Light-hearted term for cost of living named Macquarie Dictionary’s Word of the 2023

“Cozzie livs” – a light play on the term “cost of living” – has been named the 2023 word of the year by Macquarie Dictionary.

After more than a year of rampant price increases and soaring interest rates, it’s no wonder the term has struck a chord with Australians.

Funny nouns for everyday things were over-represented in this year’s winning words and included “angry water,” “rizz” and “bopo.”

The Australian Dictionary has chosen the word of the year since 2006.

What does “cozzie livs” mean?

Macquarie Dictionary describes “cozzie livs” as a “humorous play on the cost of living.”

The dictionary goes on to define the term as “the average retail prices of food, clothing, and other necessities paid by a person, family, etc., in order to live at their usual level.”

The Macquarie committee said “cozzie livs” was first used in the United Kingdom.(Provided)

Where does the term “cozzie livs” come from?

Many of us have been feeling the effects for a while, as we have to pay more for most things like utilities, groceries, gas, rent, mortgages, and basic necessities.

The most commonly cited cost of living measure is the consumer price index, which represents the prices of a fixed basket of goods and services.

AKA, a lot of the stuff I just mentioned.

The change in the price of the basket of goods is called inflation – and that’s what we’ve all been talking about and hearing about over the last few years.

Hence the popularity of the term cozzie livs.

The Macquarie Dictionary Committee said the term first appeared in the United Kingdom. However, it “resonated well with Australia”.

“What could be a more Australian approach to a major social and economic problem than to treat it with a bit of humor and informality?” the committee said.

Who are the other winners and honorable mentions?

When they were made public, Australians voted “Generative AI” as the public’s choice of word of the year.

The committee believes that “generative AI” is not a humorous construct, but shows that “AI looms large in our minds this year.”

A phrase appropriate for 2023.(Provided)

Meanwhile, honorable mentions were awarded to “blue sky flood” (a flood in low-lying areas caused by water spreading from higher ground) and “algospeak” (code words or phrases that social media users have adopted to avoid being censored or deleted).

Here are some other phrases that made the shortlist for word of the year:

angry water (sparkling water)
Bopo (body positivity)
Doof stick (a long pole topped with a sign, decoration, etc., used as a marker for a group of friends at a dance or music festival)
Rice (charisma)
Scrotox (botox for the skin of your scrotum)

The flooding that so many people have endured recently has made “blue sky flooding” a popular expression.(Provided)

“Authentic” Crowned Winning Word of 2023 in American Dictionary

The Merriam-Webster American Dictionary’s 2023 word of the year is “authentic.”

The word has a number of meanings, including “neither false nor imitation”, synonymous with real and actual; and also “true to one’s own personality, spirit or character.”

The dictionary says searches for the word “have increased significantly” in 2023 thanks to “stories and conversations about AI, celebrity culture, identity and social media.”

Celebrities such as singers Lainey Wilson, Sam Smith and Taylor Swift have all made headlines in 2023 with statements about finding their “authentic voice” and “authentic self.”