Gilligan: 2022 a year of gaslighting, goblin mode

“It’s a word that has risen so quickly in the English language, and especially in the last four years, that it actually came as a surprise to me and to many of us,” said Peter Sokolowski, Merriam-Webster’s editor at large, in an interview with The Associated Press.

“It was a word looked up frequently every single day of the year,” he said.

Merriam-Webster’s top definition for gaslighting is the psychological manipulation of a person, usually over an extended period of time, that “causes the victim to question the validity of their own thoughts, perception of reality or memories and typically leads to confusion, loss of confidence and self-esteem, uncertainty of one’s emotional or mental stability, and a dependency on the perpetrator.”

I don’t think I looked up gaslighting in 2022, but I’m sure I looked it up in at some point in the past few years. I was somewhat aware of the word, mainly because of the 1944 movie, “Gaslight,” (which is also a play) where the guy manipulates his wife into thinking she’s crazy so he can institutionalize her and steal her inheritance. But it has been bandied about in the lexicon so frequently in the past few years, I recall having to confirm its meaning. It was often hard to tell from context clues because usually it is just mentioned in a simple statement, “That’s gaslighting.”

Oxford picks its own word of the year, and this year, officials there chose three and let the public vote on them. Their three picks were “metaverse,” “#IStandWith” and “goblin mode” (and yes, I wrote that sentence without the Oxford comma just to make them cringe). And if you’re wondering what goblin mode means, so was I. Oxford defines it this way: “The idea of rejecting societal expectations put upon us, in favour of doing whatever one wants to.” Can you hear my eyes rolling? Kind of all these Oxford options make me roll my eyes. You and your U in favor, you UK jokesters.

Speaking of words, I learned a new one the other day. Or rather, a variation of an old one. Do you know the difference between a manikin and a mannequin? (Other than that the spelling of one looks like a kindergartner made it up.) According to the dictionary and to AP Style, a manikin is the spelling for “an anatomical model of the human body, usually with movable and detachable parts, used in medical schools, art classes, etc.” and a mannequin is “a model of the human body used by tailors, window dressers, artists, etc.”

So I guess if an artist is using a model of the human body, how you spell the word depends on how anatomically correct the body is. You can insert your own jokes here.

Speaking of words, since I know you are words people, make sure to check out the TH book sale coming up on Thursday, Dec. 8.

If Black Friday and Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday were all a little much for you, we’ve got some gifts for you right here at the TH. Stop by or go online and check out our one-day sale featuring 70% off most books (excluding the most recent ones).

For example, you can get my latest collection of columns, “I’ve Got 4 Teenagers, You Can’t Scare Me,” for just $5 — and it even fits in a stocking.

Lobby hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The discount online is all day until midnight at TelegraphHerald.com/store.

Other bargain books include “Dubuque, the Birthplace of Iowa Vols. IV and V,” Dave Kettering’s “A Thousand Words” and many other books of local interest.

Shop local this holiday season, and give the gift of local books.