'Brazilian wax' officially recognised among new words

Adam   Wed Aug 30, 2006 5:27 pm GMT
'Brazilian wax' officially recognised among new dictionary words
By DAVID WILKES

29th August 2006




Victoria Beckham is not a name that usually springs to mind when considering those who have made a lasting contribution to the English language.

But now it seems all those hours and all that money she has spent pampering herself with beauty treatments may actually have resulted in one small contribution to the development of our vocabulary.

For 'Brazilian wax', her favourite bikini line treatment, is among 500 new words and phrases included in the latest edition of the Chambers Dictionary, it was revealed yesterday.

Other celebrities like Penny Lancaster, Demi Moore and Gwyneth Paltrow are also said to swear by the eye-watering procedure, which leaves only a thin column of hair down the centre of the bikini area.

But it is the former Spice Girl who is believed to have done the most to help make 'Brazilian' part of our everyday language, according to the experts behind the 10th edition of the esteemed dictionary.

Mrs Beckham, who once infamously said she had never read a book in her life despite having written an autobiography, first revealed she loves Brazilian waxes three years ago.

'I love Brazilians. They ought to be compulsory at 15, don't you think?' she blurted out during a magazine interview.

Having a 'Brazilian' has now become such a commonly used phrase that the dictionary's compilers, who scan a huge database that monitors the latest words and meanings to arrive in the English language, deemed it warranted inclusion in the new edition.

Previous editions defined Brazilian wax as the yellowish wax obtained from the carnauba tree, but now a new definition has been included to refer to the bikini-line hair-removing technique.

The trendy waxes are called Brazilians because of their popularity in the South American country where the skimpiest bikinis are de rigeur on the beach.

Two other words which might often be associated with footballers' wives such as Mrs Beckham, whose husband is the former England captain David, are also included in the dictionary for the first time.

'Permatan' is defined as a complexion that appears to remain unnaturally bronzed throughout the year, while 'tit tape' is double-sided adhesive tape used to secure the position of the breasts so that a revealing outfit does not reveal everything.

Rather less glamorously, 'muffin top', meaning a roll of fatty flesh that spills out over the top of a pair of low-cut trousers, makes its debut, as does 'salad dodger', meaning a person with an unhealthy diet.

Neither of those, of course, could be applied to slim Mrs Beckham. Nor could another new entry 'bingo wing' - a flap of loose skin that hangs down from the upper arm, so called because it is often displayed by people raising a hand to claim victory in bingo.

Other words included for the first time in the latest edition, which is due out next month, include ASBO, hoody, Sudoku, blog and bird flu.

'Chugger', defined as a charity worker who approaches people on the street in an attempt to solicit regular donations, also makes its debut. It is an amalgamation of 'charity' and 'mugger'.

Another new entry is 'dooce', meaning to dismiss an employee as a result of unguarded remarks published on the internet. The expression originates from American housewife Heather Armstrong, who lost her job because her website, dooce.com, was none too kind about her former employer.


dailymail.co.uk
Viscount de l'Isle   Wed Aug 30, 2006 7:39 pm GMT
<<'I love Brazilians. They ought to be compulsory at 15, don't you think?' she blurted out during a magazine interview.>>

Not surprising to see that Vctoria Beckham supports the idea that a certain feature of a woman's body (genital hair!!!) is so gross that it ought to be removed as soon as it appears!

Strange that so many women by waxing acknowledge that they were not created 100 % perfect.
Elaine   Wed Aug 30, 2006 7:54 pm GMT
They're actually giving Victoria Beckham credit for introducing (or popularizing) the term "Brazilian wax" into the English language?? LOL! What about us unfortunate souls don't ever hear or read about Ms. Beckham (let alone know who she is) yet have been using this term for some time? It's even in Webster's New Millennium Dictionary for a few years now.

<<Not surprising to see that Vctoria Beckham supports the idea that a certain feature of a woman's body (genital hair!!!) is so gross that it ought to be removed as soon as it appears!

Strange that so many women by waxing acknowledge that they were not created 100 % perfect.>>

Pubic hair on a woman isn't gross per se, but how do you suppose a girl can pull off wearing a string bikini w/o offending?

BTW, don't you all forget to stop by Langcafe 2 when you get a chance
http://langcafe2.myfreeforum.org/index.php
Guest   Wed Aug 30, 2006 8:37 pm GMT
>> Strange that so many women by waxing acknowledge that they were not created 100 % perfect. <<

They were created perfect, and they want to return to perfection by waxing. :-)
Viscount de l'Isle   Thu Aug 31, 2006 1:55 pm GMT
Guest:
True! They are just asking for pedophilia!
Uriel   Sun Sep 03, 2006 9:48 am GMT
Oh, sometimes you gotta trim the hedges, you know.

We shave our legs and our armpits as well, and if I had my way, men would be waxed from the neck down.

Sometimes perfection takes effort to perfect....

And as far as Ms. Beckham being solely responsible for the popularity of the term "Brazilian", whatever....
Guest   Sun Sep 03, 2006 11:56 am GMT
Trimming the hedges is fine but a Brazilian is a complete massacre. Respect the muff and you'll stick the landings on your dives. Leave the bald beaver bunkhunts to David and his prepubescent mates.
Uriel   Sun Sep 03, 2006 12:18 pm GMT
Hey, the Brazilian leaves a little mohawk. You'll still have a landing strip to point the way.
Guest   Sun Sep 03, 2006 1:04 pm GMT
You're kidding... it's minuscule or nonexistent these days.
Uriel   Mon Sep 04, 2006 3:50 am GMT
Maybe so. I've never actually paid to have the hair ripped from my crotch -- soap, water, and a razor works fine for me, and I just do basic maintenance -- you know, a little border check, try to keep those right-of-ways mowed and respectable for public viewing.
Tiffany   Mon Sep 04, 2006 4:50 am GMT
My Uriel! What public do you speak of?! I'm scandalized! ;)
Uriel   Mon Sep 04, 2006 5:48 am GMT
Well, I was back to the bathing suit thing, but I see your mind is elsewhere ... and I like that about you, Tiffany!
Guest   Mon Sep 04, 2006 8:26 am GMT
Where can one get a public viewing?