, not all of it positive, revolves upon these efforts to revive its ‘brand’. [Update: The recent reports from Milan were not favorable.]

“In a time besodden with violence and horrors perpetrated against women and girls, the world of fashion stands out as a beacon of self-affirming light to celebrate the inherent beauty and dignity of every woman, and her ability transform herself in whatever way she sees fit,” said Rebecca Roman, Manhattan-based Fashion Director for GLM.

Each year, the Global Language Monitor ranks the Top Global Fashion Capitals. in the latest ranking, New York topped Paris and London followed by Los Angeles, Barcelona, Rome, Berlin, Sydney, Antwerp, and Shanghai. The Top Global Fashion for 2015 will be announced prior to Spring Fashion Weeks in the Fall. For the current list of the Top 50 Fashion Capitals Go here

 

The Top Fashion Buzzwords of 2015 follow:

Rank, Buzzword, Comment

  1. Milan — Lots of buzz and not all good as it tries to claw its way back to the top.
  2. Suede — Fifty shades of Suede.
  3. Booty — Last year it was underbutt, this year just butt (S/O To Kim K.).
  4. Kate’s Baby girl — A little princess waiting in the wings?
  5. Yellow Hues — Dozens of yellow hues from which to choose: Lemon yellow, marigold, primrose, saffron, vermillion, canary, ….
  6. Blue & White — Edging in on the Black & White.
  7. Plus Size — Models ahead of the curve(s).
  8. Gingham –Not talking about Little House on the Prairie here .
  9. Shirt Dresses — Even sweater dresses..
  10. Trans Models — Transgender Models now making an impact on the Red Carpet.
  11. Denim — This time as dresses.
  12. Flourishes — Fringe, Feathers and Tassels.
  13. Corduroy — Moving well beyond the halls of academe.
  14. Retro Fashion — Hmmm, this year retro moves on to the ’70s.
  15. Transparents — Sheers, and Peek-a-Boos.

Methodology: GLM’s various word analyses are longitudinal in nature covering a number of years that varies with the particular analysis. The rankings are based upon actual word usage throughout the English-speaking world, which now numbers more than 1.83 billion people. GLM analyses billions of web pages, millions of blogs, 300,000 print and electronic news organizations, and new social media sites as they emerge. To qualify for GLM’s lists, the words, names, and phrases must be found globally, have a minimum of 25,000 citations. and the requisite ‘depth’ and ‘breadth’ of usage. Depth is here defined as appearing in various forms of media; breadth that they must appear world-over, not limited to a particular profession or social group or geography.

Top Fashion Buzzwords of previous years include:

  • All Things New York (2014)
  • London (2013)
  • the Princess Effect (2012)
  • Kate Middleton (2011)
  • Lady Gaga (2010), and
  • Chiconomics (2009)
About the Global Language Monitor
In 2003, The Global Language Monitor (GLM) was founded in Silicon Valley by Paul J.J. Payack on the understanding that new technologies and techniques were necessary for truly understanding the world of Big Data, as it is now known.
Today, from its home in Austin, Texas Global Language Monitor analyzes and catalogues the latest trends in word usage and word choices and their impact on the various aspects of culture, with a particular emphasis upon Global English.
For more information, call 1.512.801.6823, email info@LanguageMonitor.com, or visit www.LanguageMonitor.com.

“All Things New York City” are the Top Fashion Buzzwords of 2014

The Seventh Annual Analysis by the Global Language Monitor

 

NEW YORK, September 12, 2014 – “All things New York” has been named the Top Fashion Buzzword for 201 4, in the Global Language Monitor’s seventh annual ranking. Attitude, Reds, Underbut(t) and Visible Panty Lines (VPL) follow. Boyfriend Jeans, Side Boobs, The Kardashian Clan, Robe-style Coats, and Pastels follow.

 

On the runway NYT Logo
Read Vanessa Friedman’s Take on the Rivalry

 

All Things New York”, capturing the essence of the New York fashion sense, dominates the 2014 Top Fashion Buzzword list,” said Rebecca Roman, Manhattan-based Fashion Director for GLM. “It is difficult to think of any global fashion trend that does not have a strong presence, if not its origin, in the New York City.

For the current list of the Top 50 Fashion Capitals Go here

The Top Fashion Buzzwords of 2014 follow:

Rank, Buzzword, Comment

  1. “All things New York” — In 2014 New York stands astride the world of fashion.
  2. Attitude — It’s not just what you wear but how you wear it.
  3. Reds — Big , bold, and bright.
  4. Underbut(t) — Yes, we said ‘underbut(t).
  5. VPL (Visible Panty Lines) — For decades, the idea was to eliminate VPL; VPLs are now in style.
  6. Boyfriend Jeans — Popular but not always fashionable.
  7. Side Boobs — Same as above.
  8. The Kardashian Clan — Same as above.
  9. Robe-style Coats — More bedroom-style in the streets.
  10. Pastels — Appropriate now for all seasons.
  11. Funky Eye Makeup — You know it when you see it.
  12. Earthy Tones — Mixing various earth tones together.
  13. Sneakers — Still popular in all shapes and sizes.
  14. Transparents — Updated Peek-a-boo look.
  15. Sweaters — Particularly Wool, particularly big.

Methodology: GLM’s various word analyses are longitudinal in nature covering a number of years that varies with the particular analysis. The rankings are based upon actual word usage throughout the English-speaking world, which now numbers more than 1.83 billion people. GLM analyses billions of web pages, millions of blogs, 300,000 print and electronic news organizations, and new social media sites as they emerge. To qualify for GLM’s lists, the words, names, and phrases must be found globally, have a minimum of 25,000 citations. and the requisite ‘depth’ and ‘breadth’ of usage. Depth is here defined as appearing in various forms of media; breadth that they must appear world-over, not limited to a particular profession or social group or geography.

Top Fashion Buzzwords of previous years include:

  • London (2013)
  • the Princess Effect (2012)
  • Kate Middleton (2011)
  • Lady Gaga (2010), and
  • Chiconomics (2009)

Each year, the Global Language Monitor ranks the Top Global Fashion Capitals. In 2013 New York topped Paris and London followed by Los Angeles (!?), Barcelona, Rome, Berlin, Sydney, Antwerp, and Shanghai.

About the Global Language Monitor
In 2003, The Global Language Monitor (GLM) was founded in Silicon Valley by Paul J.J. Payack on the understanding that new technologies and techniques were necessary for truly understanding the world of Big Data, as it is now known.
Today, from its home in Austin, Texas Global Language Monitor analyzes and catalogues the latest trends in word usage and word choices and their impact on the various aspects of culture, with a particular emphasis upon Global English.
For more information, call 1.512.801.6823, email info@LanguageMonitor.com, or visit www.LanguageMonitor.com.

 

New York Takes Top Global Fashion Capital Title from London, edging past Paris

The Global Language Monitor’s 10th Annual Survey

The Difference between New York and Paris was 0.05% And No. 4? Los Angeles! Yes, LA. February Fashion Weeks, 2014 New York and Austin, Texas — New York was reclaimed the title of the Top Global Fashion Capital from London, which had held the tile for 2011 and 2012. Paris, which also won the title of the Top Global Fashion Capital for Haute Couture, finished in the No. 2 spot overall. New York and Paris were separated by 0.05%, the closest in the 10-year history of the Global Language Monitor’s survey. In another development, Los Angeles moved into the esteemed Big Four status, moving up five spots from 2012.

Coming Later in 2014: The Global Fashion Capital Institute

Midtown Manhattan
Midtown Manhattan

. The rest of the Top Ten included: Barcelona, Rome, Berlin, Sydney, Antwerp, and Shanghai. Berlin solidified its position, while Antwerp completed it steady climb, Sydney had a triumphal return, and Shanghai returns to what many consider its rightful place in the Top Ten. Asia was well represented with Tokyo (11), Singapore (19), and Hong Kong (20) in the Top Twenty. “New York City has, indeed, earned its Top Global Fashion Capital ranking through its disciplined, methodical yet creative approach to its fashion industry.” said Bekka Payack, New York-based Fashion Director for The Global Language Monitor.

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Read Vanessa Friedman for a UK point of view.

“Paris, with the Top Haute Couture ranking, of course has a centuries-long heritage, having invented the very concept, also scored highly in the pret-a-porter category. This year’s rankings also demonstrate the creative energy that is emerging worldwide in terms of fashion as a jobs, income and wealth generator, not to mention the prestige associated with exporting your fashion sense to the world.”

 

Read About the Top US Fashion Economic Powerhouses in AtlanticCities

 

Paris Fashion Globe
London Fashion Traffic by Big Ben

. The Top Global Fashion Capital Rankings are listed below, in the format: Position, City, Change from 2012, and comment.

  1. New York (+1) — The Big Apple is back on top of the fashion world by slipping past Paris by .5%.
  2. Paris (+2) — The Top Global Fashion Capital for Haute Couture is surprisingly strong in pret-a-porter, also.
  3. London (-2) — London has enjoyed a fabulous two-year run and is now secure in its place in the top echelon for global fashion.
  4. Los Angeles (+5) — Zut alors! Tinsel Town in the Top Four? The result of the melding of the Red Carpet, the Industry (film, of course), and West Coast cool.
  5. Barcelona (-2) — Espana, again, places two Fashion Capitals in the Top Fifteen. Barcelona also wins the Top Fashion Capital for Swimwear.
  6. Rome (0) — Rome may have Seven Hills but Italy now has Three Fashion Capitals (and Milan is No. 2).
  7. Berlin (+3) — Berlin continues its steady rise moving deeper into the the elite ranks.
  8. Sydney (+7) — Sydney towers over OZ distancing (and distinguishing) itself, once again, from Melbourne.
  9. Antwerp (+2) — Ah Antwerp, reverberations of the avant garde Antwerp Six continues into the 21st century.
  10. Shanghai (+12) — As China further emerges onto the world stage, Shanghai leads the fashion charge.
  11. Tokyo (+9) — Tokyo made a leap in 2013 that many consider long overdue.
  12. Milano (-4) — Milan was the Top Global Fashion Capital back in 2009 and remains a strong contender for the top spot year-after-year.
  13. Florence (+3) — Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and Botticelli — A proud heritage to a thriving fashion industry in 2013.
  14. Madrid (-9) — Still strong in 2013, further cementing its place among the elite Fashion Capitals.
  15. Sao Paulo (-8) — Again, the Queen of Latin American Fashion Capitals.
  16. St. Petersburg (+35) — Russian comes into 2014 with two Fashion Capitals in the Top Twenty, with Petrograd surprising Moscow. Read more

‘London’ is the Top Fashion Buzzword for 2013

First time a city has topped the ranking

The Sixth Annual Analysis by the Global Language Monitor New York, February 21, 2013 – The city of London has been named the Top Fashion Buzzword for 2013, in the Global Language Monitor’s sixth annual ranking. London breaks the two year chart topping by the Duchess of Cambridge. London bested ‘high slits’ the look popularized by Angelina Jolie’s dramatic stance at the 2012 Oscars, followed by Textures, Nail Art, Top Knots. Leather, Wedge Sneakers, Peek-a-boo, Statement Sunglasses, and Au Natural rounded out the top ten. “It may come as a surprise to some that the former Kate Middleton does not top the Top Fashion Buzzwords list this year. After all Kate lit the headlines for everything she wore (and even more so when forgetting to don her frocks). However, she could not overcome the fashion behemoth she helped create: London,” said Bekka Payack, Manhattan-based Fashion Director for GLM. “This season will serve to further liberate women the world over to dress fashionably, in any way these choose.”

  1. London — With the the Global Fashion Crown two years running, the Olympics, Kate Middleton, Stella McCartney, Kate Moss and a cast of thousands (even the flamboyant Boris Johnson, nothing has proven more worthy than London Town.
  2. High Slits — Angelina Jolie’s dramatic stance at the 2012 Academy Award ceremony was the largest meme ever tracked. thereafter high slits abound.
  3. Textures — For the fashion conscious it’s the feel and not just the look.
  4. Nail Art — Observing today’s nail art is akin to taking a stroll through MoMA, with the works in miniature.
  5. Top knots and fun buns — Hair buns have evolved from granny’s convenience to a post-Modern fashion statement.
  6. Leather — Everything and everywhere, including socks, pants, jackets, shirts, and various ‘unmentionables’.
  7. Wedge sneakers — Chuck your oh-so-retro Chuck Taylors, wedge sneakers are now the thing.
  8. Peek-a-boo — Apparently, the catwalks have gotten the CBS Emmy memo — and peek-a-boo fashion abounds.
  9. Statement Sunglasses — All of a sudden, Google’s ‘enhanced reality ‘ sunglasses are demur by catwalk standards.
  10. Au Natural — In the buff now has a much sought after ‘royal warrant’ directly from the Duchess of Cambridge.
  11. First Knuckle Rings — Every few hundred years first knuckle rings return to the fashion forefront.
  12. Baby Bumps — First saw life with the ‘More Demi Moore’ Vanity Fair Cover in ’91. Now a fashion statement.
  13. Blocking — Fabric and Texture blocking; not just color blocking this time around
  14. Prints — Start with postage stamps and follow through to zig-zags, paisleys, and even stripes.
  15. Children as Fashion Accessories — Nothing new here but becoming ever more prominent in Tinsel Town.

Each autumn, the Global Language Monitor ranks the Top Global Fashion Capitals. In 2012, London maintained its dominance over New York City as the Top Global Fashion Capital. Following London and New York were Barcelona, Paris, and Madrid. Rome, Sao Paulo, Milano, Los Angeles, and Berlin rounded out the top ten.

 

London Edges New York for Top 2012 Global Fashion Capital

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Ninth Annual Ranking Now Includes Fifty-five Cities

September 6, 2012, New York and Austin, Texas. London has been crowned the Top Global Fashion Capital, edging out New York for the second year in a row, according to the Global Language Monitor’s annual ranking of the Top Fifty Fashion Capitals. London and New York were followed by Barcelona, Paris and Madrid. Rounding out the Top Ten were Rome, Sao Paulo, Milano, Los Angeles, and Berlin.

“London’s two-year run has been has been propelled by two rather extraordinary circumstances: the emergence of the former Kate Middleton as a top fashion icon and the recent completion of what have been hailed as an extremely successful Summer Olympics,” said Bekka Payack, Manhattan-based Fashion Director of GLM. “In recognition of the significance and growth of regional capitals with their distinctive styles and contributions to the fashion industry, GLM expanded the list to some fifty-five cities on five continents.”

Top movers on the plus side included Antwerp (+33), Caracas (+27), Johannesburg (+23), and Sao Paulo (+18). Top movers on the down side include Mexico City (-25), Toronto (-19), Moscow (-17), Chicago (-14), and Mumbai (-14), attesting to the heightened global competition. Newcomers to this year’s analysis were Vancouver (31), Seoul (34), Boston (44), Houston (49), and St Petersburg, Russia (51).

Prior to London’s two year reign, New York had reclaimed the crown from Milan. Previous to this, New York had been the top fashion capital for five years running, taking the crown from Paris.
The 2012 Top Global Fashion Capitals, with Rank, Previous Year’s Rank, and commentary:
1. London (1) — Competitors stymied by Kate Middleton and now the hugely successful Summer Olympics.
2. New York (2)– That toddling town is waiting in the wings for London to stumble.
3. Barcelona (7) — Iberia rules with two fashion capitals in the Top Five.
4. Paris (3)– Topped ‘haute couture’ category, of course.
5. Madrid (12)– Making a strong move toward the top.
6. Rome (13)– Edging Milano this time out.
7. Sao Paulo (25) — The Queen of Latin America, again.
8. Milano (4) — Slipping a few spots, but never for long.
9. Los Angeles (5) — The City of Angels strengthening its hold as a true fashion capital.
10. Berlin (10) — Remains among the elite — and deservedly so.
11. Antwerp (44) — A surprising large climb in a very short time (up 33 spots).
12. Hong Kong (6) — Tops in Asia, though down six year over year.
13. Buenos Aires (20) — Moving steadily upward.
14. Bali (21) — Steady climb attests to it being more than just swimwear.
15. Sydney (11) — Remains near the top, a few steps ahead of Melbourne, as is its wont.
16. Florence (31) — A big move for Firenza (up 15).
17. Rio de Janeiro (23) — Building toward the 2016 Summer Games.
18. Johannesburg (41) — Jo-burg breaks into the Top Twenty.
19. Singapore (8) — Trailing Hong Kong but leading Tokyo and Shanghai.
20. Tokyo (9) — No longer the No, 5 to the Top Four, competition is aglow in Asia.
21. Melbourne (17) — Still strong, still a few steps behind Sydney.
22. Shanghai (14) — A thriving fashion center in a tough competitive arena.
23. Caracas (50) — Tremendous upward movement for a seminal fashion center.
24. Las Vegas (16) — Follow the money, and the money and the stars flow to Vegas.
25. Monaco (15) — The principality is firmly ensconced in the European fashion firmament.
26. Santiago (30) — A solid No. 5 in Latin America.
27. Amsterdam (19) — Creative, original and a bit outre.
28. Dubai (27) — A steady force in the mid-East ready to bloom further.
29. Bangkok (32) — Struggling to gain ground in the region.
30. Copenhagen (29) — Keeping pace with (and a bit ahead of) Stockholm.
31. Vancouver (Debut) — Solid debut from this newcomer from the Pacific Northwest.
32. Stockholm (28) — The Capital of Scandinavia’s influence is beginning to transcend its regional roots.
33. Krakow (47) — A scrappy player wielding a surprising amount of influence.
34. Seoul (Debut) — Korean fashion has now gained a foothold on the world scene.
35. Moscow (18) — A bold and growing presence despite a stumble in the current analysis.
36. Frankfurt (43) — Carving out its own space in Berlin’s towering shadow.
37. Vienna (35) — Insight into 21st c. fashion emerging from ancient imperial venues.
38. Mumbai (24) — Still leading New Delhi (now by 10 spots) to dominate the Subcontinent.
39. Miami (26) — The fashion world beginning to understand Miami is more than swimwear.
40. Abu Dhabi (42) — A steady climb backed by deep pockets.
41. San Francisco (38) — A rising yet iconoclastic star.
42. Austin (40) — Famous for its ‘Mash Up’ teams, the city propels its unique style forward.
43. Warsaw (33) — Particularly influential in Central Europe.
44. Boston (Debut) — Can New England deliver fashion to the world? Apparently so.
45. Prague (48) — A firm foundation in interpreting the traditional and the classic.
46. Dallas (37) — Outdistances Houston to settle the local score.
47. Mexico City (22) — Slips some twenty-five spots since the last report.
48. New Delhi (39) — Striving for relevance on the global stage.
49. Houston (Debut) — Big, bold and a city to watch.
50. Chicago (36) — City of the Big Shoulders stretching out toward word-class fashion.
51. St. Petersburg (Debut) — The former imperial capital making strides on the global fashion scene.
52. Montreal (49) — Eclipsed by the debut of Vancouver but still a formidable force.
53. Toronto (34) — Nipped by its francophone neighbor to the North.
54. Cape Town (46) — Though Jo-burg won the latest duel, Cape Town surely has plans.
55. Atlanta (45) — Gaining an international reputation for its bold accents.
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This exclusive ranking is based upon GLM’s Narrative Tracking technology. NarrativeTracker analyzes the Internet, blogosphere, the top 250,000 print and electronic news media, as well as new social media sources (such as Twitter) as they emerge.

The words, phrases and concepts are tracked in relation to their frequency, contextual usage and appearance in global media outlets.

 

Top Fashion Capitals by Region:

Europe (14): London, Barcelona, Paris, Madrid, Rome, Milano, Berlin, Antwerp, Florence, Monaco, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Stockholm, and Frankfurt.

Middle and Eastern Europe (6): Krakow, Moscow, Vienna, Warsaw, Prague, and St Petersburg.

North America (13): New York, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Vancouver, San Francisco, Austin, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Chicago, Montreal, Toronto, and Atlanta.

Asia (6): Hong Kong, Singapore, Tokyo, Shanghai, Bangkok, and Seoul.

Subcontinent (2): Mumbai, New Delhi,

Oceania (3): Bali, Sydney, and Melbourne.

Latin America (6): Sao Paulo, Buenos Aires, Rio de Janeiro, Caracas, Santiago, and Mexico City.

Middle East and Africa (4): Dubai, Johannesburg, Abu Dhabi, and Cape Town.

The world fashion trade is estimated to be over three trillion USD.

 

Top Global Fashion Capitals Announced Tuesday Sept. 4th

GLM’s Exclusive TrendTopper MediaBuzz Rankings

Will London Repeat as the 2012 Top Global Fashion Capital?

See how all the Top 50 Fashion Capitals Rank in this year’s exclusive ranking.

Nominees on the watch list include, St Petersburg, Seoul, and Houston.

 

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About

GLM Logo

In 2003, The Global Language Monitor (GLM) was founded in Silicon Valley by Paul J.J. Payack on the understanding that new technologies and techniques were necessary for truly understanding the world of Big Data, as it is now known.

Today, from its home in Austin, Texas GLM provides a number of innovative products and services that utilize its ‘algorithmic services’ to help worldwide customers protect, defend and nurture their branded products and entities. Products include ‘brand audits’ to assess the current status, establish baselines, and competitive benchmarks for current intellectual assets and brands.
brand-audits
These services are currently provided to the Fortune 500, Olympic Partners, leading Higher Education institutions, high tech firms, the worldwide print and electronic media, the global fashion industry, among others.
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FT Connected Business
Shanghai Think Tank Masters Series 3

Paul JJ Payack lecturing on Big Data in Shanghai

GLM foresees a time in the near future where data doubles every hour, every minute, then every second.

Growth of Mobile Data

To address this unfolding reality, GLM created the tools you need to address an enterprise in a world never at rest, where the facts can change before you locked your strategy into place, in the world where the social media of today is but a hint of what will emerge in the coming months and years.

GLM’s specialized products and services have been built from the ground up for Big and bigger date, for a marketplace ever in flux, where the only constant is change.

On Equal Terms (2)
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Belfer Center KSG GLM
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In 2003, GLM’s founder, Paul JJ Payack, first conceived of a new class of data that he called Ephemera, or Ephemeral Data.

Empeheral Data Graphic

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In 2006, The New York Times worked with the Global Language Monitor to assess the state of the New York City real estate market. GLM’s used its proprietary POI technology, which The Times described as “an algorithm that tracks words and phrases in the media and on the Internet in relation to frequency, context, and appearance in the global media.” The study has been hailed as presaging the coming Financial Meltdown, now known as the Great Recession.

NY Times Subprime Meltdown

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GLM as a Source of Record

GLM continues to be cited hundreds of by the leading print and electronic media the world over. In fact, the worldwide print and electronic media have come to rely on The Global Language Monitor for its expert analysis on cultural trends and their subsequent impact on various aspects of culture.

Worldwide print and electronic media have come to rely on GLM for it Trend Tracking and analytics-based analyses.

BBC Cites GLM for Words of the Decade

BBC News

At the end of the first decade of the 21st century, the BBC used two global experts to choose the words that would sum up the decades, represented English as spoken in the UK, the other English as spoken in America, Australia and the rest of the world. The Global Language Monitor’s president was chosen for Global English as shown below.

BBC-WORDS-OF-THE-DECADE

A representative sampling includes: CNN, MSNBC, The Wall Street Journal, Reuters, Associated Press, United Press International, Knight-Ridder, USAToday, The Washington Post, The Washington Times, The Chicago Tribune, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, San Francisco Chronicle, The Charlotte Observer, Minneapolis Star Tribune, San Jose Mercury, New York Post, NPR, FoxNews, ABC, NBC, CBS, ChinaNews, Peoples Daily, The National Post, The Sydney Morning Herald, The BBC, the Australian Braodcasting Company, The Canadian Broadcasting Company, The Cape Town Argus, El Pais (Madrid), The Daily Mail (Scotland), The Hindustan Times, The Gulf News (Qatar), and various electronic and print media on six continents.

GLM Customers

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About Paul JJ Payack

Paul JJ Payack (PJJP Pictures) has served as a senior executive of three Fortune 500 high technology companies, and three Silicon Valley technology companies that were acquired buy three other Silicon Valley giants, as well as numerous start-ups and re-starts.

Paul JJ Payack has served as a senior executive of three Fortune 500 high technology companies (Unisys, Dun & Bradstreet, and StorageTek), and three Silicon Valley technology companies (Apollo Computer, Intelliguard Software, Legato Systems) that were acquired by three other Silicon Valley giants, as well as numerous start-ups and re-starts. (For Payack’s Linkedin bio, go here.)

Currently, GLM’s President and Chief Word Analyst, he also was the founding president of yourDictionary.com. These two language sites attract millions of page views a month. He founded GLM in Silicon Valley in 2003 and moved it to Austin, Texas in 2008.

Payack taught scientific and technological communications at the University of Massachusetts, the University of Texas-Arlington and Babson College, the Federal Reserve Bank (NY), GM/Hughes Aircraft, and many others.

He is a frequent guest on the media circuit including CNN, the BBC, NPR, the CBS, Australia Broadcasting Company and Chinese Radio and Television.

Payack is the author of some eighteen collections (seven currently in print), including A Million Words and Counting, Kensington (New York) as well as co-author with Edward ML Peters of The Paid-for Option (Tower Oaks Press), an analysis of the healthcare crisis in the USA. (For a sampling of Payack’s creative work, including metafiction, flash fiction, and collage art, go here.)

Payack studied philosophy and psychology at Bucknell University and was graduated from Harvard where he studied comparative literature, classical languages and fine arts.

He currently resides in Austin, Texas with his wife, Millie, and family. Contact Payack directly: 001 512 815 8836 or pauljjpayack@gmail.com.

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Top Trending Business Buzzwords for Global English in 2015

 

The World of Business as Reflected in English Language Buzzwords, Second Edition

Austin, Texas, June 17, 2015– The Global Language Monitor has announced the Top Business Buzzwords of the Year, for Global English, the world’s pre-eminent language of commerce.

“It is often noted that the world of business includes its own specialized vocabularly, and this can certainly be found in the English language, the business language of the planet,” said Paul JJ Payack, President and Chief Word Analyst of the Global Language Monitor. “The Top Trending Business Buzzwords of 2015 represent some six continents, which continues to confirm the ever-expanding nature of the English language. This is the second annual ranking,”

GLM’s Word of the Year and Business Buzzwords of the Year rankings are based upon actual word usage throughout the English-speaking world, which now numbers more than 1.83 billion people. To qualify for these lists, the words, names, and phrases must be found globally, have a minimum of 25,000 citations. and the requisite ‘depth’ and ‘breadth’ of usage. Depth is here defined as appearing in various forms of media; breadth that they must appear world-over, not limited to a particular profession or social group or geography.

CELEBRITY PROM DRESSES

Top 50 Business Buzzwords

Rank, Previous Rank, Change, Business Buzzword, Comment

2015 2013 Change Business Buzzword Comment

1 1 0 Content — Far and away the No. 1 Business Buzzword leader

2 37 35 Net-Net – Consider a sportswriter for the Brooklyn Nets basketball team: “The net-net for the Nets was the netting of the final shot.”

3 10 7 Big Data — Soon Human Knowledge will be doubling every second. ’Big’ does not begin to describe what’s coming at us.

4 19 15 At-the-end-of-the-day — More likely the end of the quarter or fiscal year

5 2 -3 Social Media — Reality: Social media impacts less than 15% of the Web

6 15 9 Offline — ‘I’ll be offline’. The statement is meaningless unless one includes cell phones, tablets, smarty TVs, not to mention all atomic clocks.

7 41 34 Face time– Before it was a product, it was a meeting with a C-Level executive.

8 9 1 Ping — High tech lingo seeping into the mainstream; now it means ‘get back to you’. Originally, a tool to send message packets to a network address to measure the time & quality of the response.

9 44 35 Rock-and-a-hard-place — A supposedly intractable situation though it usually gets back on track (Our ‘between Iraq and a hard place’ is being replaced because of the on-going political situation}

10 20 10 Win-Win Much — more positive than tie-tie or lose-lose

11 35 24 As if it was — Used some four times more than the correct, ‘as if it were’. You know, conditional voice.

12 7 -5 Utilize (rather than use) — Please deflate the diction and utilize the word ‘use’

13 5 -8 Literally — Principally used in non-literal situation, e.g., “Literally, an explosion of laughter”.

14 11 -3 Any noun used as a verb — To concept. To ballpark, and the like ….

15 6 -9 Guru — Someone moderately skilled in a subject or particular field (cf. ‘rocket scientist’ or ‘brain surgeon’).

16 42 26 Re-purpose — Finding a new use for an old ‘solution. Unfortunately anything thing can be re-purposed, including your job (or yourself).

17 8 -9 Robust — Applies to oh-so-many products: software, tablets (computer and otherwise), coffee, perfume, mileage, and hundreds of others

18 38 20 Value-add — P+E+VA, where Product (is P) + Enhancement (is Ε ), and Value add (is VA)

19 4 -15 Transparency — Remains a goal far from corporate reality; perhaps a handy scale would be 1} Opaque, 2} Translucent, 3) Transparent.

20 12 -8 Seamless — Seldom actually seamless (Cf. Obamacare website), often merely ‘seemless’ or meaningless

21 3 -18 Sustainability — No. 1 Word in 2007; have been rising in BizBuzz every year

22 51 29 Hashtag — The number-sign and pound- sign grows more powerful every day.

23 16 -7 Bandwidth — Measurement of electronic communications devices to send and receive information with upper and lower limits

24 40 16 Glass is half-full — Used nine times more that glass is half empty …

25 22 -3 Pro-active — Evidently better than amateur-active

26 46 20 Quick-and-dirty — Cited tens of thousands of times; we prefer ‘quick-and-clean’

27 18 -9 Synergy — The interaction of two efforts that result in a greater return than the sum of the two

28 14 -14 The Cloud — Everything (and every one) now apparently ‘lives in the cloud’ though networking clouds pre-date the web by a decade or two

29 36 7 In the Cloud — Yes, dwelling within the Cloud merits a special mention.

30 21 -9 Game changer — A step way below a paradigm-shift but still usually an exaggeration nonetheless.

31 48 17 Touch base — Another baseball allusion: if you don’t actually touch the base you are ‘called out’. Cf Cricket allusions, such as using ‘sticky wicket ‘ for a quandary.

32 13 -19 Moving Forward — From the results of those countless ‘moving forwards’, moving sideways might be more appropriate

33 23 -10 Rock Star — What’s the hierarchy among Guru, Rocket Scientist, Brain Surgeon, and Rock Star?

34 39 5 Future proof — In reality an impossible feat because it assumes you are cognizant of future events; in Marketing, just another day of concepting.

35 47 12 Push the envelope — A phrase few actually understand; Originally a descriptor of breaking through the sound barrier by X-Series Test Pilots (e.g., X-15).

36 33 -3 Ballpark — Another name for a ‘guesstimate’ (another baseball allusion).

37 31 -6 Multi-task — Swapping in and out of tasks quickly is the key to multi-tasking not doing many things as once which actually decreases productivity (as imagined by Dave Nelson and other tech industries leaders in the 1970s).

38 30 -8 110% — We believe it’s time to synchronize the exertion scale. As a hiring manager, how do you compare 110% from an Ivy school with an exertion level of 130% from the Big Ten?

39 26 -13 Resonate — Produce or be filled with a deep, full, reverberating sound, belief or emotion

40 29 -11 Deliverable — An output, product, result, or outcome; a term of great flexibility.

41 27 -14 Monetize — The attempt to transmute Internet lead into gold.

42 34 -8 Flounder — A ship might ‘founder’ along New England’s rocky coastline. Over time the act of foundering became collated with flounder the fish. Your grasp of the language is telegraphed by this confusion.

43 32 -11 Rocket science –One step up (or down) from a guru; equivalent to a Brain surgeon).

44 17 -27 New paradigm == Revolutionary new ideas that change the then-existing worldview; think Copernicus, think Newton, think Einstein, most definitely not your next product.

45 28 -17 Double Down — To double an investment in an already risky proposition.

46 43 -3 Brain surgery — One step up (or down) from a guru; equivalent to a Rocket Scientist.

47 45 -2 Bleeding edge — Leading edge of the leading edge (top ten per cent).

48 50 2 Low-hanging fruit — Easy pickin’s for the sales force; unfortunately, obsolete since 2008

49 24 -25 30,000 foot level — Let’s decide if we are viewing the topic from the 30,000-, 40,000-, or 100,000 foot level. Airlines typically fly at a 35,000 foot cruise level

50 49 -1 Herding cats — Used in high tech circles for several decades regarding controlling headstrong engineers, a seemingly impossible task.

51 25 -26 Out-of-the-Box (experience) — OOBE is evermore important to the marketing of consumer electronic devices.

This study is updated from earlier in the year.

GLM employs its NarrativeTracker technologies for global Internet and social media analysis. NarrativeTracker is based on global discourse, providing a real-time, accurate picture about any topic, at any point in time. NarrativeTracker analyzes the Internet, blogosphere, the top 375,000 print and electronic global media, as well as new social media sources as they emerge.

About the Global Language Monitor

In 2003, The Global Language Monitor (GLM) was founded in Silicon Valley by Paul J.J. Payack on the understanding that new technologies and techniques were necessary for truly understanding the world of Big Data, as it is now known. Previous to this Payack was the founding president at yourDictionary.com, and a senior executive for a number of leading high tech companies.

Today, from its home in Austin, Texas GLM provides a number of innovative products and services that utilize its ‘algorithmic services’ to help worldwide customers protect, defend and nurture their branded products and entities. Products include ‘brand audits’ to assess the current status, establish baselines, and competitive benchmarks for current intellectual assets and brands, and to defend products against ambush marketing.

These services are currently provided to the Fortune 500, the Higher Education market, high technology firms, the worldwide print and electronic media, and the global fashion dress industry, among others.

For more information, call 1.512.801.6823, email info@LanguageMonitor.com, or visit www.LanguageMonitor.com

 

The Top Business Buzzwords of Global English for 2014

Second Annual Survey

The World of Business as Reflected in English Language Buzzwords

Austin, Texas, Easter Weekend, 2015– The Global Language Monitor has announced the Top Business Buzzwords of the Year, for Global English, the world’s pre-eminent language of commerce.

“It is often noted that the world of business includes its own specialized vocabularly, and this can certainly be found in the English language, the business language of the planet,” said Paul JJ Payack, President and Chief Word Analyst of the Global Language Monitor. “TheTop 50 Global Business Buzzwords of 2014 represent some six continents, which continues to confirm the ever-expanding nature of the English language. This is the second annual ranking,”

GLM’s Word of the Year and Business Buzzwords of the Year rankings are based upon actual word usage throughout the English-speaking world, which now numbers more than 1.83 billion people. To qualify for these lists, the words, names, and phrases must be found globally, have a minimum of 25,000 citations. and the requisite ‘depth’ and ‘breadth’ of usage. Depth is here defined as appearing in various forms of media; breadth that they must appear world-over, not limited to a particular profession or social group or geography.
Top 50 Business Buzzwords
GLM employs its NarrativeTracker technologies for global Internet and social media analysis. NarrativeTracker is based on global discourse, providing a real-time, accurate picture about any topic, at any point in time. NarrativeTracker analyzes the Internet, blogosphere, the top 375,000 print and electronic global media, as well as new social media sources as they emerge.
2014 2013 Change Business Buzzword Comment
1 1 0 Content Far and away the No. 1 BizBuzz leader
2 37 35 Net-Net Consider a sportswriter for the Brooklyn Nets basketball team: “The net-net for the Nets was the netting of the final shot.”
3 10 7 Big Data Soon Human Knowledge will be doubling every second. ’Big’ does not begin to describe what’s coming at us.
4 19 15 At-the-end-of-the-day More likely the end of the quarter or fiscal year
5 2 -3 Social Media Reality: Social media impacts less than 15% of the Web
6 15 9 Offline ‘I’ll be offline’. The statement is meaningless unless one includes cell phones, tablets,smarty TVs, not to mention all atomic clocks.
7 41 34 Face time Before it was a product, it was a meeting with a C-Level executive.
8 9 1 Ping High tech lingo seeping into the mainstream; now it means ‘get back to you’. Originally, a tool to send message packres to a network address to measure the time & quality of the response.
9 44 35 Rock-and-a-hard-place A supposedly intractable situation though it usually gets back on track
10 20 10 Win-Win Much more positive than tie-tie or lose-lose
11 35 24 As if it was Used some four times more than the correct, ‘as if it were’. You know, conditional voice.
12 7 -5 Utilize (rather than use) Please deflate the diction and utilize the word ‘use’
13 5 -8 Literally Principally used in non-literal situation, eg, Literally, “an explosion of laughter”
14 11 -3 Any noun used as a verb To concept. to ballpark, and the like ….
15 6 -9 Guru Someone moderately skilled in a subject or particular field (cf ‘rocket scientist’ or ‘brain surgeon’)
16 42 26 Re-purpose Finding a new use for an old ‘solution. Unfortunately anything thing can be re-purposed ,including your job (or yourself).
17 8 -9 Robust Applies to oh-so-many products: software, tablets (computer and otherwise), coffee, perfume, mileage, and hundreds of others
18 38 20 Value-add P+E+VA, where Product (is P) + Enhancement (is Ε ), and Value add (is VA)
19 4 -15 Transparency Remains a goal far from corporate reality
20 12 -8 Seamless Seldom actually seamless (Cf Obamacare website), often merely ‘seemless’ or meaningless
21 3 -18 Sustainability No. 1 Word in 2007; have been rising in BizBuzz every year
22 51 29 Hashtag The number- and pound- sign grows evermore powerful
23 16 -7 Bandwidth Measurement of electronic communications devices to send and receive information with upper and lower limits
24 40 16 Glass is half-full Used nine times more that glass is half empty …
25 22 -3 Pro-active Evidently better than amateur-active
26 46 20 Quick-and-dirty Cited tens of thousands of times; we prefer ‘quick-and-clean’
27 18 -9 Synergy The interaction of two efforts that result in a greater return than the sum of the two
28 14 -14 The Cloud Everything (and every one) now apparently ‘lives in the cloud’ though networking clouds pre-date the web by a decade or two
29 36 7 In the Cloud Yes, dwelling within the Cloud merits a special mention.
30 21 -9 Game changer A step below a paradigm-shift but exaggeration nonetheless
31 48 17 Touch base Another baseball allusion: if you don’t actually touch the base you are ‘called out’. Cf Cricket allusions, such as using ‘sticky wicket ‘ for a quandary.
32 13 -19 Moving Forward From the results of those countless ‘moving forwards’, moving sideways might be more appropriate
33 23 -10 Rock Star What’s the hierarchy among Guru, Rocket Scientist, Brain Surgeon, and Rock Star?
34 39 5 Future proof In reality an impossible feat because it assumes you are cognizant of future events; in Marketing, just another day of concepting.
35 47 12 Push the envelope A phrase few actually understand; Originally a descriptor of breaking through the sound barrier by X-Series Test Pilots (e.g., X-15)
36 33 -3 Ballpark Another name for a ‘guesstimate’.
37 31 -6 Multi-task Swapping in and out of tasks quickly is the key to multi-tasking not doing many things as once which actually decreases productivity (as imagined by Dave Nelson and other tech industries leaders in the 1970s).
38 30 -8 110% We believe it’s time to synchronize the exertion scale. As a hiring manager, how do you compare 110% from an Ivy school with an exertion level of 130% from the Big Ten?
39 26 -13 Resonate Produce or be filled with a deep, full, reverberating sound, belief or emotion
40 29 -11 Deliverable An output, product, result, or outcome; a term of great flexibility.
41 27 -14 Monetize The attempt to transmute Internet lead into gold.
42 34 -8 Flounder A ship might ‘founder’ along New England’s rocky coastline. Over time the act of foundering became collated with flounder the fish. Your grasp of the language is telegraphed by this confusion.
43 32 -11 Rocket science One step up (or down) from a guru; equivalent to a Brain surgeon).
44 17 -27 New paradigm Revolutionary new ideas that change the then-existing worldview; think Copernicus, think Newton, think Einstein, most definitely not your next product
45 28 -17 Double Down To double an investment in an already risky proposition
46 43 -3 Brain surgery One step up (or down) from a guru; equivalent to a Rocket Scientist.
47 45 -2 Bleeding edge Leading edge of the leading edge (top ten per cent)
48 50 2 Low-hanging fruit Easy pickin’s for the sales force; unfortunately, obsolete since 2008
49 24 -25 30,000 ft level Let’s decide if we are viewing the topic from the 30,000-, 40,000-, or 100,000 ft level. Airlines actually fly at a 35,000 ft cruise level
50 49 -1 Herding cats Used in high tech circles for several decades regarding controlling headstrong engineers, a seemingly improbable task.
51 25 -26 Out-of-the-Box (experience) OOBE is number 25 on the list of TrendTopper

 

 

 

Top 50 Business Buzzwords of 2013

For the Top Business Buzzwords of 2014, the second annual survey, click here

Global Language Monitor’s First Annual Global Survey

Complements the Tops Words of 2013, click here.

,

AUSTIN, Texas Holiday Weekend (Nov. 29 – Dec. 1, 2013) — The Global Language Monitor has announced its first annual Top 50 Global Business Buzzwords, a global survey.

Top 50 Global Business Buzzwords of 2013 represent some six continents, which continues to confirm the ever-expanding nature of the English language.”

Methodology: GLM’s Word of the Year and Business Buzzwords of the Year rankings are based upon actual word usage throughout the English-speaking world, which now numbers more than 1.83 billion people. To qualify for these lists, the words, names, and phrases must be found globally, have a minimum of 25,000 citations. and the requisite ‘depth’ and ‘breadth’ of usage. Depth is here defined as appearing in various forms of media; breadth that they must appear world-over, not limited to a particular profession or social group or geography.

Top 50 Business Buzzwords
GLM employs its NarrativeTracker technologies for global Internet and social media analysis. NarrativeTracker is based on global discourse, providing a real-time, accurate picture about any topic, at any point in time. NarrativeTracker analyzes the Internet, blogosphere, the top 375,000 print and electronic global media, as well as new social media sources as they emerge.

The Top Business Buzzwords of 2013 follow Rank / Word / Comments

  1. Content — Far and away the No. 1 BizBuzz leader

  2. Social Media — Reality: Social media impacts less than 15% of the Web

  3. Sustainability – No. 1 Word in 2007; have been rising in BizBuzz every year

  4. Transparency – Remains a goal far from corporate reality

  5. Literally – Principally used in non-literal situation, eg, Literally, “an explosion of laughter”

  6. Guru – Someone moderately skilled in a subject or particular field (cf ‘rocket scientist’ or ‘brain surgeon’)

  7. Utilize (rather than use) – Please deflate the diction and utilize the word ‘use’

  8. Robust – Applies to oh-so-many products: software, tablets (computer and otherwise), coffee, perfume, mileage, and hundreds of others

  9. Ping — High tech lingo seeping into the mainstream; now it means ‘get back to you’. Originally, a tool to send message packres to a network address to measure the time & quality of the response.

  10. Big Data — Soon Human Knowledge will be doubling every second. ’Big’ does not begin to describe what’s coming at us.

  11. Any noun used as a verb – to concept. to ballpark, and the like ….

  12. Seamless – Seldom actually seamless (Cf Obamacare website), often merely ‘seemless’ or meaningless

  13. Moving Forward — From the results of those countless ‘moving forwards’, moving sideways might be more appropriate

  14. The Cloud — Everything (and every one) now apparently ‘lives in the cloud’ though networking clouds pre-date the web by a decade or two

  15. Offline – ‘I’ll be offline’. The statement is meaningless unless one includes cell phones, tablets,smarty TVs, not to mention all atomic clocks.

  16. Bandwidth – Measurement of electronic communications devices to send and receive information with upper and lower limits

  17. New paradigm – Revolutionary new ideas that change the then-existing worldview; think Copernicus, think Newton, think Einstein, most definitely not your next product

  18. Synergy – The interaction of two efforts that result in a greater return than the sum of the two

  19. At-the-end-of-the-day — More likely the end of the quarter or fiscal year

  20. Win-Win — Much more positive than tie-tie or lose-lose

  21. Game changer – A step below a paradigm-shift but exaggeration nonetheless

  22. Pro-active – Evidently better than amateur-active

  23. Rock Star – What’s the hierarchy among Guru, Rocket Scientist, Brain Surgeon, and Rock Star?

  24. 30,000 ft level – Let’s decide if we are viewing the topic from the 30,000-, 40,000-, or 100,000 ft level. Airlines actually fly at a 35,000 ft cruise level

  25. Out-of-the-Box (experience) – OOBE is number 25 on the list of TrendTopper

  26. Resonate – produce or be filled with a deep, full, reverberating sound, belief or emotion

  27. Monetize – The attempt to transmute Internet lead into gold.

  28. Double Down – To double an investment in an already risky proposition

  29. Deliverable – An output, product, result, or outcome; a term of great flexibility.

  30. 110% — We believe it’s time to synchronize the exertion scale. As a hiring manager how do you compare 110% from an Ivy school with an exertion level of 130% from the Big Ten?

  31. Multi-task – Swapping in and out of tasks quickly is the key to multi-tasking not doing many things as once which actually decreases productivity (as imagined by Dave Nelson and other tech industries in the 1970s).

  32. Rocket science – One step up (or down) from a guru; equivalent to a Brain surgeon).

  33. Ballpark – Another name for a ‘guesstimate’.

  34. Flounder – In history a fish found plentifully off the coast of New England, while a ship might ‘founder’ along it’s rocky coastline. Over time the act of foundering became collated with the fish. Your grasp of the language is telegraphed by this confusion.

  35. As if it was — As if it were, please. You know, conditional voice.

  36. In the Cloud — Yes, dwelling within the Cloud merits a special mention.

  37. Net-Net – Consider a sportswriter for the Brooklyn Nets basketball team: “The net-net for the Nets was the netting of the final shot.”

  38. Value-add – P+E+VA, where Product (is P) + Enhancement (is Ε ), and Value add (is VA)

  39. Future proof – In reality an impossible feat because it assumes you are cognizant of future events , in Marketing, just another day of concepting.

  40. Glass is half-full – Since 90% of new companies (and new products) fail, it might be better to adjust this cliché to: “Is the glass 1/10th full or 90% empty?”

  41. Face time – Before it was a product, it was a meeting with a C-Level executive.

  42. Re-purpose – Finding a new use for an old ‘solution. Unfortunately anything thing can be re-purposed ,including your job (or yourself).

  43. Brain surgery – One step up (or down) from a guru; equivalent to a Rocket Scientist.

  44. Rock-and-a-hard-place – A supposedly intractable situation though it usually gets back on track

  45. Bleeding edge – Leading edge of the leading edge

  46. Quick-and-dirty – Cited tens of thousands of times; we prefer ‘quick-and-clean’

  47. Push the envelope – A phrase few actually understand; Originally a descriptor of breaking through the sound barrier by X-Series Test Pilots (e.g., X-15)

  48. Touch base – Another baseball allusion: if you don’t actually touch the base you are ‘called out’. Cf Cricket allusions, such as using ‘sticky wicket ‘ for a quandary.

  49. Herding cats – Used in high tech circles for several decades regarding controlling headstrong engineers, a seemingly improbable task.

  50. Low-hanging fruit – Easy pickin’s for the sales force; unfortunately, obsolete since 2008

About The Global Language Monitor
Austin-Texas-based Global Language Monitor analyzes and catalogues the latest trends in word usage and word choices and their impact on the various aspects of culture, with a particular emphasis upon Global English.
For more information, call 1.512.801.6823, email info@LanguageMonitor.com, or visit www.LanguageMonitor.com.

*******

 

How 9/11 Changed the Way We Talk

Attention: Any part of article may be used as a quote, or as a story or a segment within a larger story.No permissions necessary.

By Paul JJ Payack

AUSTIN, Texas. September 11, 2011. For the decade, The Global Language Monitor, and its predecessors have been keeping track of the manner in which the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 have changed the way Americans Talk. We have updated our findings several times since, as the language has evolved with the ensuing events of the decade, most tragic (Iraq, 7/7, Afghanistan, the Global Economic Restructuring), others seemingly beyond surreal (the Southeast Asian Tsunami, the inundation of New Orleans) a welcome few comforting.

We have found subtle yet profound differences in our everyday speech since that day when terrorist attacks unfolded on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and the pending targets in Washington, D.C., widely suspected to be the White House or the Capitol Building. The changes we have tracked include the way Americans speak in terms of subject matter, vernacular, word choice and tone.

9/11

The first case is the use of 9/11, itself, as a shorthand for the 2001 terrorist attacks. Using various web metrics, 9/11 outpaces any other name, including the spelled out ‘September 11th” by 7:1 margin. This designation, in itself, is quite interesting. It is true that Franklin D. Roosevelt proclaimed the Pearl Harbor attack as “December 7th, 1941 as a day which will live in infamy”. But there were no “12/7″ rallying cries thereafter. Neither were the dates immortalized of the original battles of the Korean War, the Gulf of Tonkin Incident which preceded the major escalation of the Vietnam War, the Persian Gulf War, the siege of Afghanistan siege, or the invasion of Iraq. Only the 7/7 attacks on the London transportation system are recorded in common memory by their date (and primarily in the UK). .

 

Ground Zero

The name Ground Zero now evokes a sacred place, where the World Trade Center’s Twin Towers once stood. It is also revered as a burial ground since thousands of bodies literally vaporized in the ensuing collapse with no remains found whatsoever.

Almost universally, it is capitalized as any other proper name, with a few exceptions, most notably the New York Times(and later legitimized in the AP Style Guide).

In fact, the Times continues to insist on referring to Ground Zero in the lower case, calling it, for example, ‘the area known as ground zero’. Admittedly, ground zero also refers to the epicenter of a nuclear blast. In the minds of this generation, this is a close as they have ever gotten to such an event (or ever expect to).

Names are officially bestowed in a number of ways, most often by bureaucratic committees following arcane sets of rules, answering to few. In this case, we kindly request those nameless bureaucrats to follow the lead of hundreds of millions around the world who have formally bestowed upon that special place, the formal name: Ground Zero.

 

 

Heroes

In mythology, heroes were men and women often of divine ancestry endowed with the gifts of courage and strength. In reality, everyday heroes of the late 20th and early 21st centuries were sports figures (‘Be like Mike’ and ‘Where have you gone, Joe DiMaggio’), comic book and cartoon characters ala

Superman and Spiderman, and all too frequently ‘anti-heroes’ known for the colossal damage they might inflict upon a helpless (and often hapless) world.

Into this tableaux, came the heroes of 9/11, very real men and women, rushing into and up the Towers as everyone else was rushing down and out; rushing the cockpit of Flight 93, with plastic knives and forks and hot coffee, forcing the startled highjackers to abandon their plans of crashing into the Capitol or White House rather than the previously unheralded soil of Swanksville, PA; and the men and women who quietly stood their posts at the Pentagon, just doing their duty, not knowing if they would be subjected to another horrific, and more deadly, attack at any moment.

In the post-9/11 world, the term has now come to apply to any who place their lives in danger to foster the common good, especially ‘first-responders’ such as: firefighters, EMTs, and police, who quietly place their lives on the line every day.

Another historic change is the treatment of American soldiers with the respect they have been unaccustomed to since the days of the Vietnam War. The public has evidently been able to separate the politics of the wars from the all-too-human participants.

-stan

The suffix in Persian and related languages that means, literally, ‘land of,’ hence, Afghanistan or Land of the Afghans, or Kurdistan (or Kurdish Territories), or even this relatively new moniker: Londonistan. Talibanistan, referring to Afghanistan and the ‘tribal lands’ in Pakistan. The suffix has been appropriated in various, often humorous, ways such as the famous New Yorker cover that referred to the various ‘-stans’ one encounters in post-Modern life.

The Demarcation of Time

The date 9/11 now has a special place as a time marker or time stamp; we now frequently delineate time periods as either pre-9/11 or post 9/11.

 

The unCivil (or inCivil) War

Since 9/11, the political discourse of American politics has, arguably, descended to its lowest level since the Civil-War era when Lincoln was typically depicted as a know-nothing, Bible-spouting Baboon. Even speech of the Watergate era was spared the hyperbole commonly heard today, as respect for the institution of the presidency remained high, even though the President was widely disdained.

Today, political opponents are routinely called ‘liars,’ are typically compared to Hitler, Nazis and Fascists by those who evidently know little of either history or political theory.

When tragedies do occur (the inundation of New Orleans, the Gulf Oil Spill, the Global Economic Restructuring), no opportunities are overlooked to demonize the sitting president by the ‘loyal’ opposition. And the vitriol has steadily increased throughout the decade as measured by various longitudinal indices of GLM. In fact, much of the frustration with President Obama now associated with liberals and progressives has been trending upward since his inauguration, though it was overlooked by the conventional media and polling organizations because traditional polling and information gathering often finds itself at a disadvantage when compared to Internet and social-media based trend-tracking organizations.

It is very difficult to pinpoint the exact cause of this debasement of political speech and rhetoric, but it has been suggested that in the face of a nearly invisible, constantly morphing, enemy, we have turned the attack inward, upon ourselves, and our institutions.

Apocalyptic-type Terminology

In an exclusive of the worldwide media, GLM has also found a decided rise in apocalyptic-type terminology in the description of tragedies but even with events of inconvenience (such as Washington’s Snowmageddon of last winter or the recent Carpocalypse in Los Angeles). After all it does snow in Washington, D.C. every winter and freeways are frequently closed the world over for repairs.

This trend town alarming references include: Biblical, Hiroshima-type references, Catastrophe, Holocaust, Apocalypse, decimation, and End-of-the-World scenarios. These alarmist references are recorded across the full spectrum of print and electronic media. It appears as if the world is stunned the string of early 21st catastrophes. (By the way, the world still has to deal with the so-called end of the Mayan calendar extinction event that is scheduled to occur on December 22nd of next year.)

The global media appear mesmerized by the constant bombardment of television images of apparently rampaging, out-of-control elements, such as

the truly catastrophic combination of earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear meltdown in Japan, where authorities encounter vast difficulties in keeping their own people fed, sheltered, evacuated, and, even, from dying on the street.

During the inundation of New Orleans, the Sunday Times (London) stated, “Devastation that could send an area the size of England back to the Stone Age”. The story continues, “AMERICA comes to an end in Montgomery, Alabama … it has been replaced by a dangerous and paranoid post-apocalyptic landscape, short of all the things fuel, phones, water and electricity needed to keep the 21st century switched on. By the time you reach Waveland, Mississippi, the coastal town of 6,800 where corpses lie amid a scene of Biblical devastation, any semblance of modern society has gone. “

Everyday language changes with 9/11

Some ten years on, we now speak of terror levels (since obsoleted), duct tape, Homeland Security, Full-body scanners, shoe-bombs and shoe-bombers, the Freedom Tower (since renamed), Shanksville, the Ground Zero Mosque, Imans, drones, high-value targets, Ramadan, Burquas, face veils, Sharia Law, and scores of other 9/11-related terms that now inhabit the English Linguasphere.

Obama election tops all news stories since Year 2000

Obama election tops all news stories since Year 2000

 

More than double all the other major news events COMBINED

 

Does a new decade begin January 20th?

 

Austin, TX December 29, 2008 (MetaNewswire) – The election of Barack Obama to the Presidency of the United States tops all major news stories since the year 2000 according to a analysis released by the Global Language Monitor (www.LanguageMonitor.com). In fact citations of Barack Obama in the global print and electronic media, on the Internet, and throughout the blogosphere more than double the other main stories of the last decade combined. These include in descending order: the Iraq War, the Beijing Olympics, the Financial Tsunami, Hurricane Katrina, the death of Pope John Paul II, the 9/11 Terrorist Attacks and the Asian Tsunami.

Media, Internet & Blogosphere
Rank Story
1 Obama
2 Iraq War
3 Beijing Olympics
4 Financial Tsunami
5 Hurricane Katrina
6 Pope John Paul II
7 9/11 Terrorist Attacks
8 S. Asian Tsunami

 

 

When separating out the global print and electronic media alone, GLM found that more stories have appeared about the election of Barack Obama to the Presidency of the United States than the number of stories about Hurricane Katrina (No. 2), the Financial Tsunami (No. 3), and the Iraq War (No. 4) combined. Next on the list of top stories since the Year 2000 include The 9/11 Terrorist Attacks (No. 5), the Beijing Olympics (No. 6), the Death of Pope John Paul II (No.7), and the South Asian Tsunami (No.8)

The stories were measured in the print and electronic media for a one year period after the event.

Print and Electronic Media
Rank Story
1 Obama
2 Hurricane Katrina
3 Financial Tsunami
4 Iraq War
5 9/11 Terrorist Attacks
6 Beijing Olympics
7 Pope John Paul II
8 S. Asian Tsunami

““The historical confluence of events in the year 2008 is unprecedented. Aside from Obama’s election, we witnessed the Financial Tsunami which appears to be a vast restructuring of the world economic order, and the Beijing Olympics, which can be viewed as the unofficial welcoming of China into the world community as a nation of the first rank,” said Paul JJ Payack, president and chief word analyst of GLM. “This lends some credence to the idea that on January 20th, 2009 we are about to embark on the second decade of the second millennium.

To the popular mind, History rarely follows chronology: the Fifties ended with JFK’s Assassination in 1963; the Sixties with the Nixon’s resignation in ‘74; the Eighties with the fall of the Berlin Wall; while the Nineties, as well as the 20th century persisted until 9/11/2001.

 

 

 

How 9/11 Changed the Way We Speak

How 9/11 Changed the Way Americans Speak

Subtle Yet Profound Differences

Austin, Texas, USA. September 11, 2008. (Updated) The Global Language Monitor today released an updated analysis of how the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, The Pentagon, and the pending targets in Washington, D.C., widely suspected to be the White House or the Capitol Building, have changed the way Americans speak in terms of vernacular, word choice and tone.

Updating an earlier analysis completed on the Fifth Anniversary of the attacks, it a continued and historic change in an ‘unCivil War‘ in terms of the vitriolic exchange currently witnessed on the American Political scene. According to Paul JJ Payack, President and Chief Word Analyst of GLM (www.LanguageMonitor.com), these are a few of the ways where the events of 9/11 have impacted the way Americans speak.

  1. 9/11 — The first case is the use of 9/11, itself, as a shorthand for the 2001 terrorist attacks. Using various web metrics, 9/11 outpaces any other name, including the spelled out ‘September 11th” by 7:1 margin. This designation in itself it quite interesting. It is true that Franklin D. Roosevelt proclaimed the Pearl Harbor attack as “December 7th, 1941 as a day which will live in infamy”. But there were no “12/7” rallying cries thereafter. Neither were the dates immortalized of the original battles of the Korean War, the Gulf of Tonkin Incident which preceded the major escalation of the Vietnam War, The First Gulf War, The Afganistan siege, or even the recent Iraqi Invasion. Only the 7/7 attacks on the London Subway system are recorded in common memory by their date (and primarily in the UK in general,and London in particular).
  2. Ground Zero — The name Ground Zero evokes a sacred place, where the World Trade Center’s Twin Towers once stood. It is also revered as a burial ground since thousands of bodies literally vaporized in the ensuing collapse with no remains found whatsoever. Almost universally, it is capitalized as any other proper name, with a few exceptions, most notably the New York Times. Even this week, The Times insisted on referring to Ground Zero in the lower case, calling it ‘the area known as ground zero’. (Sic) Names are officially bestowed in a number of ways, most often by bureaucratic committees following arcane sets of rules, answering to few. In this case, we kindly request those bureaucrats to follow the lead of hundreds of millions around the world who have formally bestowed upon that special place, the formal name of Ground Zero.
  3. Hero — In mythology, heroes were men and women often of divine ancestry endowed with the gifts of courage and strength. In reality, everyday heroes of the late 20th and early 21st centuries were sports figures (‘Be like Mike’ and ‘Where have you gone, Joe DiMaggio’), comic book and cartoon characters ala Superman and Spiderman, and all too frequently ‘anti-heroes’ known for the colossal damage they might inflict upon a helpless (and often hapless) world. Into this tableaux, came the heroes of 9/11, very real men and women, rushing into and up the Towers as everyone else was rushing down and out; rushing the cockpit of Flight 93, with knives and forks and steaming hot coffee, forcing the startled highjackers to abandon their plans of crashing into the Capitol or White House rather than the previously unheralded soil of Swanksville, PA; and the men and women who quietly stood their posts at the Pentagon, just doing their duty, not knowing if they would be subjected to another horrific, and more deadly, attack at any moment. In the post-9/11 world, the term has now come to apply to any who place their lives in danger to foster the public good, especially ‘first-responders’ such as: firefighters, EMTs, and police, who quietly place their lives on the line every day.
  4. -stan — The suffix in Persian and related languages that means, literally, ‘land of,’ hence, Afghanistan or Land of the Afghans, or Kurdistan (or Kurdish Territories), or even this relatively new moniker: Londonistan.Talibanistan, referring to Afganistan and the ‘tribal lands’ in Pakistan in the New York Times Sunday Magazine is the latest instantiation.
  5. The unCivil War — Since 9/11 after a very short reprieve, the political discourse of American politics has, arguably, descended to its lowest level since the Civil-War era when Lincoln was typically depicted as a know-nothing, Bible-spouting Baboon. Even speech of the Watergate era was spared the hyperbole commonly heard today, as respect for the institution of the presidency remained high. Today, political opponents are routinely called ‘liars,’ are typically compared to Hitler, Nazis and Fascists; are accused of purposely allowing New Orleans’ inundation in order to destroy disenfranchised elements of our population, and so on. It is very difficult to pinpoint the exact cause of this reaction. It has been suggested that in the face of a nearly invisible, constantly morphing, enemy, we have turned the attack inward, upon ourselves, and our institutions.

For more information, call 1.512.801.6823, email info@LanguageMonitor.com, or visit www.LanguageMonitor.com.

*******

No Zuo No Die: Giving Chinglish a Try

Chinese-Canadian Bart Li recently started a course for Chinese businesspeople and others wanting to work in the West in Winnipeg, Canada. The course name? Advanced Chinglish. The course covers features of Chinglish, the value of Chinglish and so on.

[Read More.]

 

Chinese puts in a good word for the English language

Chinese Puts in a Good Word for English

Reprinted From November 2, 2013

Chinese puts in a good word for the English language

Updated: 2013-11-02 00:37

By JIN ZHU in Beijing and CHEN JIA in San Francisco (China Daily)

Words of Chinese origin are playing a key role in driving the ongoing globalization of English, experts in both languages say.

“The fact that some 300 million Chinese people are now studying or have studied English means the important impact of Chinese on the language can’t be denied,” said Paul J.J. Payack, president and chief analyst at Global Language Monitor.

The consultancy, based in Austin in the US state of Texas, documents, analyzes and tracks trends in language usage worldwide, with a particular emphasis on English.

It says some 10,000 words are added to the English language annually, with about 1.83 billion people using English as their native, second, business or technical language.

But the global figure was only about 250 million in 1960, with English-speakers mainly located in Britain and its Commonwealth of former colonies, as well as the United States.

“It’s estimated that a new English word is created every 98 minutes,” Payack said.

“One example of a word used in English that originated from Chinese that has appeared recently is chengguan (city patrol officer). A quick Google search results in nearly a million citations, far in excess of our minimum number of required citations.”

The Oxford English Dictionary, which waits 10 years before entering a word to ensure it has “staying power”, now has about 1,000 words of Chinese origin, such as taikonaut.

Read more

The New Silk Road

Una serie de reportajes por más de 25 países, para explicar la conquista silenciosa del mundo por parte de China. Esta serie constituye un viaje desde las minas de la República Democrática del Congo hasta las explotaciones de gas en el desierto entre Uzbekistán y Turkmenistán, pasando por la Venezuela de Hugo Chávez o el Irán de los ayatolás.

En diciembre de 2009, el centro de análisis estadounidense The Global Language Monitorpublicaba un dato significativo de nuestro tiempo: la “emergencia de China” era “la noticia de la década”. El crecimiento y expansión del gigante asiático desbancaba al atentado del 11-S en Nueva York o la victoria de Barack Obama como hecho noticioso más publicado, buscado y comentado desde el arranque del nuevo siglo en medios de comunicación tradicionales (radio, prensa, televisión), foros y redes sociales.

Que la emergencia del gigante asiático sea “la noticia de la década” puede suponer para muchos una sorpresa. Pero no es más que la consecuencia de una tendencia silenciosa e inexorable que está llamada a cambiar el signo del mundo actual: la expansión de China por los cinco continentes, el deseo de Pekín de volver a ser una superpotencia.

Esta serie lleva por título La Nueva Ruta de la Sedapor razones históricas. Y es que durante siglos la Ruta de la Seda, el comercio, en definitiva, fue una de las pocas -si no la única, junto a las misiones religiosas europeas- forma de contacto de la China imperial con el resto del planeta, particularmente Asia Central, Oriente Medio y Europa. Si la corte de la dinastía Qing (1644–1912) rechazaba en 1792 la visita del enviado del rey británico Jorge III, George Macartney, para abrir más puertos comerciales a la Corona, hoy Pekín avanza en sentido contrario: un proceso de internacionalización sin parangón en su historia que la lleva a los cuatro rincones del globo.

[Read More.]

 

What do top English words tell?

By Xiao Xiaoyan (China Daily)

Ten years ago, no one had heard of “H1N1”, “Web 2.0”, “n00b”, or talked about “de-friending” someone on “Twitter” or “Facebook”. Now these are part of people’s everyday vocabulary.

The world is changing. Inevitably, so are our words.

The English language is going through an explosion of word creation. New words are coined – some, like “n00b”, may not even look like words; old words take on new meanings – “twitter” today bears little relation to the Middle English twiteren. According to the Global Language Monitor (GLM), in 2009 the English language tipped the scales with a vocabulary of one million words. Not good news for the 250 million people acquiring English in China.

GLM, the San Diego-based language watcher, publishes annual lists of top words and phrases by tracking words in the global print and electronic media, the Internet, blogs, and social media such as Twitter and YouTube.

Each year’s list reflects major concerns and changes taking place that year. For instance, from the 2009 list, we have to acknowledge the fact that technology is reshaping our ways of living (twitter, web 2.0).

We need to face up to the after-effects of a “financial tsunami” (stimulus, foreclosure), a pandemic (H1N1), the death of revered pop icon (MJ, King of Pop) and the debates over “healthcare reform” and “climate change” that mark the year.

A quick rundown of GLM’s top words/phrases of the decade is precisely like watching clips of a documentary of the decade. From the lists we are reminded of the series of world-shaping events from 9/11(2001), tsunami (2004) to H1N1 (2009), and we see the huge impact the Internet and new technologies have made on our lives, from the burst of the “dot.com bubble” (2000) to blog (2003), Google (2007) and Twitter (2009), which represent a new trend in social interaction.

The lists are also witnesses of the influences of entertainment sector such as the film “Brokeback” (2004) a new term for gay to “Vampire” (2009), now a symbol of unrequited love. Michael Phelps’s 8-gold-medal accomplishments at the Beijing Olympics had created a Phelpsian (2008) pheat.

The Chinese equivalence of top words came in a more complex fashion. First there are lists of expressions only, not single words. Second, there exist two completely separate lists. One is the list of top expressions from mainstream print media, while the other popular Internet expressions is selected annually from netizen votes.

The mainstream list first appeared in 2002; the Internet version came out in 1999. What is most interesting is that the top expressions on the two sets of lists rarely overlap: The one being mostly concerned with what is public, official, involving macro concerns and interests; the other being private and personal, reflecting attitudes and feelings of the younger generation.

Just like the English top words lists, the Chinese mainstream lists also reflect major events, albeit with a different angle, for instance, anti-terror (2002), Saddam Hussein (2003), bird flu (2004), prisoner abuse (2004) and G20 Summit (2009). The Chinese press also seem much more concerned with the two Olympics and the two World Cups taking place during the decade.

Internet-spawned new words are also creeping into the Chinese language: texting, blog, Baidu (Google’s main competitor in China) and QQ (the Chinese social-networking site) became buzz-words in China, though somewhat later than their English counterparts.

The Chinese entertainment sector is leaving a much bigger impact on the language. Famous lines from Chinese movies or popular shows pass on to become everyday expressions. For instance, “Integrity makes the man” from Cell Phone; “You will pay for what you have done sooner or later” from the Hong Kong movie “Infernal Affairs,” which most Chinese people believe was copied by Hollywood in “The Departed.” ” Money is not a problem” a theme line from a popular skit has become the standard version to satirize certain Chinese people’s pompous attitude to money and concern over face rather than over efficiency.

Green living as a concept is becoming a focus of concern in China too, though on a delayed time schedule. Compared with the fact that “climate change” has dominated the English lists since 2000, the Chinese version didn’t become a top expression till 2009, though expressions like “energy-conservation society” and “energy conservation and emissions reduction” did make their way to the 2005 and 2008 lists.

Although Chinese top expressions demonstrate similar trends to those in English, there are a few most distinctive features. A strong political flavor is found in the Chinese list as reflected in top expressions like the Three Represents (2002), Scientific Approach to Development (2004), and Peaceful Development (2005).

Another most outstanding feature of the Chinese lists is the contrast between the mainstream print media and the Internet: The English lists represent the spread of words in both print and digital media, the Internet, blogs and social media. The Chinese Internet buzzwords are mostly used on the Internet; although many have passed on into everyday life, only a small number have crept into the mainstream media.

Unlike the mainstream media, popular Internet expressions represent what the ordinary Chinese people are actually talking about in non-official contexts. Most of the expressions are highly colloquial, living, creative, and can be cynical. Some of the expressions reveal the new values and attitudes towards current affairs. For instance, da jiang you, which literally means “on the way to get soy sauce”, speaks of a “not concerned” or “staying out of it” attitude. This attitude is also reflected in the expression: zuo fu wo cheng, which literally means “doing push-ups”, in other words not paying any attention to what’s happening.

Some Internet words have gained acceptance in the mainstream media. For instance shan zhai, which literally means “mountain village”. It has now been adapted to mean “counterfeit”, or things done in parody, as in “shanzhai mobile phones”, “shanzhai New Year’s Eve Gala”, and even “shanzhai celebrities”.

From a linguistic point of view, language is simply a tool for communication. When new ideas and concepts pop up, language needs to adapt itself to allow the communication of these ideas and concepts. If the Internet is reshaping our lives, the net-language is only reflecting such changes.

The author is associate professor at the English Department of Xiamen University.

(China Daily 04/16/2010 page9)

 

Chinglish and the Olympics

 

Will the Beijing Olympics Finally Eradicate Chinglish?

Is this the End to ‘Deformed-man Toilets’ and ‘Racist Parks’

We think not.

 

Austin, Texas, USA. July 30, 2008. MetaNewswire. There has been much publicity about Beijing’s vaunted attempt to eradicate Chinglish before the 2008 Games begin. Menus at the top hotels have been replaced with standardized, albeit less poetic, versions (no more ‘exploding shrimp’.)

And many of the city’s traffic signs have been tamed (no more signposts to the Garden with Curled Poo). “We have worked out 4,624 pieces of standard English translations to substitute the Chinglish ones on signs around the city,” said Lu Jinlan, head of the organizing committee of the Beijing Speaks Foreign Languages Programme (BSFLP).

Is this really the end of Chinglish, that delightful admixture of Chinese and English?

Studies by the Global Language Monitor suggest that Chinglish will persist – and even thrive – far after the Games have ended.

Chinglish is the outgrowth of several convening forces, including:

  • the widespread acceptance of English as a Global Language
  • the fact that some 250 million Chinese are currently studying English as a second, auxiliary or business language
  • he astonishing complexity and richness of the Mandarin language
  • the English language vocabulary is approaching the million word mark
  • The Chinese people evidently enjoy wearing Chinglish on their clothing

 

Mandarin has more than 50,000 ideograms each of which can be used to represent any number of words. In

addition, Mandarin is a tonal language meaning that tonal variations in pronunciation can distinguish one word from another. Therefore attempting to map a precise ideogram to any particular word in the million-word English lexicon is a nearly impossible task.

The difficulty is further evidenced on the official Olympic website of the Beijing Olympic Games, http://en.beijing2008.cn, where it states that “we share the charm and joy of the Olympic Games”. Hundreds of scholars have proofed the site and decided that the word charm is most appropriate in describing the Games. In past Olympiads words such as ‘power’, ‘pride,’ ‘heroic,’ ‘majesty,’ ‘triumph,’ and, even, ‘tragedy’ frequently have been used to described the Olympic movement but the word ‘charm’ has largely been ignored. Charm has a number of meanings including the ‘individuating property of quarks and other elementary particles’. In this case, we assume the authorities were using the definition of charm as a transitive verb: to attract or please greatly; enchant; allure; fascinate; or delight.

Finally, there is the on-going cross-pollination between English and Mandarin, with Chinglish at the epicenter of the movement. Recently, the Ministry of Education (MOE) accepted some 171 neologisms into the Chinese language. Words were considered only after they passed the scrutiny of a dozen scholars associated with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) Institute of Linguistics. These included a new ideogram for ‘brokeback,’ a word popularized from the banned movie Brokeback Mountain to indicate ‘gay’.

You will find brokeback in few English-language dictionaries, but it already has been accepted into the Chinese. Words passed over for formal entry, which despite their frequency of use were deemed inappropriate included: “cool”, “zip it”, 3Q for “thank you” and “kick your ass”.

Recently, the Global Language Monitor listed its all-time favorite Chinglish words and phrases. These included:

 

  • Deformed man toilet (handicapped restroom)

 

  • Airline Pulp (food served aboard airlines – no explanation necessary

 

  • The slippery are very crafty (slippery when wet)

 

  • If you are stolen, call the police

 

  • Do not climb the rocketry (rock wall)

 

 

Chinglish Adds Flavor to Alphabet Soup

 

 

 

2/19/2008 (China Daily)– San Diego-based consultancy group – Global Language Monitor claims Chinglish is adding the most spice to the alphabet soup of today’s English by contributing more words than any other single source to the global language.

And the more Chinese I learn, the more appetizing this seems.

Subscribing to the Elizabethan definition of a word as “a thing spoken and understood”, GLM is using a predictive quantities indicator (PQI) to scan the Web for emergent English words and track their mainstream use over time.

As GLM president Paul JJ Payack says: “Language colors the way you think. Thinking in Chinese is completely different.”

And every day that I learn more Chinese, the more vibrant this coloration becomes in my mind. This is mostly because of the descriptive nature of the language, in which many words are created by mixing and matching diasylobolic words to create new diasylobolic words.

Generally speaking, English is more definitional, so its words are more terminological than descriptive. For example, a “spider” is a spider – the word in itself tells you nothing about what it represents. But the Chinese word for spider (zhizhu) literally translates as “clever insect” – a description it earns in Chinese by spinning intricate webs to ensnare prey.

In Chinese, you don’t ride a bike, bus or train; you instead respectively ride a (zixinche) “self-walk vehicle”, a (gonggongqiche) “public all-together gas vehicle” or a (huoche) “fire vehicle”.

A massage is a (anmo) “press and touch”. A pimple is a (qingdou) “youth bean”. Investing is to (touzi) “throw funds”. And when you don’t make your money back, the disappointment is conveyed directly as (saoxing) “sweep interest”.

While linguists ballyhoo English’s capacity for specificity, this has in some ways become its weakness, as the definitional often trumps the descriptive, with wonderful exceptions, such as “rainbow”. But that’s where the other widely vaunted strength of the language – its capacity to ravenously gobble up other languages’ words – could become a beautiful thing. And I’m glad to know the English language is developing a growing taste for Chinese food.

In the 1960s, there were about 250 million English speakers, mostly from the United States, the United Kingdom and their former colonies.

Today, the same number of Chinese possesses some command of the language, and that number is growing. One possibility is the plethora of localized “lishes”, such as Chinglish, Hinglish (a Hindi-English hybrid) and Spanglish (an English-Spanish hybrid) could branch so far from English, they become mutually unintelligible tongues sharing a common root, much as Latin did in Medieval Europe.

Many linguists agree that if the lishes splinter, Chinglish will likely become the most prominent offshoot by virtue of sheer numbers, giving Chinese primary ownership of the language.

Perhaps then, English could become more beautiful than I could now describe – at least with its currently existing words. (Contributed by China Daily)

The Million Word March. Fueled by Chinglish?

‘No Noising’ and ‘Airline Pulp’ named Top Chinglish Words

 

San Diego, Calif. November 22, 2006. ‘No Noising’ and ‘Airline Pulp’ have been named the Top Chinglish Words of 2006 in The Global Language Monitor’s annual survey of the Chinese-English hybrid words known more commonly as Chinglish. Though often viewed with amusement by the rest of the English-speaking world, The Chinglish phenomenon is one of the prime drivers of Globalization of the English Language.

The Annual Survey by the Global Language Monitor

“The importance of Chinglish is the fact that some 250,000,000 Chinese are now studying, or have studied, English and their impact (and imprint) upon the language cannot be denied,” said Paul JJ Payack, President and The WordMan of the Global Language Monitor. “Since each Chinese ideogram can have many meanings and interpretations, translating ideas into English is, indeed, difficult. Nevertheless, the abundance of new words and phrases, unlikely as this may seem, can and will impact Global English as it evolves through the twenty-first century”.

With the English Language marching steadily toward the 1,000,000 word mark, there are now some 1.3 billion speakers with English as their native, second, business or technical tongue. In 1960, the number of English Speakers hovered around 250,000,000 mainly located in the UK and its Commonwealth of former colonies, and the US.

Some scholars maintain that you cannot actually count the number of words in the language because it is impossible to say exactly what a word is, talking rather of memes and other linguistic constructs, are afraid that Global English is just another form of cultural Imperialism. GLM take the classic view of the language as understood in Elisabethan England, where a word was ‘a thing spoken’ or an ‘idea spoken’.

Others say that English is undergoing a rebirth unlike any seen since the time of Shakespeare, when English was emerging as the modern tongue known to us today. (Shakespeare, himself, added about 1700 words to the Codex.) English has emerged as the lingua franca of the planet, the primary communications vehicle of the Internet, high technology, international commerce, entertainment, and the like.

Chinglish is just one of a number of the -Lishes, such as Hinglish (Hindu-English hydrid) and Singlish, that found in Singapore. A language can best be view as a living entity, where it grows just like any other living thing and is shaped by the environment in which it lives. With the continuing emergence of China on the world stage — and with the Olympics coming to Beijing in 2008, the state is now attempting to stamp-out some of the more egregious examples of Chinglish.

In its annual survey the Global Language Monitor has selected from hundreds of nominees, the top Chinglish words and Phrases of 2006.

The Top Chinglish Words and Phrases of 2006 follow:

  1. “No Noising”. Translated as “quiet please!”
  2. “Airline pulp.” Food served aboard an airliner.
  3. “Jumping umbrella”. A hang-glider.
  4. “Question Authority”. Information Booth.
  5. “Burnt meat biscuit.” No it’s not something to enjoy from the North of England but what is claimed to be bread dipped in a savory meat sauce.

Bonus: GLM’s all-time favorite from previous surveys: “The Slippery are very crafty”. Translation: Slippery when wet!

Independent News (London): Chinglish Phrases on the Rise

People’s Daily (China): Global Language Monitor: Many Chinglish into English

The Sunday Times (London): Chinglish: It’s a word in a million

Click here to add your thoughts to the China Daily Online Translation Community

Chinese Translation Exam Features GLM (Section 7)

Chinglish one of the Top Words of the Year!

Read More.

Click here to Read and Listen to the Chinese Radio Int’l (CRI) Report

For more information, call 1.512.801.6823, email info@LanguageMonitor.com, or visit www.LanguageMonitor.com.

 

Chinglish

Will the Beijing Olympics Finally Eradicate Chinglish?

Is this the End to ‘Deformed-man Toilets’ and ‘Racist Parks’

We think not.

Austin, Texas, USA. July 30, 2008. MetaNewswire. There has been much publicity about Beijing’s vaunted attempt to eradicate Chinglish before the 2008 Games begin. Menus at the top hotels have been replaced with standardized, albeit less poetic, versions (no more ‘exploding shrimp’.)

And many of the city’s traffic signs have been tamed (no more signposts to the Garden with Curled Poo). “We have worked out 4,624 pieces of standard English translations to substitute the Chinglish ones on signs around the city,” said Lu Jinlan, head of the organizing committee of the Beijing Speaks Foreign Languages Programme (BSFLP).

Is this really the end of Chinglish, that delightful admixture of Chinese and English?

Studies by the Global Language Monitor suggest that Chinglish will persist – and even thrive – far after the Games have ended.

Chinglish is the outgrowth of several convening forces, including:

  • the widespread acceptance of English as a Global Language
  • the fact that some 250 million Chinese are currently studying English as a second, auxiliary or business language
  • he astonishing complexity and richness of the Mandarin language
  • the English language vocabulary is approaching the million word mark
  • The Chinese people evidently enjoy wearing Chinglish on their clothing

Mandarin has more than 50,000 ideograms each of which can be used to represent any number of words. In addition, Mandarin is a tonal language meaning that tonal variations in pronunciation can distinguish one word from another. Therefore attempting to map a precise ideogram to any particular word in the million-word English lexicon is a nearly impossible task.

The difficulty is further evidenced on the official Olympic website of the Beijing Olympic Games,http://en.beijing2008.cn, where it states that “we share the charm and joy of the Olympic Games”. Hundreds of scholars have proofed the site and decided that the word charm is most appropriate in describing the Games. In past Olympiads words such as ‘power’, ‘pride,’ ‘heroic,’ ‘majesty,’ ‘triumph,’ and, even, ‘tragedy’ frequently have been used to described the Olympic movement but the word ‘charm’ has largely been ignored. Charm has a number of meanings including the ‘individuating property of quarks and other elementary particles’. In this case, we assume the authorities were using the definition of charm as a transitive verb: to attract or please greatly; enchant; allure; fascinate; or delight.

Finally, there is the on-going cross-pollination between English and Mandarin, with Chinglish at the epicenter of the movement. Recently, the Ministry of Education (MOE) accepted some 171 neologisms into the Chinese language. Words were considered only after they passed the scrutiny of a dozen scholars associated with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) Institute of Linguistics. These included a new ideogram for ‘brokeback,’ a word popularized from the banned movie Brokeback Mountain to indicate ‘gay’.

You will find brokeback in few English-language dictionaries, but it already has been accepted into the Chinese. Words passed over for formal entry, which despite their frequency of use were deemed inappropriate included: “cool”, “zip it”, 3Q for “thank you” and “kick your ass”.

Recently, the Global Language Monitor listed its all-time favorite Chinglish words and phrases. These included:

  • Deformed man toilet (handicapped restroom)
  • Airline Pulp (food served aboard airlines – no explanation necessary
  • The slippery are very crafty (slippery when wet)
  • If you are stolen, call the police
  • Do not climb the rocketry (rock wall)

Chinglish Adds Flavor to Alphabet Soup

2/19/2008 (China Daily)– San Diego-based consultancy group – Global Language Monitor claims Chinglish is adding the most spice to the alphabet soup of today’s English by contributing more words than any other single source to the global language.

And the more Chinese I learn, the more appetizing this seems.

Subscribing to the Elizabethan definition of a word as “a thing spoken and understood”, GLM is using a predictive quantities indicator (PQI) to scan the Web for emergent English words and track their mainstream use over time.

As GLM president Paul JJ Payack says: “Language colors the way you think. Thinking in Chinese is completely different.”

And every day that I learn more Chinese, the more vibrant this coloration becomes in my mind. This is mostly because of the descriptive nature of the language, in which many words are created by mixing and matching diasylobolic words to create new diasylobolic words.

Generally speaking, English is more definitional, so its words are more terminological than descriptive. For example, a “spider” is a spider – the word in itself tells you nothing about what it represents. But the Chinese word for spider (zhizhu) literally translates as “clever insect” – a description it earns in Chinese by spinning intricate webs to ensnare prey.

In Chinese, you don’t ride a bike, bus or train; you instead respectively ride a (zixinche) “self-walk vehicle”, a (gonggongqiche) “public all-together gas vehicle” or a (huoche) “fire vehicle”.

A massage is a (anmo) “press and touch”. A pimple is a (qingdou) “youth bean”. Investing is to (touzi) “throw funds”. And when you don’t make your money back, the disappointment is conveyed directly as (saoxing) “sweep interest”.

While linguists ballyhoo English’s capacity for specificity, this has in some ways become its weakness, as the definitional often trumps the descriptive, with wonderful exceptions, such as “rainbow”. But that’s where the other widely vaunted strength of the language – its capacity to ravenously gobble up other languages’ words – could become a beautiful thing. And I’m glad to know the English language is developing a growing taste for Chinese food.

In the 1960s, there were about 250 million English speakers, mostly from the United States, the United Kingdom and their former colonies.

Today, the same number of Chinese possesses some command of the language, and that number is growing. One possibility is the plethora of localized “lishes”, such as Chinglish, Hinglish (a Hindi-English hybrid) and Spanglish (an English-Spanish hybrid) could branch so far from English, they become mutually unintelligible tongues sharing a common root, much as Latin did in Medieval Europe.

Many linguists agree that if the lishes splinter, Chinglish will likely become the most prominent offshoot by virtue of sheer numbers, giving Chinese primary ownership of the language.

Perhaps then, English could become more beautiful than I could now describe – at least with its currently existing words. (Contributed by China Daily)

The Million Word March. Fueled by Chinglish?

‘No Noising’ and ‘Airline Pulp’ named Top Chinglish Words

San Diego, Calif. November 22, 2006. ‘No Noising’ and ‘Airline Pulp’ have been named the Top Chinglish Words of 2006 in The Global Language Monitor’s annual survey of the Chinese-English hybrid words known more commonly as Chinglish. Though often viewed with amusement by the rest of the English-speaking world, The Chinglish phenomenon is one of the prime drivers of Globalization of the English Language.

The Annual Survey by the Global Language Monitor

“The importance of Chinglish is the fact that some 250,000,000 Chinese are now studying, or have studied, English and their impact (and imprint) upon the language cannot be denied,” said Paul JJ Payack, President and The WordMan of the Global Language Monitor. “Since each Chinese ideogram can have many meanings and interpretations, translating ideas into English is, indeed, difficult. Nevertheless, the abundance of new words and phrases, unlikely as this may seem, can and will impact Global English as it evolves through the twenty-first century”.

With the English Language marching steadily toward the 1,000,000 word mark, there are now some 1.3 billion speakers with English as their native, second, business or technical tongue. In 1960, the number of English Speakers hovered around 250,000,000 mainly located in the UK and its Commonwealth of former colonies, and the US.

Some scholars maintain that you cannot actually count the number of words in the language because it is impossible to say exactly what a word is, talking rather of memes and other linguistic constructs, are afraid that Global English is just another form of cultural Imperialism. GLM take the classic view of the language as understood in Elisabethan England, where a word was ‘a thing spoken’ or an ‘idea spoken’.

Others say that English is undergoing a rebirth unlike any seen since the time of Shakespeare, when English was emerging as the modern tongue known to us today. (Shakespeare, himself, added about 1700 words to the Codex.) English has emerged as the lingua franca of the planet, the primary communications vehicle of the Internet, high technology, international commerce, entertainment, and the like.

Chinglish is just one of a number of the -Lishes, such as Hinglish (Hindu-English hydrid) and Singlish, that found in Singapore. A language can best be view as a living entity, where it grows just like any other living thing and is shaped by the environment in which it lives. With the continuing emergence of China on the world stage — and with the Olympics coming to Beijing in 2008, the state is now attempting to stamp-out some of the more egregious examples of Chinglish.

In its annual survey the Global Language Monitor has selected from hundreds of nominees, the top Chinglish words and Phrases of 2006.

The Top Chinglish Words and Phrases of 2006 follow:

  1. “No Noising”. Translated as “quiet please!”
  2. “Airline pulp.” Food served aboard an airliner.
  3. “Jumping umbrella”. A hang-glider.
  4. “Question Authority”. Information Booth.
  5. “Burnt meat biscuit.” No it’s not something to enjoy from the North of England but what is claimed to be bread dipped in a savory meat sauce.

Bonus: GLM’s all-time favorite from previous surveys: “The Slippery are very crafty”. Translation: Slippery when wet!

Independent News (London): Chinglish Phrases on the Rise

People’s Daily (China): Global Language Monitor: Many Chinglish into English

The Sunday Times (London): Chinglish: It’s a word in a million

Click here to add your thoughts to the China Daily Online Translation Community

Chinese Translation Exam Features GLM (Section 7)

Chinglish one of the Top Words of 2005

Read More.

Click here to Read and Listen to the Chinese Radio Int’l (CRI) Report

For more information, call 1.512.801.6823, email info@LanguageMonitor.com, or visit www.LanguageMonitor.com.

 

 

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‘Green’ Dethrones ‘Climate Change’ as the Top Earth Day Word for 2015

Global Language Monitor’s Earth Day Words that Changed the World analysis

Since 1970 a whole new vocabulary has entered the English Language.

New Words and New ‘Senses’ of Old Words

 

Austin, Texas,Earth Week April 2015. For the first time since its annual survey began, ‘Climate Change’ has been dethroned in the Global Language Monitor’s Earth Day Words that Changed the World analysis. ‘Climate change’ fell to No. 7 while its close companion, ”global warming fell to No. 12. in the fourth annual analysis of Global English.

Since the first Earth Day was celebrated as an ‘environmental teach-in’ on April 22, 1970 a whole new vocabulary has entered the English Language. The Global Language Monitor has determined the top new words and new ‘senses’ of old words that have been engendered since that first Earth Day. The words are ranked by order of present-day usage in the English-speaking world. The study was updated the second week of April 2015

“The fact that neither ‘climate change’ nor ‘global warming’ tops this years list is interesting, indeed,” said Paul JJ Payack, president and chief word analyst of GLM. “In fact,there appears to be a profound shift in the awareness of environmental change on everyday living-level. This is certainly suggested by words like ‘eco-‘, free-range, and vegan moving toward the top of this year’s list.”

The words analyzed are but the most profound examples of a movement that has been gaining momentum at least since the 1960s, especially since the publication of Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring.

GLM used its Narrative Tracker methodologies to determine and rank the Earth Day words. The criteria included determining which words have had an impact on the environmental movement and/or were influential in its growth.

The Top Words Engendered by Earth Day and the Environmental Movement since 1970 are listed below.

Rank/Word/Last Year’s Rank/Definition

Rank Word 2014 Change Comment
1 Green 3 2 Practices that are in harmony with nature.
2 Eco- (as a prefix) 5 3 Shorthand for ‘ecological’; from the Greek ‘oikos’ for house (or table).
3 Free-range 26 23 The animal has been raised with access to the outside; not the same as ‘free roaming’.
4 Sustainable 2 -2 The ability to create self-replicating systems that can persist over time. Sustainable was GLM’s word of the year in 2006.the environment.
5 Vegan 6 1 Those who abstain from eating animal or dairy products, often avoiding any products made from animals (such as leather or gelatin); coined in 1944 in the UK by Donald Watson.
6 Emissions 12 6 In this sense, gases and particles sent out into the atmosphere through industrial production, automobiles, etc.; from the Late Latin emittere, to send out of.
7 Climate Change 1 -6 Now used twice as much as the term ‘global warming’. Originally favored by those who think the warming of the planet is primarily dues to long-term atmospheric cycles.
8 Ecology 7 -1 The relations of beings to each other and their environment; from the Greek ‘oikos’ for house (or table).
9 Recycle 8 -1 The re-using of materials once viewed as waste.
10 Renewable energy 15 5 Energy derived from solar, wind, geothermal, biomass and similar ‘sustainable’ sources.
12 Global warming 4 -8 Favored by those who think the warming of the planet is primarily due to human influence. (Compare Climate Change, above.)
13 Solar Power 28 15 China adds Solar the Size of France’s total capacity in First Quarter of 2015
14 Biomass 22 8 Material derived from plants that can be used as a renewable energy source.
15 Hybrid (car) 9 -6 Cars that use a mixture of technologies to reduce their reliance on fossil fuels.
16 Biodegradable 18 2 Organic material that decays naturally in a relatively short time.
17 Organic food 16 -1 Food grown or produced without synthetic fertilizers, insecticides, hormones, irradiation and genetic modification.
18 Greenhouse gas (GHG) 19 1 Any gas emitted into the atmosphere that trap heat (e.g., CO2); without them the Earth would be uninhabitable for humans; with an excess the Earth would be uninhabitable for humans.18. Solar power (12) — Energy derived by harnessing the sun’s electromagnetic radiation.
19 Carbon footprint 17 -2 The total amount of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions generate by a human activity. Driving a late-model, fuel-efficient car emits about 6 pounds of CO2 every ten miles. Term first used in 1980. Alternative definition — Your life reduced to the a series of equations on energy (carbon) consumption.
20 Biofuels 23 3 Finally, we are reaching a break-even point with sugar based biofuels in Brazil.
21 Natural (food) 14 -7 Food grown with without artificial ingredients (such as color) and produced in a manner similar to that used in a well-stocked home kitchen.
22 Post-consumer (waste) 20 -2 Material that can be used as a resource to build new products.
23 Greenhouse Effect 24 1 The heating of the Earth’s surface in a fashion similar to a greenhouse, with GHG acting as glass windows that trap heat. The result of the increased emission of CO2 and other GHGs.
24 Greenwash 21 -3 Highlighting aspects of a product that may or appear to be favorable to the environment in order to re-shape its brand image.
25 Locavore 10 -15 Thinking globally while eating locally.
26 Carbon trading 25 -1 Trading, in effect, the rights to pollute between different manufacturers in the global marketplace.
27 Xeriscape 13 -14 Literally ‘dry landscaping’; using natural elements in a desert landscape for yard enhancement. Begging the question: must every yard resemble an English Manor?
28 Save a Tree! 27 -1 One of the first rallying cries of the Environmental Movement. Unfortunately, replacing a renewable resource with one made of petroleum created ecological problems of its own.

For this analysis, the Global Language Monitor collected data from the Internet, blogosphere, the top 300,000 print and electronic media, as well as new social media as they emerge.

About the Global Language Monitor

Austin-Texas-based Global Language Monitor analyzes and catalogues the latest trends in word usage and word choices and their impact on the various aspects of culture. GLM analyzes the Internet, blogosphere, the top 250,000 print and electronic news media, as well as new social media sources (such as Twitter) as they emerge. The words, phrases and concepts are tracked in relation to their frequency, contextual usage and appearance in global media outlets.
In 2003, The Global Language Monitor (GLM) was founded in Silicon Valley by Paul J.J. Payack on the understanding that new technologies and techniques were necessary for truly understanding the world of Big Data, as it is now known. GLM provides a number of innovative products and services that utilize its ‘algorithmic services’ to help worldwide customers protect, defend and nurture their branded products and entities.
For more information, call 1.512.801.6823, email info@LanguageMonitor.com, or visit www.LanguageMonitor.com.

*******

‘Green’ Dethrones ‘Climate Change’ as the Top Earth Day Word for 2015

Global Language Monitor’s Earth Day Words that Changed the World analysis

Since 1970 a whole new vocabulary has entered the English Language.

New Words and New ‘Senses’ of Old Words

 

Austin, Texas,Earth Week April 2015. For the first time since its annual survey began, ‘Climate Change’ has been dethroned in the Global Language Monitor’s Earth Day Words that Changed the World analysis. ‘Climate change’ fell to No. 7 while its close companion, ”global warming fell to No. 12. in the fourth annual analysis of Global English.

Since the first Earth Day was celebrated as an ‘environmental teach-in’ on April 22, 1970 a whole new vocabulary has entered the English Language. The Global Language Monitor has determined the top new words and new ‘senses’ of old words that have been engendered since that first Earth Day. The words are ranked by order of present-day usage in the English-speaking world. The study was updated the second week of April 2015

“The fact that neither ‘climate change’ nor ‘global warming’ tops this years list is interesting, indeed,” said Paul JJ Payack, president and chief word analyst of GLM. “In fact,there appears to be a profound shift in the awareness of environmental change on everyday living-level. This is certainly suggested by words like ‘eco-‘, free-range, and vegan moving toward the top of this year’s list.”

The words analyzed are but the most profound examples of a movement that has been gaining momentum at least since the 1960s, especially since the publication of Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring.

GLM used its Narrative Tracker methodologies to determine and rank the Earth Day words. The criteria included determining which words have had an impact on the environmental movement and/or were influential in its growth.

The Top Words Engendered by Earth Day and the Environmental Movement since 1970 are listed below.

Rank/Word/Last Year’s Rank/Definition

Rank Word 2014 Change Comment
1 Green 3 2 Practices that are in harmony with nature.
2 Eco- (as a prefix) 5 3 Shorthand for ‘ecological’; from the Greek ‘oikos’ for house (or table).
3 Free-range 26 23 The animal has been raised with access to the outside; not the same as ‘free roaming’.
4 Sustainable 2 -2 The ability to create self-replicating systems that can persist over time. Sustainable was GLM’s word of the year in 2006.the environment.
5 Vegan 6 1 Those who abstain from eating animal or dairy products, often avoiding any products made from animals (such as leather or gelatin); coined in 1944 in the UK by Donald Watson.
6 Emissions 12 6 In this sense, gases and particles sent out into the atmosphere through industrial production, automobiles, etc.; from the Late Latin emittere, to send out of.
7 Climate Change 1 -6 Now used twice as much as the term ‘global warming’. Originally favored by those who think the warming of the planet is primarily dues to long-term atmospheric cycles.
8 Ecology 7 -1 The relations of beings to each other and their environment; from the Greek ‘oikos’ for house (or table).
9 Recycle 8 -1 The re-using of materials once viewed as waste.
10 Renewable energy 15 5 Energy derived from solar, wind, geothermal, biomass and similar ‘sustainable’ sources.
12 Global warming 4 -8 Favored by those who think the warming of the planet is primarily due to human influence. (Compare Climate Change, above.)
13 Solar Power 28 15 China adds Solar the Size of France’s total capacity in First Quarter of 2015
14 Biomass 22 8 Material derived from plants that can be used as a renewable energy source.
15 Hybrid (car) 9 -6 Cars that use a mixture of technologies to reduce their reliance on fossil fuels.
16 Biodegradable 18 2 Organic material that decays naturally in a relatively short time.
17 Organic food 16 -1 Food grown or produced without synthetic fertilizers, insecticides, hormones, irradiation and genetic modification.
18 Greenhouse gas (GHG) 19 1 Any gas emitted into the atmosphere that trap heat (e.g., CO2); without them the Earth would be uninhabitable for humans; with an excess the Earth would be uninhabitable for humans.18. Solar power (12) — Energy derived by harnessing the sun’s electromagnetic radiation.
19 Carbon footprint 17 -2 The total amount of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions generate by a human activity. Driving a late-model, fuel-efficient car emits about 6 pounds of CO2 every ten miles. Term first used in 1980. Alternative definition — Your life reduced to the a series of equations on energy (carbon) consumption.
20 Biofuels 23 3 Finally, we are reaching a break-even point with sugar based biofuels in Brazil.
21 Natural (food) 14 -7 Food grown with without artificial ingredients (such as color) and produced in a manner similar to that used in a well-stocked home kitchen.
22 Post-consumer (waste) 20 -2 Material that can be used as a resource to build new products.
23 Greenhouse Effect 24 1 The heating of the Earth’s surface in a fashion similar to a greenhouse, with GHG acting as glass windows that trap heat. The result of the increased emission of CO2 and other GHGs.
24 Greenwash 21 -3 Highlighting aspects of a product that may or appear to be favorable to the environment in order to re-shape its brand image.
25 Locavore 10 -15 Thinking globally while eating locally.
26 Carbon trading 25 -1 Trading, in effect, the rights to pollute between different manufacturers in the global marketplace.
27 Xeriscape 13 -14 Literally ‘dry landscaping’; using natural elements in a desert landscape for yard enhancement. Begging the question: must every yard resemble an English Manor?
28 Save a Tree! 27 -1 One of the first rallying cries of the Environmental Movement. Unfortunately, replacing a renewable resource with one made of petroleum created ecological problems of its own.

For this analysis, the Global Language Monitor collected data from the Internet, blogosphere, the top 300,000 print and electronic media, as well as new social media as they emerge.

About the Global Language Monitor

Austin-Texas-based Global Language Monitor analyzes and catalogues the latest trends in word usage and word choices and their impact on the various aspects of culture. GLM analyzes the Internet, blogosphere, the top 250,000 print and electronic news media, as well as new social media sources (such as Twitter) as they emerge. The words, phrases and concepts are tracked in relation to their frequency, contextual usage and appearance in global media outlets.
In 2003, The Global Language Monitor (GLM) was founded in Silicon Valley by Paul J.J. Payack on the understanding that new technologies and techniques were necessary for truly understanding the world of Big Data, as it is now known. GLM provides a number of innovative products and services that utilize its ‘algorithmic services’ to help worldwide customers protect, defend and nurture their branded products and entities.
For more information, call 1.512.801.6823, email info@LanguageMonitor.com, or visit www.LanguageMonitor.com.
* * * * * *

How Kate Middleton Ranks against the Top Ten Fashion Models

Austin, TEXAS, May 13, 2016 — Her Royal Highness, the Duchess of Cambridge AKA Kate Middleton is re-entering the world of fashion by posing for British Voguein her first-ever fashion shoot.

hollywood dresses

Global Language Monitor compared Kate’s Moda Quotient (MQ) compared with a number of the world’s highest paid fashion models like Cara Delevingne and Gisele Bundchen and she is … No 2 on the chart already

In this chart, you can what each of the Top Ten Models earned in 2015, according to Forbes.

 

Kate vs Top Models

 

British Voguecelebrated its centennial issue with seven new photographs of Her Royal Highness. The photos were taken by Josh Olins in the East Anglia countryside, the home to Cambridge household. The session was a collaboration with the National Portrait Gallery, which will feature two of the portraits.

Of course, this is not the first time, Kate has made the list.

In 2015, Kate made the list, though in an oblique manner: “4. Kate’s Baby girl — A little princess waiting in the wings?”

The Princess waiting in the wings was none other than Princess Charlotte.

Previous to this, Kate made her debut as a global fashion leader by knocking Lady Gaga who had captured the Top Spot in 2010. Kate took the Top Spot again again 2012, and ceded the Top Spot to London in 2013.

  • London (2013)
  • the Princess Effect (2012)
  • Kate Middleton (2011)
  • Lady Gaga (2010)

The Princess Effect was noted in 2012 when one UK newspaper quipped, ‘She turns everything she wears into sold. At the time, the Princess Effect was said to contribute some £1 billion to the UK economy annually.

 

Methodology: GLM’s various word analyses are longitudinal in nature covering a number of years that varies with the particular analysis. The rankings are based upon actual word usage throughout the English-speaking world, which now numbers more than 1.83 billion people. GLM analyses billions of web pages, millions of blogs, 300,000 print and electronic news organizations, and new social media sites as they emerge. To qualify for GLM’s lists, the words, names, and phrases must be found globally, have a minimum of 25,000 citations. and the requisite ‘depth’ and ‘breadth’ of usage. Depth is here defined as appearing in various forms of media; breadth that they must appear world-over, not limited to a particular profession or social group or geography.

 

The Impact of Fashion on Presidential Campaigns

celebrity dresses
The 2016 Pesidential Elections

Read Vanessa Friedman’s Take in the New York Times

Austin, Texas February 1, 2016 The 2016 major-party election candidates provide perhaps as broad a set of individuals as ever assembled for the Quadrennial White House scramble: a brash New Your billionaire, with perhaps another waiting on the sideline, a former first Lady (and senator & Secretary of State), a former high tech CEO, a soft-spoken neurosurgeon, a number of Evangelicals, a pastor, former governors, a hopeful member of a political dynasty, and a handful of minority candidates, among others.

It is a historical truism that a young, tanned, and relaxed John F. Kennedy won his 1960 televised debate with a sickly, sweaty Richard M. Nixon because JFK wore blue shirt and the just released from the hospital, Nixon grew a five o’clock shadow. A follow-up study found that Nixon won the debate among those who listened to the debate on radio, while Kennedy was declared the winner with those who viewed the debate on television.

Kennedy Proved the Victor Over Nixon -- on Style Points
Kennedy Proved the Victor Over Nixon — on Style Points

Fifty-six years later, in an age where image is key (namely The Optic) thanks to the likes of ubiquitous cell phones (read: cameras), combined with applications with hundred of millions of users (like Facebook, Twitter and Vine), an analysis of each candidate’s sartorial choices is a worthy area of investigation.

So far, we’ve seen Mr. Rubio’s high(er) heals from the mall, Hillary’s expanded palette for her designer pantsuits, Mr. Trump’s loud, outrageous, sometime obnoxious ties, Sanders in his glorious dishevelment, Carly as the avenging CEO warrior from Silicon Valley, Hillary in her ever-the-same, ever changing pantsuits, and the like, and to think that it all officially officially begins today….

 

Two Top Democratic Contenders: Clinton and Sanders
Two of the Top Republican Contenders
Two of the Top Republican Contenders

The Global Language Monitor, annually presents a study of the Top Global Fashion Capitals; in the same manner GLM recently conducted a study of the Major US Presidential Candidates and subjected them to a slightly modified criteria of that which it has used in its Top Global Fashion Capitals ranking.

For our purposes, the candidates sartorial styles were divided into several categories, plus an overall winner that will surprise few. The country is again entering another period of transition. The fact remains that Mr. Obama is leaving office with the same approval rating as his predecessor, GW Bush (hovering around 48%). Again, there is tremendous uncertainty in the land, on all sides of the political spectrum.
And once again, the voting public appears to be fascinated with their shiny, new toy(s): Trump, Sanders, Carson, Rubio, Fiorina, Cruz, etc.

For this analysis, the Global Language Monitor used its proprietary Brand Affiliation Index (BAI), the same technology used to measure global brand equity for the Olympics, World Cup, the Fortune 500, and others. This exclusive, GLM study is a Big Data textual analysis based on billions of webpages, millions of blogs, the top 375,000 global print and electronic media, and new social media formats as they appear.

This is GLM’s first study of Fashion in Politics, though it has been tracking differing issues in politics for about a decade and here and even into the future, here.

The results of the study will be published on February 1, 2016 …here is a Top Level Overview, which will be deconstucted below.

Total Score for Presidential Candidates
Total Score for Presidential Candidates: This chart will be deconstructrd later on Februry 1.

 

This Total Scores for Presidential Candidates, of both major parties. This chart provides a top- overview of all seventeen candidates for both the Democratic and Republican parties. Also included are potential candidates who might later enter the fray, such as Michael Bloomberg, Elizabeth Warren, and Joe Biden.

The Candidates that are being tracked follow:

  • Bernie Sanders
  • Carly Fiorina
  • Chris Christie
  • Donald Trump
  • Elizabeth Warren
  • Hillary Clinton
  • Jeb Bush
  • Jim Gilmore
  • Joe Biden
  • John Kasich
  • Marco Rubio
  • Martin
  • Michael Bloomberg
  • Mike Huckabee
  • Rand Paul
  • Rick SantorumTed Cruz

Of course, some half dozen of these candidates will be out of the race in the next several days.

You can find a Brief Sartorial Overview of US Presidents here.

 

Overall Candidate Fashion Ranking

Overall, Donald Trump outdistances the field, which could be expected for the Trump PR Machine. However, doubling the score of the second grouping of Cruz, Clinton, Christie, Bush and Biden, suggests that he’s gaining a significant number of style points.

The bottom four candodates would normally rate an asterisk (*) but the actual scores, themselves tell their own

This is a very interesting chart with Chris Christie topping the chart, closely followed by Cruz and Trump.

Clinton and Sanders are equally matched which is interesting because Sander’s overall demeanor is that of a wide-eyed, democratic socialist frpm a very small (read: inconsequential) state. Come to think of it that WAS his demeaner for most of his decades-long career.

Interesting to note is Marco Rubio;s middling finish.

 

Presidential Style

 

 

Off-the-Rack Ranking

In haute couture, OTR connotes designer styled clothing that are not tailored to the individual.

In American presidential politics, it can mean Bloomingdale, Nordstrom, and Saks, or OMG! Target. Not always a positive connotation.

 

 

OTR

 

 

 

Pret-a-Porter Ranking

Chris Christie leads Pret-a-Porter. That’s right the Jersey Shore icon actually leads the category but by an incredibly small magin.

Overall Score

Finally, the Overall Score, a composite of all of the the above.

Paris Towers Over World of Fashion as Top Global Fashion Capital for 2015

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The Global Language Monitor’s 11th Annual Survey

Paris nearly doubled Scores of New York and London

Where’s Milano? (No. 6)

Paris Fashion Week, Autumn 2015, New York and Austin, Texas — Paris has stunned New York City toppling it from its one year reign as the Top Global Fashion Capital in the Global Language Monitor’s 11th Annual survey. London remained in the third spot as did L.A.at No. 4.

Rounding out the Top Ten were Rome, Milano, Barcelona, Berlin and Madrid, followed by Tokyo. Currently, there are fifty-six fashion capitals being charted, with a number under watch for 2016. In 2015 GLM added one city to the analysis, Washington, DC, which made a splash, er belly flopped, to No. 53.

EMMY AWARDS RED CARPET DRESSES
Paris redevient la capitale mondiale de la mode
Moving up from No.12 to No.6 word ordinarily send the City’s Fashion Establishment into an ecstatic state. No so, if you are Milano. And especially so if you followed Roma, at No. 5.

Last March, Milano was the Top Fashion Buzzword for 2015 followed by, Suede, Booty, and Kate’s Baby Girl. However, this is a far cry from the Top Global Fashion Capital ranking, where Milano then ranked No. 12. Much of the internet mediabuzz, not all of it positive, revolves upon these efforts to revive its ‘brand’. Recent reports from Milano Moda Donna 2015 were mixed

Milan has been working hard to re-establish itself as the pre-eminent capital of Global Fashion, or at least to being consistently named as one of the Big Four (with Paris, New York and London). Currently, the No. 4 spot is occupied by LA, which GLM sees as representing the Red Carpet phenomenon.

After an extraordinary two-year reign (2011-2012), London has settled into the No. 3 spot, comfortably behind Paris and New York — for the second year in a row. London also took the third spot in all four major areas of measurement used in determining the annual rankings for the Global Language Monitor.

London Fashion Week Settles Firmly into the No. 3 Spot
.
Last year New York topped Paris by less than .05%, the tightest margin ever; this year Paris returned the favor — and then some — by nearly doubling New York’s score. In another first, Paris topped all four categories worldwide.
“In a world torn by war, repression, and the brutal subjugation of women and girls, fashion remains a bastion of self-expression.” said Paul JJ Payack, Chief Word Analyst and president of GLM. “And fashion can be a force for good that can be experienced in a positive manner in every culture and tradition.”
DESIGNER CELEBRITY EVENING DRESSES
Sydney remains strong as Melbourne falters; for the first time New Delhi and Mumbai resulted in a virtual dead heat.
The Global Fashion Capitals for Swimwear were Miami, Barcelona, and Bali.

Barcelona, Berlin and Madrid remain hot as does what we are calling the East Asian Cluster: Tokyo, Singapore, Shanghai and Hong Kong. Seoul remains on the outside, very outside, of the cluster at No. 56.

The Top Global Fashion Capital Rankings are listed below, in the format: Ranking, Fashion Capital, and Previous Position.
Top Global Fashion Capitals 1 to 25
Top Global Fashion Capitals 26 to End
The Watch List for 2016 includes: Abidjan, Accra, Auckland, Beirut, Jakarta, Kuala Lampur, and Lagos.

Top Fashion Capitals by Region

Europe:
Paris, London, Rome, Milano, Barcelona, Berlin, Madrid, Florence, Monaco, Amsterdam, Antwerp, Copenhagen, Stockholm, and Frankfurt.
India:
Mumbai, New Delhi (statistical dead heat)
Australia:
Sydney, Melbourne
East Asia:
Tokyo, Singapore, Shanghai and Hong Kong. Seoul
RSA:
Cape Town, Johannesburg
Middle Europe:
Moscow, Prague, Vienna, St Petersburg, Warsaw and Krakow
Canada:
Toronto, Montreal,and Vancouver,
Mideast:
Dubai, Abu Dhabi
Spain:
Barcelona, Madrid
Latin America:
Sao Paulo, Rio de Janerio, Buenos Aires, Caracas, , Santiago and Mexico City
Regional US:
New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Dallas, Boston, Las Vegas, Chicago, Houston, Atlanta, San Francisco, Austin and Washington, DC
Methodology: For this analysis, the Global Language Monitor used its proprietary Brand Affiliation Index (BAI), the same technology used to measure global brand equity for the Olympics, World Cup, the Fortune 500, and others. This exclusive, GLM longitudinal-study encompasses the prior three years to better assess short-term velocity and longer-term momentum. The study is a Big Data textual analysis based on billions of webpages, millions of blogs, the top 375,000 global print and electronic media, and new social media formats as they appear. This is the eleventh edition of the survey, which was first made public in 2007.

About the Global Language Monitor

In 2003, The Global Language Monitor (GLM) was founded in Silicon Valley by Paul J.J. Payack on the understanding that new technologies and techniques were necessary for truly understanding the world of Big Data, as it is now known. Previous to this Payack was the founding president at yourDictionary.com, and a senior executive for a number of leading high tech companies.

Today, from its home in Austin, Texas GLM provides a number of innovative products and services that utilize its ‘algorithmic services’ to help worldwide customers protect, defend and nurture their branded products and entities. Products include ‘brand audits’ to assess the current status, establish baselines, and competitive benchmarks for current intellectual assets and brands, and to defend products against ambush marketing.

These services are currently provided to the Fortune 500, the Higher Education market, high technology firms, the worldwide print and electronic media, and the global fashion wedding industry, among others.

For more information, call 1.512.801.6823, email info@LanguageMonitor.com, or visit www.LanguageMonitor.com

 

“Milan” Tops Fashion Buzz of 2015; Kate’s Baby Girl (if and when) currently at No. 4

The Eighth Annual Analysis by the Global Language Monitor

NEW YORK, March 4, 2015 – Milan is the Top Fashion Buzzword for 2015 followed by, Suede, Booty, Kate’s Baby Girl, and Yellow Hues. Rounding out the Top Ten were Blue & White; Plus Size, Gingham, Shirt Dresses, and Trans Models. Wrapping up this year’s list are Denim, Flourishes, Corduroy, Retro Fashion, and Transparents.

Milan has been working hard to re-establish itself as the pre-eminent capital of Global Fashion, or at least to being consistently named as one of the Big Four. Milan last held the Top Spot in Global Language Monitor’s annual ranking in 2008. Much of the internet mediabuzz, not all of it positive, revolves upon these efforts to revive its ‘brand’. [Update: The recent reports from Milan were not favorable.]

“In a time besodden with violence and horrors perpetrated against women and girls, the world of fashion stands out as a beacon of self-affirming light to celebrate the inherent beauty and dignity of every woman, and her ability transform herself in whatever way she sees fit,” said Rebecca Roman, Manhattan-based Fashion Director for GLM.

Each year, the Global Language Monitor ranks the Top Global Fashion Capitals. in the latest ranking, New York topped Paris and London followed by Los Angeles, Barcelona, Rome, Berlin, Sydney, Antwerp, and Shanghai. The Top Global Fashion for 2015 will be announced prior to Spring Fashion Weeks in the Fall. For the current list of the Top 50 Fashion Capitals Go here

 

The Top Fashion Buzzwords of 2015 follow:

Rank, Buzzword, Comment

  1. Milan — Lots of buzz and not all good as it tries to claw its way back to the top.
  2. Suede — Fifty shades of Suede.
  3. Booty — Last year it was underbutt, this year just butt (S/O To Kim K.).
  4. Kate’s Baby girl — A little princess waiting in the wings?
  5. Yellow Hues — Dozens of yellow hues from which to choose: Lemon yellow, marigold, primrose, saffron, vermillion, canary, ….
  6. Blue & White — Edging in on the Black & White.
  7. Plus Size — Models ahead of the curve(s).
  8. Gingham –Not talking about Little House on the Prairie here .
  9. Shirt Dresses — Even sweater dresses..
  10. Trans Models — Transgender Models now making an impact on the Red Carpet.
  11. Denim — This time as dresses.
  12. Flourishes — Fringe, Feathers and Tassels.
  13. Corduroy — Moving well beyond the halls of academe.
  14. Retro Fashion — Hmmm, this year retro moves on to the ’70s.
  15. Transparents — Sheers, and Peek-a-Boos.

Methodology: GLM’s various word analyses are longitudinal in nature covering a number of years that varies with the particular analysis. The rankings are based upon actual word usage throughout the English-speaking world, which now numbers more than 1.83 billion people. GLM analyses billions of web pages, millions of blogs, 300,000 print and electronic news organizations, and new social media sites as they emerge. To qualify for GLM’s lists, the words, names, and phrases must be found globally, have a minimum of 25,000 citations. and the requisite ‘depth’ and ‘breadth’ of usage. Depth is here defined as appearing in various forms of media; breadth that they must appear world-over, not limited to a particular profession or social group or geography.

Top Fashion Buzzwords of previous years include:

  • All Things New York (2014)
  • London (2013)
  • the Princess Effect (2012)
  • Kate Middleton (2011)
  • Lady Gaga (2010), and
  • Chiconomics (2009)
About the Global Language Monitor
In 2003, The Global Language Monitor (GLM) was founded in Silicon Valley by Paul J.J. Payack on the understanding that new technologies and techniques were necessary for truly understanding the world of Big Data, as it is now known.
Today, from its home in Austin, Texas Global Language Monitor analyzes and catalogues the latest trends in word usage and word choices and their impact on the various aspects of culture, with a particular emphasis upon Global English.
For more information, call 1.512.801.6823, email info@LanguageMonitor.com, or visit www.LanguageMonitor.com.

“All Things New York City” are the Top Fashion Buzzwords of 2014

The Seventh Annual Analysis by the Global Language Monitor

 

NEW YORK, September 12, 2014 – “All things New York” has been named the Top Fashion Buzzword for 201 4, in the Global Language Monitor’s seventh annual ranking. Attitude, Reds, Underbut(t) and Visible Panty Lines (VPL) follow. Boyfriend Jeans, Side Boobs, The Kardashian Clan, Robe-style Coats, and Pastels follow.

 

On the runway NYT Logo
Read Vanessa Friedman’s Take on the Rivalry

 

All Things New York”, capturing the essence of the New York fashion sense, dominates the 2014 Top Fashion Buzzword list,” said Rebecca Roman, Manhattan-based Fashion Director for GLM. “It is difficult to think of any global fashion trend that does not have a strong presence, if not its origin, in the New York City.

For the current list of the Top 50 Fashion Capitals Go here

The Top Fashion Buzzwords of 2014 follow:

Rank, Buzzword, Comment

  1. “All things New York” — In 2014 New York stands astride the world of fashion.
  2. Attitude — It’s not just what you wear but how you wear it.
  3. Reds — Big , bold, and bright.
  4. Underbut(t) — Yes, we said ‘underbut(t).
  5. VPL (Visible Panty Lines) — For decades, the idea was to eliminate VPL; VPLs are now in style.
  6. Boyfriend Jeans — Popular but not always fashionable.
  7. Side Boobs — Same as above.
  8. The Kardashian Clan — Same as above.
  9. Robe-style Coats — More bedroom-style in the streets.
  10. Pastels — Appropriate now for all seasons.
  11. Funky Eye Makeup — You know it when you see it.
  12. Earthy Tones — Mixing various earth tones together.
  13. Sneakers — Still popular in all shapes and sizes.
  14. Transparents — Updated Peek-a-boo look.
  15. Sweaters — Particularly Wool, particularly big.

Methodology: GLM’s various word analyses are longitudinal in nature covering a number of years that varies with the particular analysis. The rankings are based upon actual word usage throughout the English-speaking world, which now numbers more than 1.83 billion people. GLM analyses billions of web pages, millions of blogs, 300,000 print and electronic news organizations, and new social media sites as they emerge. To qualify for GLM’s lists, the words, names, and phrases must be found globally, have a minimum of 25,000 citations. and the requisite ‘depth’ and ‘breadth’ of usage. Depth is here defined as appearing in various forms of media; breadth that they must appear world-over, not limited to a particular profession or social group or geography.

Top Fashion Buzzwords of previous years include:

  • London (2013)
  • the Princess Effect (2012)
  • Kate Middleton (2011)
  • Lady Gaga (2010), and
  • Chiconomics (2009)

Each year, the Global Language Monitor ranks the Top Global Fashion Capitals. In 2013 New York topped Paris and London followed by Los Angeles (!?), Barcelona, Rome, Berlin, Sydney, Antwerp, and Shanghai.

About the Global Language Monitor
In 2003, The Global Language Monitor (GLM) was founded in Silicon Valley by Paul J.J. Payack on the understanding that new technologies and techniques were necessary for truly understanding the world of Big Data, as it is now known.
Today, from its home in Austin, Texas Global Language Monitor analyzes and catalogues the latest trends in word usage and word choices and their impact on the various aspects of culture, with a particular emphasis upon Global English.
For more information, call 1.512.801.6823, email info@LanguageMonitor.com, or visit www.LanguageMonitor.com.

 

New York Takes Top Global Fashion Capital Title from London, edging past Paris

The Global Language Monitor’s 10th Annual Survey

The Difference between New York and Paris was 0.05% And No. 4? Los Angeles! Yes, LA. February Fashion Weeks, 2014 New York and Austin, Texas — New York was reclaimed the title of the Top Global Fashion Capital from London, which had held the tile for 2011 and 2012. Paris, which also won the title of the Top Global Fashion Capital for Haute Couture, finished in the No. 2 spot overall. New York and Paris were separated by 0.05%, the closest in the 10-year history of the Global Language Monitor’s survey. In another development, Los Angeles moved into the esteemed Big Four status, moving up five spots from 2012.

Coming Later in 2014: The Global Fashion Capital Institute

Midtown Manhattan
Midtown Manhattan

. The rest of the Top Ten included: Barcelona, Rome, Berlin, Sydney, Antwerp, and Shanghai. Berlin solidified its position, while Antwerp completed it steady climb, Sydney had a triumphal return, and Shanghai returns to what many consider its rightful place in the Top Ten. Asia was well represented with Tokyo (11), Singapore (19), and Hong Kong (20) in the Top Twenty. “New York City has, indeed, earned its Top Global Fashion Capital ranking through its disciplined, methodical yet creative approach to its fashion industry.” said Bekka Payack, New York-based Fashion Director for The Global Language Monitor.

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Read Vanessa Friedman for a UK point of view.

“Paris, with the Top Haute Couture ranking, of course has a centuries-long heritage, having invented the very concept, also scored highly in the pret-a-porter category. This year’s rankings also demonstrate the creative energy that is emerging worldwide in terms of fashion as a jobs, income and wealth generator, not to mention the prestige associated with exporting your fashion sense to the world.”

 

Read About the Top US Fashion Economic Powerhouses in AtlanticCities

 

Paris Fashion Globe
London Fashion Traffic by Big Ben

. The Top Global Fashion Capital Rankings are listed below, in the format: Position, City, Change from 2012, and comment.

  1. New York (+1) — The Big Apple is back on top of the fashion world by slipping past Paris by .5%.
  2. Paris (+2) — The Top Global Fashion Capital for Haute Couture is surprisingly strong in pret-a-porter, also.
  3. London (-2) — London has enjoyed a fabulous two-year run and is now secure in its place in the top echelon for global fashion.
  4. Los Angeles (+5) — Zut alors! Tinsel Town in the Top Four? The result of the melding of the Red Carpet, the Industry (film, of course), and West Coast cool.
  5. Barcelona (-2) — Espana, again, places two Fashion Capitals in the Top Fifteen. Barcelona also wins the Top Fashion Capital for Swimwear.
  6. Rome (0) — Rome may have Seven Hills but Italy now has Three Fashion Capitals (and Milan is No. 2).
  7. Berlin (+3) — Berlin continues its steady rise moving deeper into the the elite ranks.
  8. Sydney (+7) — Sydney towers over OZ distancing (and distinguishing) itself, once again, from Melbourne.
  9. Antwerp (+2) — Ah Antwerp, reverberations of the avant garde Antwerp Six continues into the 21st century.
  10. Shanghai (+12) — As China further emerges onto the world stage, Shanghai leads the fashion charge.
  11. Tokyo (+9) — Tokyo made a leap in 2013 that many consider long overdue.
  12. Milano (-4) — Milan was the Top Global Fashion Capital back in 2009 and remains a strong contender for the top spot year-after-year.
  13. Florence (+3) — Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and Botticelli — A proud heritage to a thriving fashion industry in 2013.
  14. Madrid (-9) — Still strong in 2013, further cementing its place among the elite Fashion Capitals.
  15. Sao Paulo (-8) — Again, the Queen of Latin American Fashion Capitals.
  16. St. Petersburg (+35) — Russian comes into 2014 with two Fashion Capitals in the Top Twenty, with Petrograd surprising Moscow. Read more

‘London’ is the Top Fashion Buzzword for 2013

First time a city has topped the ranking

The Sixth Annual Analysis by the Global Language Monitor New York, February 21, 2013 – The city of London has been named the Top Fashion Buzzword for 2013, in the Global Language Monitor’s sixth annual ranking. London breaks the two year chart topping by the Duchess of Cambridge. London bested ‘high slits’ the look popularized by Angelina Jolie’s dramatic stance at the 2012 Oscars, followed by Textures, Nail Art, Top Knots. Leather, Wedge Sneakers, Peek-a-boo, Statement Sunglasses, and Au Natural rounded out the top ten. “It may come as a surprise to some that the former Kate Middleton does not top the Top Fashion Buzzwords list this year. After all Kate lit the headlines for everything she wore (and even more so when forgetting to don her frocks). However, she could not overcome the fashion behemoth she helped create: London,” said Bekka Payack, Manhattan-based Fashion Director for GLM. “This season will serve to further liberate women the world over to dress fashionably, in any way these choose.”

  1. London — With the the Global Fashion Crown two years running, the Olympics, Kate Middleton, Stella McCartney, Kate Moss and a cast of thousands (even the flamboyant Boris Johnson, nothing has proven more worthy than London Town.
  2. High Slits — Angelina Jolie’s dramatic stance at the 2012 Academy Award ceremony was the largest meme ever tracked. thereafter high slits abound.
  3. Textures — For the fashion conscious it’s the feel and not just the look.
  4. Nail Art — Observing today’s nail art is akin to taking a stroll through MoMA, with the works in miniature.
  5. Top knots and fun buns — Hair buns have evolved from granny’s convenience to a post-Modern fashion statement.
  6. Leather — Everything and everywhere, including socks, pants, jackets, shirts, and various ‘unmentionables’.
  7. Wedge sneakers — Chuck your oh-so-retro Chuck Taylors, wedge sneakers are now the thing.
  8. Peek-a-boo — Apparently, the catwalks have gotten the CBS Emmy memo — and peek-a-boo fashion abounds.
  9. Statement Sunglasses — All of a sudden, Google’s ‘enhanced reality ‘ sunglasses are demur by catwalk standards.
  10. Au Natural — In the buff now has a much sought after ‘royal warrant’ directly from the Duchess of Cambridge.
  11. First Knuckle Rings — Every few hundred years first knuckle rings return to the fashion forefront.
  12. Baby Bumps — First saw life with the ‘More Demi Moore’ Vanity Fair Cover in ’91. Now a fashion statement.
  13. Blocking — Fabric and Texture blocking; not just color blocking this time around
  14. Prints — Start with postage stamps and follow through to zig-zags, paisleys, and even stripes.
  15. Children as Fashion Accessories — Nothing new here but becoming ever more prominent in Tinsel Town.

Each autumn, the Global Language Monitor ranks the Top Global Fashion Capitals. In 2012, London maintained its dominance over New York City as the Top Global Fashion Capital. Following London and New York were Barcelona, Paris, and Madrid. Rome, Sao Paulo, Milano, Los Angeles, and Berlin rounded out the top ten.

 

London Edges New York for Top 2012 Global Fashion Capital

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Ninth Annual Ranking Now Includes Fifty-five Cities

September 6, 2012, New York and Austin, Texas. London has been crowned the Top Global Fashion Capital, edging out New York for the second year in a row, according to the Global Language Monitor’s annual ranking of the Top Fifty Fashion Capitals. London and New York were followed by Barcelona, Paris and Madrid. Rounding out the Top Ten were Rome, Sao Paulo, Milano, Los Angeles, and Berlin.

“London’s two-year run has been has been propelled by two rather extraordinary circumstances: the emergence of the former Kate Middleton as a top fashion icon and the recent completion of what have been hailed as an extremely successful Summer Olympics,” said Bekka Payack, Manhattan-based Fashion Director of GLM. “In recognition of the significance and growth of regional capitals with their distinctive styles and contributions to the fashion industry, GLM expanded the list to some fifty-five cities on five continents.”

Top movers on the plus side included Antwerp (+33), Caracas (+27), Johannesburg (+23), and Sao Paulo (+18). Top movers on the down side include Mexico City (-25), Toronto (-19), Moscow (-17), Chicago (-14), and Mumbai (-14), attesting to the heightened global competition. Newcomers to this year’s analysis were Vancouver (31), Seoul (34), Boston (44), Houston (49), and St Petersburg, Russia (51).

Prior to London’s two year reign, New York had reclaimed the crown from Milan. Previous to this, New York had been the top fashion capital for five years running, taking the crown from Paris.
The 2012 Top Global Fashion Capitals, with Rank, Previous Year’s Rank, and commentary:
1. London (1) — Competitors stymied by Kate Middleton and now the hugely successful Summer Olympics.
2. New York (2)– That toddling town is waiting in the wings for London to stumble.
3. Barcelona (7) — Iberia rules with two fashion capitals in the Top Five.
4. Paris (3)– Topped ‘haute couture’ category, of course.
5. Madrid (12)– Making a strong move toward the top.
6. Rome (13)– Edging Milano this time out.
7. Sao Paulo (25) — The Queen of Latin America, again.
8. Milano (4) — Slipping a few spots, but never for long.
9. Los Angeles (5) — The City of Angels strengthening its hold as a true fashion capital.
10. Berlin (10) — Remains among the elite — and deservedly so.
11. Antwerp (44) — A surprising large climb in a very short time (up 33 spots).
12. Hong Kong (6) — Tops in Asia, though down six year over year.
13. Buenos Aires (20) — Moving steadily upward.
14. Bali (21) — Steady climb attests to it being more than just swimwear.
15. Sydney (11) — Remains near the top, a few steps ahead of Melbourne, as is its wont.
16. Florence (31) — A big move for Firenza (up 15).
17. Rio de Janeiro (23) — Building toward the 2016 Summer Games.
18. Johannesburg (41) — Jo-burg breaks into the Top Twenty.
19. Singapore (8) — Trailing Hong Kong but leading Tokyo and Shanghai.
20. Tokyo (9) — No longer the No, 5 to the Top Four, competition is aglow in Asia.
21. Melbourne (17) — Still strong, still a few steps behind Sydney.
22. Shanghai (14) — A thriving fashion center in a tough competitive arena.
23. Caracas (50) — Tremendous upward movement for a seminal fashion center.
24. Las Vegas (16) — Follow the money, and the money and the stars flow to Vegas.
25. Monaco (15) — The principality is firmly ensconced in the European fashion firmament.
26. Santiago (30) — A solid No. 5 in Latin America.
27. Amsterdam (19) — Creative, original and a bit outre.
28. Dubai (27) — A steady force in the mid-East ready to bloom further.
29. Bangkok (32) — Struggling to gain ground in the region.
30. Copenhagen (29) — Keeping pace with (and a bit ahead of) Stockholm.
31. Vancouver (Debut) — Solid debut from this newcomer from the Pacific Northwest.
32. Stockholm (28) — The Capital of Scandinavia’s influence is beginning to transcend its regional roots.
33. Krakow (47) — A scrappy player wielding a surprising amount of influence.
34. Seoul (Debut) — Korean fashion has now gained a foothold on the world scene.
35. Moscow (18) — A bold and growing presence despite a stumble in the current analysis.
36. Frankfurt (43) — Carving out its own space in Berlin’s towering shadow.
37. Vienna (35) — Insight into 21st c. fashion emerging from ancient imperial venues.
38. Mumbai (24) — Still leading New Delhi (now by 10 spots) to dominate the Subcontinent.
39. Miami (26) — The fashion world beginning to understand Miami is more than swimwear.
40. Abu Dhabi (42) — A steady climb backed by deep pockets.
41. San Francisco (38) — A rising yet iconoclastic star.
42. Austin (40) — Famous for its ‘Mash Up’ teams, the city propels its unique style forward.
43. Warsaw (33) — Particularly influential in Central Europe.
44. Boston (Debut) — Can New England deliver fashion to the world? Apparently so.
45. Prague (48) — A firm foundation in interpreting the traditional and the classic.
46. Dallas (37) — Outdistances Houston to settle the local score.
47. Mexico City (22) — Slips some twenty-five spots since the last report.
48. New Delhi (39) — Striving for relevance on the global stage.
49. Houston (Debut) — Big, bold and a city to watch.
50. Chicago (36) — City of the Big Shoulders stretching out toward word-class fashion.
51. St. Petersburg (Debut) — The former imperial capital making strides on the global fashion scene.
52. Montreal (49) — Eclipsed by the debut of Vancouver but still a formidable force.
53. Toronto (34) — Nipped by its francophone neighbor to the North.
54. Cape Town (46) — Though Jo-burg won the latest duel, Cape Town surely has plans.
55. Atlanta (45) — Gaining an international reputation for its bold accents.
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This exclusive ranking is based upon GLM’s Narrative Tracking technology. NarrativeTracker analyzes the Internet, blogosphere, the top 250,000 print and electronic news media, as well as new social media sources (such as Twitter) as they emerge.

The words, phrases and concepts are tracked in relation to their frequency, contextual usage and appearance in global media outlets.

 

Top Fashion Capitals by Region:

Europe (14): London, Barcelona, Paris, Madrid, Rome, Milano, Berlin, Antwerp, Florence, Monaco, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Stockholm, and Frankfurt.

Middle and Eastern Europe (6): Krakow, Moscow, Vienna, Warsaw, Prague, and St Petersburg.

North America (13): New York, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Vancouver, San Francisco, Austin, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Chicago, Montreal, Toronto, and Atlanta.

Asia (6): Hong Kong, Singapore, Tokyo, Shanghai, Bangkok, and Seoul.

Subcontinent (2): Mumbai, New Delhi,

Oceania (3): Bali, Sydney, and Melbourne.

Latin America (6): Sao Paulo, Buenos Aires, Rio de Janeiro, Caracas, Santiago, and Mexico City.

Middle East and Africa (4): Dubai, Johannesburg, Abu Dhabi, and Cape Town.

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