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RSSGuess what’s the “word of the year”?
Oxford Dictionaries singles out Cameron’s “big society”.
By Mehdi Hasan Published 24 November 2010 11:36
From the Telegraph:
"Big society" has pipped "double-dip" and "vuvuzela" to be named the Oxford Dictionaries word of the year for 2010.
The phrase was coined by Prime Minister David Cameron, who said in July: "The big society . . . is about liberation – the biggest, most dramatic redistribution of power from elites in Whitehall to the man and woman on the street."
Staff from Oxford University Press said that the contest is not limited to a single word and is open to two-word expressions.
Language expert Susie Dent, a spokeswoman for Oxford Dictionaries, said: " 'Big society' was for us a clear winner because it embraces so much of the year's political and economic mood.
"Taken to mean many things, it has begun to take on a life of its own – a sure sign of linguistic success."
Yet here's the Tory children's minister, Tim Loughton, speaking candidly about the concept of the "big society" in a speech this month (via the Daily Mail):
The trouble is that most people don't know what the "big society" really means, least of all the unfortunate ministers who have to articulate it.
What, actually, is the "big society", let alone is it good or not? Exactly how big is it now, or is it going to be? Is it, in fact, Ann Widdecombe?
Tags: big society David Cameron
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Mehdi Hasan is a contributing writer for the New Statesman and the co-author of Ed: The Milibands and the Making of a Labour Leader. He was the New Statesman's senior editor (politics) from 2009-12.
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18 comments
Reginald old bean, you've been quiet for a while, have you been released on parole from the Big Society asylum? Are you now ready to take to the streets with your high vis jacket and anti-graffiti paint?
It would be helpful if some of the commentators above bothered to read the article before sounding off.
Quoting the Telegraph, it clearly says "Staff from Oxford University Press said that the contest is not limited to a single word and is open to two-word expressions."
The 'Big Soc' is anything that you choose it to mean, as Alice was told; its so ill defined, its criminal. Its a lame excuse to cut services and shift the responsibility onto someone else for not delivering. Its an attempt to shify everything onto the voluntary sector so that savings can be made.
But voluteers need the suport and trainng to cope.
Reginald: No somehow I didn't think you'd go for that idea, even though it is probably the kind of penance one can expect if they dare to claim benefits and end conscripted to the Big Society army!
The Happy poll? Two million quid to find out what a day in my office would soon tell you; people are most distinctly unhappy. We've had to order in more tissues than usual, I kid you not.
It's a right waste of money in times like this. Ministers shouldn't gauge public reaction by polls, unhappy people are inherently unlikely to feel motivated into participating so the results will be distorted. Minister's are spending too much time passing off reforms when what they should be doing is talking to those who will be affected.
It means ensuring the shoulders of society are big enough to shoulder the full repayment of every crappy financial instrument held by every stupid bank, in full. And no more.
Did they give a definition for Big Society? Perhaps the Tories could incorporate it into their literature.
Last time I counted, Big Society was 2 words. Either way, it counts for nothing except as a way of Government shirking its responsibilities.
Medhi, as the resident new statesman Islamic fundamentalist, do you care to tell us whether the Big Society is Sharia compliant or not?
Nick it is really good to hear from you. Not my cup of tea old boy!
The only high vis jacket i'm prepared to wear is the one in the back of the car to comply with French Law.
If Boris helped cleaning out a river, I'm willing to pull a few trolleys out of my local river. It will stop the local fisherman from catching trolleys and tyres on their fishing-rods.
I'm ready to take to the streets with my smoking jacket, cigars and some brandy.
I will give the scoundrels in the high vis jacket a good talking to!
Nick, What do you think about this 'happy polling business'?
" 'Big society' was for us a clear winner because it embraces so much of the year's political and economic mood."
The people at oxford clearly move in different circles to the rest of us.
Andy, sod off to the mail will you.
Mehdi, it would be great to see you on TV more often.
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For "Big Society" read cuts and raised unemployment,its the Gauleiter system revised,the "brain-child" of Oliver Letwin, Cameron's "Big Idea" is not new it was implemented in the 1930's in Germany by the National Socialist regime as a way of producing services for minimum cost, industry benefits too, the population do not.
Reginald Fah-Fah should have been the word of the year ;-)
Lets hear it for the Big Society and the Big Society Bank!!!!
I'm the biggest Tory in the world!!!!!
my word of this and every year is "twat"
@Andy ...if it were Sharia Complaint, it would be one word. "OK". At the moment it is 2 "Not OK".
Mehdi should stick to defending the terrorists.
@writeoff , we love poking the Islamists.
Maybe the rest of the left will see reason and look into the their support base. And Ask themselves, Are they ok for the whole movement to be hijacked by Islamists?
For "Big Society" read "Abolition of government responsibilities for the vulnerable and disabled".
@ Martin - good information. Michael Meacher has always maintained that this coalition is taking us back to the 30's.