2007 Word of the Year: Locavore

The New Oxford American Dictionary has just picked their 2007 Word of the Year: it's locavore!

The past year saw the popularization of a trend in using locally grown ingredients, taking advantage of seasonally available foodstuffs that can be bought and prepared without the need for extra preservatives.

The “locavore” movement encourages consumers to buy from farmers’ markets or even to grow or pick their own food, arguing that fresh, local products are more nutritious and taste better. Locavores also shun supermarket offerings as an environmentally friendly measure, since shipping food over long distances often requires more fuel for transportation.

“The word ‘locavore’ shows how food-lovers can enjoy what they eat while still appreciating the impact they have on the environment,” said Ben Zimmer, editor for American dictionaries at Oxford University Press. “It’s significant in that it brings together eating and ecology in a new way.”

Congrats to Jen Maiser, Jessica Prentice, Sage Van Wing, and DeDe Sampson (pic above) of Locavores!

Links: OUPblog, where you can read the runners-up words | Locavores website - Thanks Purdy and Rebecca!


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Newest 5 Comments

Please will you people get a life !It's about getting good tasting fresh ,FRESH,food locally ,like we used to do .What is wrong with that ? I remember the (OLDEN)days ,when food was fresh DAILY ,it was simply FANTASTIC !I would love to have food like that again !!!
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@Weekly: Yea.. sorry.. I feel almost as ridiculous as Hillary should for switching my position so quickly.. But I didn't mean to come off so nastily. It just drives me nuts when people use quotes from the Bible to support their position because it's not a legitimate source. I had to sit through a debate in one of my classes where one of the guys used the Bible as their main argument against gay marriage.. I about jumped out of my seat. But I digress from this apology..

I don't think these peoples' "movement" could be comparable to a religion because they're not really praising anything. It think if you use the same line of logic, any movement in our country's history could be considered religious, but they weren't. It's just another way to bring people together and bring about awareness. It's much harder to voice your opinion when you're in the minority because the majority is supported more. Kudos to them, and thanks for not being an ass-hole back to me. [5 respect points]
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I agree with Weakly. Holly, you're jumping to conclusions and trying to beat Weakly up because a biblical quote was used. That shows you're not really paying attention to the point, and just looking for something to put down.

I've never heard of a locavore before, Sounds like someone who eats locusts, which would be good, too.

Alex's description makes me wonder if the group does have orthodox eating rituals like a religion or cult. Sounds like the Vegans almost.

It's like the South Park episode where everybody buys an electric car, and create a huge cloud of Smug. They start loving the smell of their own farts. I wonder if the smell of farts from local foods smells any nicer.

You can choose to eat local, or organic, or vegeterian, or healthier food if you want. I just don't see why they need a whole "movement", except maybe to make themselves feel superior.

As for choosing this word, that's just the dictionary trying to appear socially responsible.
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We were talking in my history class about the lack of a term for a woman who's lost a child. We have widow, orphan...

I vote making up a word for 2008.
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