Two Words in 2007

Two words that have dominated 2007 aren't precisely "words" recognised in a British dictionary yet, namely 'w00t' and 'facebook'. However, their popularity could change that in the future.

W00t is the word of 2007. US publishing group Merriam Webster revealed that the word that topped its online poll for Word of the Year was 'w00t'. The word, which is a mixture of letters and numbers, is used by gamers to express joy and triumph. Although the double "o" in the word is usually represented by double zeroes, the exclamation is also known to be an acronym for "we owned the other team" — again stemming from the gaming community.

Britons love social networking it seems. Media regulator Ofcom revealed in December 2007 that British adults use social networking websites more than any of their European counterparts. Facebook is one such popular network. It's said the name comes from "paper facebooks" depicting members of the campus community that some U.S. colleges and preparatory schools give to incoming students, faculty, and staff as a way to get to know other people on campus.

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