For years, the Oxford Dictionary Online (ODO) has been making headlines for accepting words that are widely used on the Internet as part of the English vocabulary, thereby officiating these words into the language. Some of these "new words" can only be used within the context of or only on the Internet, while other existing words are now getting a new identity that carry alternate meanings, and hence, uses. The rising use of acronyms and abbreviations have also changed the way we use English.

Today, we are going to look at 20 of these terms and meanings which have created enough of an impact and reputation for themselves to officially end up in the Oxford Dictionary. Also added are the origins of these words. Let us know what you think about these words, and whether you think they deserve a place in the dictionary you probably grew up with.

Recommended Reading: The Stories Behind The Names Of 20 Tech Giants You Know

1. Selfie (2013)

How the dictionary explains it:

selfie: (noun) a photograph that one has taken of oneself, typically one taken with a smartphone or webcam and uploaded to a social media website (Source)

(Image Source: NASA)

Origins: Self-portrait photography has existed for more than a century, but the popularity of selfies has only surged in recent years, when smartphones allow you to take a photograph of yourself easily then upload and share such photographs on your various social media websites.

2. Twerk (2013)

How the dictionary explains it:

twerk: (verb) dance to popular music in a sexually provocative manner involving thrusting hip movements and a low, squatting stance:just wait till they catch their daughters twerking to this song(Source)

Origins: Twerk could had been adapted from the word "work" ("werk"), since dancers are often told to "work it". The extra "t" at the front could have been added to mean twist or twitch.

3. Phablet (2013)

How the dictionary explains it:

phablet: (noun) a smartphone having a screen which is intermediate in size between that of a typical smartphone and a tablet computer (Source)

Origins: A phablet refers to something between a smartphone and a tablet, characterised by the screen size of between 5 and 7 inches (See Samsung Galaxy Note). Although the first phone-tablet hybrid is arguably the AT&T EO 440 from 1993, the term "phablet" was only introduced in the 2010s.

4. Derp (2013)

How the dictionary explains it:

derp: (exclamation) used as a substitute for speech regarded as meaningless or stupid, or to comment on a foolish or stupid action. (Source)

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Origins: The word "derp" was first uttered by South Park co-creator, Matt Stone who starred as himself in the comedy film, BASEketball in 1998. The South Park episode "The Succubus" also featured a character, Mr. Derp who goes around shouting "Derp!" every time he makes a fool of himself.

These days, Derp is often used as placeholder for a character or an act (derping) that is not crucial to the story-telling, primarily in rage comics. Derp has plenty of facial expressions to depict the state of emotion the character has. Derp has a female counterpart named Derpina.

Read Also: Make Your Own Meme! 20 Meme-Making IPhone Apps

5. Unlike (2013)

How the dictionary explains it:

unlike: (verb) withdraw one"s liking or approval of (a web page or posting on a social media website that one has previously liked) (Source)

Origins: The "like" button in Facebook has created a new meaning to the already existing word "unlike". The button is already available on other social networking sites, Internet forums and websites, even before Facebook incorporated it, but there"s no doubt that Facebook was the one that promoted the feature to the world – so much so that most people who use the Internet now know what it means to "unlike" something which they had "like"d before.

6. Srsly (2013)

How the dictionary explains it:

srsly: (adverb) short for seriously (Source)

Origins: Due to the 160-char limitation imposed on text messages, and the 140-char limit imposed on microblogging sites, "seriously" had its vowels removed, giving us "srsly". Today, despite the removal of such limitations with instant messaging services like WhatsApp and WeChat, the word still stuck because there were fewer letters to type out. Fun fact: it existed in the late 18th century in some manual on shorthand writing!

7. Tweet (2013)

How the dictionary explains it:

tweet: (noun) a posting made on the social media website Twitter (Source)

Origins: The Oxford English Dictionary officially included the "tweet" in June, bypassing their requirement for new words (and meanings) to be in use for a minimum of 10 years before they can even enter the dictionary. Still, the incredible fifty-fold jump of the usage of the word "tweet" from 2006 to 2012 seems to justify breaking that rule, no?

Read Also: 20 Twitter Accounts You Should Follow For A LMAO Good Time

8. TL;DR (2013)

How the dictionary explains it:

tl;dr: (acronym) short for "Too long; Didn’t read" (Source)

Origins: As with all things on the Internet, it is a sin to ramble on and on and on as the attention span of its users are fleeting at best. "tl; dr" is commonly used in online discussion forums to indicate that the post is just too wordy. True to its word, or letters, the phrase "too long; didn’t read" itself is shortened to a mere four letters.

9. FOMO (2013)

How the dictionary explains it:

FOMO: (noun) anxiety that an exciting or interesting event may currently be happening elsewhere, often aroused by posts seen on a social media website (Source)

Origins: Nobody seems to know who first mouthed this acronym, but there’s no denying that the fear of missing out has been around even before online social networking was here – we simply called it "keeping up with the Joneses".

10. GIF (2012)

How the dictionary explains it:

GIF: (verb) a lossless format for image files that supports both animated and static images (Source)

Origins: Word of the year for 2012, GIF, which stands for Graphics Interchange Format, showcases animated images that go round in loops. GIF was created by Steve Wilhite at CompuServe in 1987 but it was only recently, and after years of debate, that the creator confirmed the pronunciation as "jif".

11. Photobomb (2012)

How the dictionary explains it:

photobomb: (verb) spoil a photograph of (a person or thing) by unexpectedly appearing in the camera’s field of view as the picture is taken, typically as a prank or practical joke (Source)

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Origins: Photobombing had its roots back when The Beatles were the biggest thing on the planet (circa 1970s). However, when photography did the transition from analog to digital, coupled with the proliferation of uploaded photos to photo-sharing sites online, photobombing has since become a tradition.

12. woot (2012)

How the dictionary explains it:

woot: (exclamation) (especially in electronic communication) used to express elation, enthusiasm, or triumph (Source)

Origins: Normally spelled w00t, with two zeros, the exclamation is popular in forums and among gamers. There are many theories related to its origin, but none can lay claim to be the true original. Find out what the prevalent theories are in a relatively serious attemp to identify its roots, here.

13. Inbox (2012)

How the dictionary explains it:

inbox: (verb) send a private message or an email to (someone, typically another member of a social networking website or Internet message board)(Source)

Origins: If you think that inbox existed back when emails were ganing popularity, you would be half right. Back then, however, it was more of a noun than a verb. As of 2012 though, the word can also be referred to as a verb as well. "Inbox me" is essentially a "send me a private message" request, althougth we now have an even shorter version for that: PM.

14. Sext (2011)

How the dictionary explains it:

sext: (verb) send (someone) sexually explicit photographs or messages via mobile phone (Source)

Origins: A combination of the word "sex" and "texting", the idea of sending lewd messages or photos via mobile phones took flight when MMS overtook SMS as the way to communicate through mobile.

15. OMG (2011)

How the dictionary explains it:

OMG: (exclamation) used to express surprise, excitement, disbelief, etc. (verb) (Source)

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Origins: Short for "Oh my god" / "Oh my goodness" / "Oh my gosh", the popular abbreviation "OMG" was recorded in history in a letter of correspondence from ex-admiral John Fisher to former UK Prime Minister, Sir Winston Churchill, back in 1917. Today, it is used heavily when expressing surprise, along with a handful of variations: omfg, zomg, and a lisp version ehmargerd.

16. LOL (2011)

How the dictionary explains it:

LOL: laughing out loud; laugh out loud (used chiefly in electronic communication to draw attention to a joke or amusing statement, or to express amusement) (abbreviation) (Source)

Origins: Heavily used during the early years of the Internet (early 1990s), LOL compensated for the ambiguity of textual communication. Used in a fashion familiar to emoticons, now it has inserted itself into daily conversations via text in emails, chat groups, text messaging and social networking sites.

17. Noob (2009)

How the dictionary explains it:

noob: (noun) a person who is inexperienced in a particular sphere or activity, especially computing or the use of the Internet (Source)

Origins: Normally spelled as "n00b" with two zeros, the word came from "newb" or "newbie" which refers to someone who is just starting out in the use of the Net. Fun fact, it almost became the millionth word of he English language in 2009, a title that went to "Web 2.0" instead.

18. Hashtag (2009)

How the dictionary explains it:

hashtag: (noun) a word or phrase preceded by a hash sign (#), used on social media sites such as Twitter to identify messages on a specific topic (Source)

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Origins: Although the hashtag is not invented online, it has certainly been redefined for use, online. Many sources have pointed to open-source advocate Chris Messina (aka "FactoryJoe") who started the ball rolling by suggesting the use of hashtag in a simple tweet.

19. Unfriend (2009)

How the dictionary explains it:

unfriend: (verb) remove (someone) from a list of friends or contacts on a social networking website (Source)

Origins: Like the word "unlike", "unfriend" is the opposite of "friend"-ing someone, where you’d add someone to your list of contacts or social network friends. Unlike the word "unlike" however, "unfriend" was crowned word of the year back in 2009, the year Facebook was expanding exponentially.

20. Troll (2006)

How the dictionary explains it:

troll: (verb) make a deliberately offensive or provocative online posting with the aim of upsetting someone or eliciting an angry response from them (Source)

Origins: Trolls were used to describe ugly dwarfs or giants back in the 1600s, but in modern English describes a method of fishing where one carefully drags a fishing line with a baited hook through the water to lure his catch. In many ways, this is similar to how some people online provoke or aggravate others via offensive or irrelevant postings, in an attempt to evoke an emotional response. Ever since, the word "troll" is used to describe the act of trying to wreak havoc in online discussions.

Editor’s note: This is a contributed post by Felix Diaconu, aka Anghelaht, a former economist turned freelance logo designer on the graphic design marketplace DesignCrowd.com.

Typography, the art of using letters to build a picture, offers a range of design possibilities limited only by one’s creativity. Therefore, it shouldn’t be a surprise that typography is a key element of many logo designs we see today – just think of Coca-Cola’s instantly memorable serif typeface.

It’s not just Coca-Cola though. Many companies have built their identities with typographic logo designs, exploiting the characteristics of the medium to great effect. Many of today’s companies have adopted vintage typographic logos to convey qualities like elegance, romance and beauty in a retroactive form.

In this post, we are featuring a collection of 33 vintage typographic logos that showcase a range of creative design ideas. We hope that you’ll be able to draw some inspiration from them for your own vintage logo design.

Recommended Reading: 40 Classy Uses of Monogram Logos

inn vintage

kansei

HOOK & IRONS CO

Laura Zacarias

The Perfect Scoop

Jeremy Charme

Blink Chocolate

Decore

Retro Babe

Irish Pub

Musikey

Martino

Brooklyn Taco

Bayside Buoy

Cavalier

The Secret Attic

Pasaka ne foto

Fame

Friendly Gents

Banh Ngon

Snow Cave II

Venusto

Coffee Legacy Roasters

The Baggery

Rumpali

Lloyd’s Automotive

The Barrel Brothers

Vintage Industrial

Operation Internship

Eloana Baldo

Twenty Two

Atelier Luu

Selma

These days, you can have music on the go, made possible by online radios and live streaming. Alternatively, you can also move your music onto cloud-based lockers such as those provided by Google, Apple or Amazon

But if you aren’t keen on relying on the cloud for music, yet still want access to your entire library on all your devices, you should check out OnAir Player.

OnAir Player is a music player that gives you access to all the music files on all your devices. As long as the player is installed on your devices, and these devices are connected to the Internet, you’ll be able to access and listen to your entire music library using any one of your devices.

Recommended Reading: 10 Premium Android Music Players – Best Of

Compatible Devices

OnAir Player supports a number of platforms: Android, PC, Mac, Linux, Amazon Kindle Fire, Google TV and OUYA. The official website has a handy list of links to OnAir Player installers for most devices, although the Ouya and Kindle Fire versions have to be downloaded from their respective app stores.

OnAir Player also supports DLNA, so any internet-enabled TVs with support for DLNA will be detected by OnAir Player without the need for a native app.

Getting Started With OnAir Player

To use OnAir Player, you first have to install the app on each of the devices you wish to stream to or from.

Upon starting OnAir Player for the first time, you’ll be taken to a login screen. You can log in using your Facebook or Google accounts, or create a new OnAir Player account.

Once registered, you’ll be taken to the main music view. To start off, you’ll be asked to locate music on the device you’re using. On phones and tablets, this should happen automatically provided your music is stored in the default "Music" folder. On desktop however, you will need to add music to the library yourself.

To do this, click the Locate music link, then navigate to the folder your music is stored in. If you want to add any music in the future, click Settings > Add Music, and navigate to the files you wish to add.

To add music stored onto your other devices to the OnAir library, simply start the OnAir Player app on any device and log in using your account. All music stored on that device should appear in your OnAir Player library and be accessible on your other devices shortly after logging in.

Using OnAir Player

There is a blue Stream To button in the lower right which will open a pop-up menu to select which device(s) the music will be streamed to. You can also change the volume for each device. Be aware that these devices will not play exactly in sync, though.

This option also allows you to use your Android device to control and play music on your desktop, and vice versa.

OnAir Player has playlist support. You can create playlists by adding songs to them, or add songs to a playback queue. You can also mark songs as favorites.

Songs can be sorted via artist, album, song title and song length and favorites.

There’s also a search function, especially useful for users with large music libraries. OnAir Player also lets you manage all your connected devices, although this extends only to renaming and selecting icons for the devices.

Limitations

Like all software, OnAir Player is not without its limitations. Firstly, there’s no iOS version since OnAir Player runs on Java (it may also be slightly laggy). You can access OnAir Player via a web interface on iOS, but this means that you won’t be able to access the music files stored locally on your iPhone or iPad.

Despite giving you access to your local music files from any device, OnAir player is a very basic music player. It doesn’t even read track number information from the files, so songs are sorted alphabetically. It also lacks features such as a graphic equalizer and has no real customization options.

Conclusion

Despite its limitations, OnAir Player is definitely an interesting music player that brings something new to the table. By allowing you to access your music files anywhere and on any device, OnAir Player has made music truly portable. If you have a lot of music files and are tired of maintaining separate libraries for each of your devices, give OnAir Player a try.

We’re already at an age where we can monitor our health, our fuel consumption and our children’s whereabouts all with a smartphone. Today we are going to feature a gadget that can help you monitor your home electronics and appliances.

Smart Power Strip is a device that allows you to switch any of your plugged electrical appliances on and off anytime, anywhere using your smartphone. It also monitors electricity consumpton to let you know which of your appliances are draining energy faster than the rest, and perhaps give you reason to find a more eco-friendly alternative.

Recommended Reading: 20 Gadgets That Make Your Smartphone Even Smarter

How Does It Work?

Smart Power Strip is essentially a power strip that can be controlled with your iOS or Android smartphone. Just plug in your devices into the Smart Power Strip and you can then remotely turn your devices, appliances or electronics on or off even when you are not home.

Apart from letting you turn off devices from the comfort of your sofa or bed, it is also a handy setup that can help you switch off your devices from work. All it takes is an Internet connection and just a tap on the virtual switch on your phone. You will also be notified when an appliance is turn on or off.

Set A Timer

With Smart Power Strip, you can even set a timer for when an appliance is to be switched off. This will be handy for when you want the heater to be on before you get home from work, or if you are going away on holiday or business for the while, and want to leave an impression that someone is home (and it is also a great ultimatum to those "I want to watch TV, dad" debates).

Smart Power Strip also gives you clear information on the electricity consumption of all your electrical appliances, so you will know when it is time to replace a faulty or energy-draining appliance.

Smart Devices

The team behind Smart Power Strip is also hoping to develop Smart Devices, which come in the form of motion detectors and temperature, door and smoke sensors that, when triggered, will send notifications to your smartphone or trigger a smart socket (turn something on or off).

Availability

Smart Power Strip is still available at an early bird price of $99 on Kickstarter with free shipping within the US, and a $30 fee to ship outside the US. Delivery is estimated to be at April 2014. The device will retail at $199.

As a reminder, do try to ensure that the plug works with your appliances in your country before ordering one. The team also produces Smart Power Strips for use in the UK, EU, and AU and will probably replenish their already depleted stock if there is demand.