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coolest word of the year
There are however some entirely artificial efforts to tap into the youthful evolution of language. In Germany, for example, the respected ‘Langenscheidt’ dictionary holds an annual competition to find the <anchor>coolest word of the year</anchor> for teenagers. There is a call for public submissions to create a pool of words, then a jury of high school students, YouTube stars, linguists, teachers and journalists choose the winner. This year’s word of the year was voted to be ‘Fly-sein’ which translates, and originates from the English expression ‘being fly’. The decision surprised many observers as it is such an out-of-fashion expression in English. But most of all, it surprised many young people as they had never heard of it – let alone used it.
German teens pick 90s term as 'cool new word of 2016'
German teens pick 90s term as 'cool new word of 2016'

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# German teens pick 90s term as 'cool new word of 2016'

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**[DPA/The Local](/author/dpa-the-local)** \- [\[email protected\]](/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection)

Published: 18 Nov, 2016 CET.Updated: Fri 18 Nov 2016 16:52 CET

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![German teens pick 90s term as 'cool new word of 2016'](https://apiwp.thelocal.com/cdn-cgi/image/format=webp,width=1200,quality=75/https://apiwp.thelocal.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/11fe99d5c79688b4e1aeafc00e0bcc07f4f0bfe55c0fd3f7b4713985ae0841df.jpg)Boy band N'Sync in 1997, back when they were still 'fly'. Photo: DPA.

## Every year Germany's youngsters get to select a word that they dub to be the cool new word of the year. But their pick this year feels like a blast from the past rather than something mum and dad wouldn’t understand.

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Every year Germany’s youngsters get to select a word that they dub to be the cool new word of the year. But their pick this year feels like a blast from the past rather than something mum and dad wouldn’t understand.

Each year since 2008, the Youth Word of the Year contest by dictionary publishers Langenscheidt selects the “hippest” new word coined by German teens. First the public votes on a list of possible contenders and then a jury of high school students, YouTube stars, linguists, teachers and journalists choose the winner.

But English speakers might think this year’s selection was drawn from an old list, perhaps even one written by teens’ parents: “Fly sein”, meaning to be fly, was chosen on Friday by a 20-person jury - using the term popular throughout the 1990s, especially with songs like The Offspring’s Pretty Fly (for a White Guy).

Still, there’s doubt about whether the annual contest ever reflects the words that everyday teens actually use: the term “Fly sein” only received 4.4 percent of the first round of online votes. Meanwhile the term _isso_\- short for _ist so_ and used to agree with or emphasize something - received 20 percent of the vote.

The second contender in the online vote was _Vollpfostenantenne_, literally translating to “dumbass antenna” and used to describe a selfie stick.

But these two terms were ultimately unpopular among the jury members. “Isso”, according to one jury member, wasn’t even, like, that cool.

“My dad also uses it,” explained Isabelle Deckert from broadcaster ProSieben’s tabloid news show Taff.

Another term in the running was _Hopfensmoothie_\- hops smoothie, meaning beer - but the jury felt this could glorify alcohol. And then there was _Tindergarten_\- meaning a collection of online contacts - but choosing this word could be seen as promoting promiscuity.

And “dumbass antenna”?

“No one says dumbass any more,” explained another jury member, 19-year-old Maximilian Knab, who was formerly head of an award-winning student newspaper.

So “Fly sein” was chosen instead, even though jury members like Knab and 18-year-old Julian Prechtl admitted they had never actually used it.

Several teenagers asked by The Local\* about their opinion on the term declined to comment, instead rolling their eyes before resuming their work on something called Snapchat.

Last year’s choice for Youth Word was also said to not actually be a word used by German youth: Smombie, meaning a person who [stares gormlessly at their smartphone like a zombie](https://www.thelocal.de/20151114/are-you-a-smombie-german-youth-word-2016), was used more often to insult teens rather than by teens, some pointed out.

_\*The Local did not actually try to talk to any teenagers. They terrify us._

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