Words That Shaped Last Week: 'Newsweek,' 'Binders Full of Women,' and 'Doping'

For your edification, a look back at the phrases, nouns, and neologisms that have, for better or for worse, shaped the week's national discourse.
This post was published on the now-closed HuffPost Contributor platform. Contributors control their own work and posted freely to our site. If you need to flag this entry as abusive, send us an email.
A copy of Newsweek is seen at Joe's Smoke, Thursday, Oct. 18, 2012, in Portland, Maine. Newsweek announced Thursday, Oct. 18, 2012 that it will end its print publication after 80 years and shift to an all-digital format in early 2013. Its last U.S. print edition will be its Dec. 31 issue. The paper version of Newsweek is the latest casualty of a changing world where readers get more of their information from websites, tablets and smartphones. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
A copy of Newsweek is seen at Joe's Smoke, Thursday, Oct. 18, 2012, in Portland, Maine. Newsweek announced Thursday, Oct. 18, 2012 that it will end its print publication after 80 years and shift to an all-digital format in early 2013. Its last U.S. print edition will be its Dec. 31 issue. The paper version of Newsweek is the latest casualty of a changing world where readers get more of their information from websites, tablets and smartphones. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

By Juli Weiner, Vanity Fair

2012-09-24-WordsThatShapedtheWeekiPhone547PercentandRobsten.jpeg

For your edification, a look back at the phrases, nouns, and neologisms that have, for better or for worse, shaped the week's national discourse.

Binders full of women [bind-urz ful ov wim-in], noun: Mitt Romney's unforgettable, meme-ready solution to gender inequity in the workforce.

Romnesia [rom-nee-zhuh], noun: See "fetch."

Doping [doh-ping], noun: One illegal and immoral activity that will, at least in the case of cyclist Lance Armstrong, result in the termination of a Nike endorsement contract, and, probably, a lot of unfunny yellow bracelet jokes.

Newsweek [nooz-week], noun: The Tina Brown-edited current-events weekly whose recent cover strategy of randomized, mass provocation did not, in the end, stave off a move to online-only.

Fucking [fuhk-ng], noun: The most memorable thing Tom Hanks said on his Good Morning America interview.

Punch [punch], verb: To strike with one's hand with intention to cause pain; what Tagg Romney would like to do to President Obama; what Tagg Romney has previously, allegedly pretty wimpily, done to Josh Romney.

Timbielake [tim-beel-layk], noun: The collective term we are pretty sure we just made up for Jessica Biel and Justin Timberlake, two genetically gifted, fabulously wealthy, and now-married entertainers who managed to find each other in this crazy world.

Oscar [os-kur], noun: An award that does not appeal much to The Master actor and erstwhile documentarian Joaquin Phoenix.

Hawaii [huh-y-ee], noun: The mysterious location of some Mad Men Season Six shooting! Aloha, Megan! But aloha-goodbye or aloha-hello?

Popular in the Community

Close

What's Hot