Plain English Foundation has voted Brangelexit as the worst word or phrase of 2016. The word describes the divorce of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie by combining their celebrity moniker “Brangelina” with the recent “Brexit” vote.
“Brangelexit combines a compound with a compound, creating a rather ugly word,” said Dr. Neil James, Executive Director of Plain English Foundation “More importantly, it captures the shallowness of our current culture when a celebrity separation is elevated to the status of a world event of genuine political importance.”
Dr. James went on to explain that this was a particularly bad year for euphemism. Resurgent white nationalists sounded more respectable as the alt-right movement. Taxes became revenue measures and casinos became integrated resorts. The mass slaughter of greyhounds was callously dubbed wastage.
“For a nation that prides itself on calling a spade a spade,” Dr James said, “it seems that Australia has started to call a spade an articulated portable digging implement.”
Dr. James added that we also heard about cultural externalities. We used to call these books. A local council posted a sign describing falling tree branches as a risk of tree failure. Then the fatal injuries at Dream world were apparently injuries that were incompatible with living.

Other Words from the Worst words 2016 short list:

• Instead of “job cuts” jobs are Disestablished
• Sales slumps are now Temporary volume dislocations
• The Worst Mixed metaphor of the year: Hurtling through quicksand
• The Worst Non-apology of the year: Locker room talk