Every year the Australian National Dictionary Centre (ANDC) chooses a word or expression that has been prominent enough to earn the title ‘word of the year’. It’s meant to represent the year, and be identifiably Australian.
This year’s word is ‘Canberra bubble’: “the insular environment of federal politics’.
The ANDC explains that ‘Canberra bubble’ refers to,
“the idea that federal politicians, bureaucracy, and political journalists are obsessed with the goings-on in Canberra (rather than the everyday concerns of Australians).”
So yep, it’s definitely VERY relevant to this year.
But of course, people are arguing over its validity on a technicality.
i don’t understand – the way you’ve recorded it; ie as 2 words, should preclude it from being ‘a compound’ shouldn’t it?
— ?jak (@JulietteKelly9) December 12, 2018
Yes, ‘Canberra bubble’ is technically two words. The ANDC is well aware. The ‘word of the year’ can actually be a compound, or even an expression. What matters is that it denotes a single thing when put together and becomes it’s own unit.
It's a compound, defined by @OxfordWords as: a word made up of two or more existing words. One of the most common forms of lexical creation.
— ANDC (@ozworders) December 12, 2018
A compound could take the form: jellyfish, jelly-fish, or jelly fish. What matters to lexicographers is that it is defined as a whole. The compound is greater than the sum of its parts.
— ANDC (@ozworders) December 12, 2018
Besides the whole ‘that’s two words’ debate, it’s hard to argue with the relevance of Canberra bubble as a representative of this year. Between politicians and political coverage, Australia’s governmental happenings becomes something of an insiders’ ballgame.
It’s both inaccessible, and overcrowded with unimportant gossip and rubbish that muddies the waters. It becomes difficult for all Australians to keep up, and to identify what’s actually important out of the whole mess of chatter.
Unfortunately, the ‘Canberra bubble’ is an issue that’s existed from as early as 1914, according to some coverage that the ANDC dug up.
Interestingly our Word of the Year 'Canberra bubble' can be found all the way back in 1914 (Albury Banner & Wodonga Express), but with quite a different sense. Thanks @TroveAustralia pic.twitter.com/gQXkyW0G9Q
— ANDC (@ozworders) December 13, 2018
Our current Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, has criticised the ‘Canberra bubble’ in an attempt to differentiate his politics and distance himself from all the 2018 Parliament turmoil.
In a video released in October, he said “The Canberra bubble is what happens down here, when people get all caught up with all sorts of gossip and rubbish, and that’s probably why most of you switch off any time you hear a politician talk”. (Australian Financial Review, 19 October 2018)
But real talk, I think we all know too well that Scott Morrison is VERY much INSIDE the ‘Canberra bubble’, and he’s responsible for plenty of political rubbish himself.
The other terms that were short-listed for 2018 include:
Bag rage: referring to the plastic bag bans and the irrational rage of customers.
Blockchain: ‘a system in which records are maintained across several computers that are linked in a peer-to-peer network, used especially for cryptocurrency transactions.’
Drought relief: something the farmers needed more than what they got.
Fair dinkum power: ‘dispatchable energy; coal, as contrasted with renewable sources of energy.’
NEG: ‘National Energy Guarantee; a regulatory obligation imposed on energy companies to provide a reliable supply of energy while meeting emissions reduction targets.’
People can get past the two-word-thing but can you imagine the outrage if an acronym had taken the title? Let’s just pray that ‘Canberra bubble’ is less relevant next year and maybe politicians get their s**t together.