Macquarie Dictionary names 'cozzie livs' its Word of 2023. Here's what it means

Macquarie Dictionary names 'cozzie livs' its Word of 2023. Here's what it meansShow more

Cozzie livs" — a light-hearted play on the term "cost of living" — has been named the 2023 Word of the Year by Macquarie Dictionary.

After more than a year of rampant price rises and soaring interest rates, it is little wonder the term has struck a chord with Australians.

Amusing names for everyday things were over-represented in this year's winning words and they included "angry water", "rizz", and "bopo".

The Australian dictionary has chosen a Word of the Year since 2006.

What does 'cozzie livs' mean?

Macquarie Dictionary describes "cozzie livs" as a "humorous play on cost of living".

The dictionary goes on to define the term as "the average retail prices of food, clothing, and other necessities paid by a person, family, etc., in order to live at their usual standard".

Where did the term 'cozzie livs' come from?
Many of us have been feeling the pinch for quite some time as we've been required to pay more for most things like utilities, groceries, petrol, rent, mortgages, and basic essentials.

The most commonly cited measure of cost of living is the Consumer Price Index, which represents the prices of a fixed basket of goods and services.

AKA, a lot of the things just mentioned.

The change in price of the basket of goods is known as inflation — and that's what we've all been talking about and hearing about over the past few years.

Hence the popularity of the term cozzie livs.

The Macquarie Dictionary Committee said the term first appeared in the UK. However, it has "resonated soundly with Australia".

"What could be a more Australian approach to a major social and economic problem than to treat it with a bit of humour and informality?" the committee said.

What are the other winners and honourable mentions?
When put to the public, Aussies voted "generative AI" as the People's Choice Word of the Year.

The committee says "generative AI" isn't a humorous construction, but shows that "AI is figuring prominently in our minds this year".

Meanwhile, honourable mentions went to "blue-sky flood" (a flood in low-lying areas caused by water that has made its way from higher ground) and "algospeak" (code words or expressions social media users have adopted to avoid being censored or taken down).

Here are some other phrases that made it to the Word of the Year shortlist:

Angry water (carbonated water)
Bopo (body positivity)
Doof stick (a long pole topped by a placard, decoration, et cetera, used as a location marker for a group of friends at a dance or music festival)
Rizz (charisma)
Scrotox (botox for the skin on your scrotum)

US dictionary Merriam-Webster's 2023 word of the year is "authentic".

The word has a number of meanings including "not false or imitation", a synonym of real and actual; and also "true to one's own personality, spirit, or character".

The dictionary said searches for the word "substantially increased" in 2023 thanks to "stories and conversations about AI, celebrity culture, identity, and social media".

Celebrities such as singers Lainey Wilson, Sam Smith, and Taylor Swift all made headlines in 2023 with statements about seeking their "authentic voice" and "authentic self".