Betting Guide For the Word of the Year 2020
There are plenty of fun activities to take part in if you like the occasional flutter. Many people enjoy the games you can play at an online casino where there is anything from slot machines to traditional casino games, like roulette, on offer. In normal times, betting on sporting events is also a favourite way to enjoy a bit of a gamble. However, some people have been looking at alternatives to the usual bets they would make and gambling on anything from TV shows to hot dog eating contests is now quite commonplace.
A typical New Zealand online casino offers plenty of opportunities to make bets but if you are looking for something that offers a true break from the norm, then how about betting on what will be named as the Word of the Year in 2020? You may never have even heard of this award but there is quite a buoyant betting market around the world involving it. Read on to find out more about this quirky way to enjoy a bet with a difference.
What Is the Word of the Year?
To begin with, the Word of the Year – also known as WoTY – is an annual award that is made in the final weeks of any particular year. The award is made by the American dictionary publishing company, Merriam-Webster, which is well-known throughout the English-speaking world. Merriam-Webster began naming its chosen word of the year in 2003 which was determined from the number of hits its website had from people looking up particular words. It listed the top ten from this data and, back in 2003, the word 'democracy' was the winner with 'quagmire' and 'quarantine' in second and third place respectively.
The way in which Merriam-Webster has determined which words have defined a given calendar year has changed, however. If you are thinking about placing a bet in an online casino on the word or words that most people are looking up on its website, then you should know that since 2006, the top ten has been worked out according to a poll. Visitors to the dictionary company's website still make the initial suggestions as to what might be on the list. However, an online poll is then used to determine the final ten and in which order they appear. As such, the award is about what happens to be current in a given year as well as what is most popular among the site's visitors. Well, popular might not be the right word, but it is a poll, after all. Perhaps we should say what word or words people think is most noteworthy instead.
Bear in mind, too, that there are other similar awards that are made. In the US, the American Dialect Society has been naming its word of the year since 1991. This is worked out according to a poll of linguists, not the public, however. In the past, words like, 'hashtag', 'app', 'tweet' and 'fake news' have all topped its poll. In the UK, the Oxford University Press also has a similar award which has been running since 2004. In recent years, 'climate emergency', 'youthquake' and 'vape' have all won. Nevertheless, the betting market tends to focus on the Merriam-Webster announcement. If you want to place a bet on the Word of the Year in an NZ casino, then you will probably only find bookmakers offering odds on this particular variant. You can place a wager now but remember that the Word of the Year 2020 won't be named until late December.
Which Words Are Favourites for the Word of the Year in 2020?
Bookmakers are already offering odds on what they think will be named as Word of the Year at the end of 2020. You probably won't be surprised to learn that the favourite to top the poll this year is 'Covid-19'. That said, this is looking at it from the perspective of today. By October, maybe the name of the treatment for the virus – as yet uncoined – will be on everyone's lips? The next one that the bookmakers think will be a likely winner is 'coronavirus', a word that few people had heard of until January. Other words that are among the favourites are, 'social distancing', 'pandemic' and 'self-quarantine'.
However, not all of the words that are on the list that bookies, such as online casinos in New Zealand, are taking bets on relate directly to the global pandemic. 'Zoom' makes the list, too, presumably because of the software brand which so many people are using these days for video conferencing. 'Amazon.com' is also on the list as is 'Fortnite', another brand name. Other words that might be worth considering before placing your bet are 'climate strike', 'election', 'vaccine' and 'unfactual'. Remember that the odds may change on these words – many of which are longer shots – as and when they come into more usage over the course of the year.
What Can You Learn From Previous Words?
In fairness, 2020 has been an exceptional year so far. Nevertheless, previous winners of the Merriam-Webster Word of the Year may help you to make your mind up about how the people who respond to the poll think. In 2019, the word 'they' won, a reference to the non-binary use of pronouns around the world but especially in the United States. 'Quid Pro Quo' and 'impeach' were also high on the list. These words had great currency in the US last year, too, in reference to investigations into the President. 'Justice', 'feminism', 'surreal' and 'culture' have all taken the top slot in the last few years, as well, so there is a fair spread of different words that might win this year based on recent history.