2012 Word of the Year: Green-On-Blue

From a shortlist including brotox , fossil farming , qubit , and fourth age , the Australian National Dictionary Centre, based at ANU, has selected green-on-blue as their 2012 Word of the Year. Centre Director, Amanda Laugesen, said that military conflict has historically generated many new terms, the most famous of which in the Australian lexicon include Anzac and digger. " Green-on-blue , used in a military context, refers to an attack made on one's own side by a force regarded as neutral. It is a term that has gained prominence in Australian and international media due to the ongoing military involvement in Afghanistan," said Laugesen. "While green-on-blue is not exclusively Australian, it has come to have significance in Australia in 2012 due to the number of Australian soldiers who have lost their lives in such attacks. "In these circumstances we felt it appropriate to recognise what has undeniably become a part of our national consciousness, our history and our language, especially amongst younger generations." The other terms were shortlisted based on their increased profile in the Australian social and cultural landscape throughout the year. "While an American scientist theorised that a qubit - a quantum bit or quantum piece of information - might be built, it was a team of Australian engineers who this year made the breakthrough that will lead to the construction of a quantum computer," said Laugesen.