'GIF' Named America's Word of the Year

The Oxford English Dictionary has named GIF the American word of the year. Some people might see this as a reason to declare language dead and start communicating only in a mixture of grunts and crotch grabs – especially considering the competing words included YOLO and mummy porn — but I think it’s reason to celebrate! I ask you, what’s doper than a GIF? Except for any real word ever? You can’t answer that, can you.

Just to put things in perspective for how fucking dumb the Oxford English Dictionary thinks we Americans are, the UK word of the year is “omnishambles.” Defined as “a situation that has been comprehensively mismanaged, characterized by a string of blunders and miscalculations.” So, they get a highfalutin word for snafu, and we get GIF?

OK, fine, we’ll take it.

Shockingly, the artist collective known as Mr. GIF was pleased GIF was the top choice. They told the Daily Dot, “GIFs have gone on to become a language that’s more visually based rather than phonetically. It’s surprising that it took Oxford University this long to catch up. But to be fair, YOLO was also considered a contender so that kind of pees in my cereal a little.”

Pee’s in my cereal has to be the grossest phrase I’ve heard in awhile, and I watched Fox News on election night.

Anyway, point taken, and let’s party! Favorite GIFS all around, s’il vous plaît!