What's the new word?

<div class="section1"><div class="Normal"><span style="" font-style:="" italic="">If dictuals are the highest authority on words, there is nothing more va-va-voom than Sushmita Sen. </span><br /><br />Got you, didn''t we? Before you spend the next few minutes trying to figure out what that means, we''ll just make things simpler. <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Dictuals</span> is the latest to hit the word circuit, a combination of dictionary and intellectual.And <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">va-va-voom</span> incorporates everything exciting, vigorous and attractive. <br /><br />It''s incredible how man makes things more convenient for himself, even if it is creating new words. A wordsmith from the beginning of his time, his unique way with expression has resulted in an exhaustive English vocabulary, with new words like dictuals being added everyday. <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Chandigarh Times</span> tries to decipher a few and gauge public reaction to this infinite verbal expansion. <br /><br />"Language is a process, it keeps evolving. And the introduction of new words is necessary for its healthy growth," states Anil Raina, professor of English at PU. He believes that words get accepted into the dictionary only when they become popular in usage. "Afterall, there is a reason why they are coined in the first place," he explains. His thoughts are echoed by Neelkamal Puri, English lecturer at Government College for Girls, Sector 11. "It is usage that should determine the dictionary and not the other way around. Though it ends up being a mutual process," she avers. <br /><br />Popular or not, there are citizens like octogenarian SS Grewal, a retired businessman who updates his vocabulary everyday. "It''s such fun to stump my peers with new words that I pick up from news channels or books. It''s an exercise I look forward to," he affirms. <br /><br />And one comes across those who feel that English shouldn''t be saddled with any more words. "English is a burdened language, there are already too many. In fact I can think of a few that should be removed," executive Devraj Kumar quips. <br /><br />Creativity may be getting <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">whacked</span> (out of control), but there''s just no stopping it till we continue to give freedom to expression! <br /><span style="" font-style:="" italic="">nikita.singh@timesgroup.com</span><br /><br /><br /></div> </div><div class="section2"><div class="Normal"><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">Chomp on these!</span><br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">Bumsters</span>: Trousers that are cut very low on the hips. <br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">Bling Bling</span>: Expensive objects of jewellery that are worn in a way that is very easy to notice.<br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">Snowblade</span>: A type of short ski about one metre in length, used without ski sticks. <br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">Threequel</span>: The third film, book, event etc in a series; a second sequel. <br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">Tiggerish</span>: very lively, energetic and cheerful (from Tigger in Winnie-the-Pooh). <br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">Mini-me</span>: A person closely resembling a smaller or younger version of another (from the film Austin Powers).<br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">Speed dating</span>: An organised social activity in which people have a series of short conversations with potential partners in order to determine whether there is mutual interest. <br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">Flash mob</span>: A public gathering of complete strangers organised via the Internet or mobile phone, who performs a pointless act and then disperse again.<br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">Combination word</span><br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">Cardigan + Radiator = Cardiator</span>: A jumper that is cool on the inside and warm on the outside. It cools you down by taking the heat away from your body and transferring it to the outside of the material. Anyone you hug will be toasty! <br /><br /></div> </div>