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‘Gammon’ and ‘Vegan’ are among Collins Dictionary Words of 2018

By November 9, 2018Language, News

Gammon has been named Collins dictionary’s Word of the Year 2018 along with a small list of others.

Other words of 2018 include Vegan, MeToo, and Gaslight- a real reflection of the direction 2018 has taken. Many of this year’s most used, newest, and redefined words are coming from the left side of the political spectrum. As a reaction against ingrained cultural sexism, institutional racism and xenophobia, words like gammon or whitewash have been on the rise.

Some may find the word ‘gammon’ offensive, and they are entitled to express their distaste, however the word is only truly offensive to those who the word is aimed at. The word first came about when a pattern emerged on BBC’s Question Time. It became apparent that older white men became quite pink in the face while ranting about ‘bloody foreigners’, ‘Brexit’, and the EU. It is not, despite many wannabe victims insisting it so, racist.

The full list of Collins Dictionary’s Words of the Year 2018 are below.




This GIF of rolling gammons has been a very popular reaction post on articles about Brexit, immigration, and the EU.

  • Single-use: made to be used once only, commonly referring to disposable plastic items such as straws and bottles
  • Backstop: a system that will come into effect if no other arrangement is made
  • Floss: a dance in which people twist their hips in one direction while swinging their arms in the opposite direction with fists closed
  • Gammon: a person, typically middle-aged and white, with reactionary views, especially one who supports the withdrawal of Britain from the European Union
  • Gaslight: to attempt to manipulate (a person) by continually presenting them with false information until they doubt their sanity
  • MeToo: denoting a cultural movement that seeks to expose and eradicate predatory sexual behaviour, especially in the workplace
  • Plogging: a recreational activity, originating in Sweden, that combines jogging with picking up litter
  • VAR: abbreviation for video assistant referee
  • Vegan: a person who refrains from using any animal product whatever for food, clothing or any other purpose
  • Whitewash: to cast a white actor in the role of a character from a minority ethnic group, or to produce a film or play using white actors to play characters from a minority ethnic group




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