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Actor Tom Holland: No Rizz?

Photograph:

ANGELA WEISS / AFP

In 2022, it was the "turning point", and the decision for this year is still pending: As in Germany, a "Word of the Year" is chosen every year in Great Britain - however, the winning terms in the United Kingdom are often a little more playful and less difficult than in Germany: "Goblin Mode", i.e. goblin mode, was the winning expression in the competition of the renowned book publisher Oxford University Press last year. And this year, too, the choice fell on a pronounced slang word: "Rizz".

What does that mean?

Well, the publisher defines it as a "colloquial noun" that expresses the following: "style, charm, or attractiveness; the ability to attract a love or sexual partner". Etymologically, it is assumed that the term is a shortened form of the word "charisma" – more precisely, the middle of the word, "ris".

And why do people say "Rizz"?

"Rizz is a term that has experienced a boom in social media," the jury wrote in its statement. The term shows how language, which enjoys great popularity in certain social communities, can enter the mainstream. A little less scientific: Young video streamers invented the term. Within this community, »Rizz« was shaped by the Youtube and Twitch streamer Kai Cenat, and the actor Tom Holland, known from »Spiderman«, made it known to a larger circle of people. » I don't have a Rizz, whatever. I have a limited Rizz," he said in an interview. Which, of course, no one believes him.

What other words were there to choose from?

The jury had selected a total of eight words for a public vote, from which more than 30,000 participants selected four finalists – then it was the jury's turn again. The other seven words to choose from are:

  • »Beige Flag«: »A character trait that indicates that a partner or potential partner is boring or lacks originality«

  • "Situationship": "A romantic or sexual relationship that is not considered formal or established"

  • "Prompt": "An instruction given to an artificial intelligence program"

  • "Parasocial": "The term used to describe a relationship that is characterized by a one-sided, unrequited feeling of intimacy" (as viewers feel about series characters or their actors, for example)

  • »Heat dome«: "A Persistent High-Pressure Weather System"

  • »De-influencing«: »The practice of discouraging people from buying certain products«

  • "Swiftie": (You don't have to explain)

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