Your Chance to Get Your Favorite Dance Slang Into the Oxford English Dictionary is Here

July 11, 2018

Have you ever referred to your feet as biscuits or your pointe shoes as dead in front of a non-dancer friend or family member and seen a wave of confusion cross their face? Dance, like most activities, is chock-full of words and phrases used only by those in the know. In honor of their 90th anniversary, the Oxford English Dictionary wants to change that. They’ve put out an appeal to gather “hobby words,” and dance is on their list (we know that dance is more than a hobby—try not to take offense).

Rather than technical terms, they’re looking for slang words and phrases that are less likely to have already come to the attention of dictionary editors. Think “bunhead” or “merde,” rather than “pas de chat” or “gargouillade.” To enter, use this easy submission form or propose your ideas on Twitter with the hashtag #hobbywords.