A living language (part 2) or English is ratchet

Since it's still fair to call it the beginning of a new year I thought it would still be cool (#goals) to post a follow-up to last February's A living language or English on fleek. If "language is forever changing" it's probably fair to say that 2015 saw its fair share of new words see the light of day. 

Here are my top ten:

1. Ratchet: While perhaps best known as a tool (ha!) also referred to as a socket wrench, "ratchet" is also used to describe something that is, like, super cool and awesome. Exhibit A: Nicki Minaj referred to Adele as "mad ratchet" in a tweet in response to her rap of a Monster verse on James Corden's The Late Show's Carpool Karaoke.

mad ratchet indeed

2. Basic: Basic is basically someone or something that is boring and unoriginal. It made it into the dictionary as such, in its slang version, in 2015. Personally, basic really made it on my radar when Kate Moss and Marc Jacobs posted a video of themselves calling out various "basic bitches" for escorting Ms. Moss off a plane.

"calling all the basic bitches"

3. Netflix and chill: While everyone knows what this means I remember a time, not so long ago, when I did not. If you don't I suggest you look it up, just for fun. NSFW.    

4. Squad: A squad is defined as a clique of friends, a gang or crew. The word is most often used in hashtags and in high schools. 

5. Ew: Ew pretty much means what it sounds like it means. It's no bueno. Popularized by Jimmy Fallon in Ew!, I'm pretty sure Paris Hilton and Nicole Ritchie were the first to use it.

"hashpipe like!" 

6. No bueno: Spanish for "no good" (duh!), "no bueno" is part of a larger trend of Spanish words and expressions, like "on fuego," being used for no apparent reason.

7. Slob (or douche) Kabob (or kebob): Popularized by the self-proclaimed queen (of life) Kourtney Kardashian, slob and douche kabob are terms of endearment used for Scott Disick.

8. A variety of phrases from Hotline Bling: Drake's much memed Hotline Bling popularized a variety of phrases, including "you used to call me on my cell phone," "you started wearing less and going out more" and "that can only mean one thing." 

400 million views and counting

9. Sauvage: While Sauvage is not actually used by anyone (yet) I strongly suggest it become Johnny Depp's new name.  Who's in?

Le Sauvage

10. AF: An abbreviation for "as fuck" most often used on social media to reinforce a statement (about oneself, of course). For example:

 Mood AF

Let's go to Paris' I wanna rob

After literally months of waiting I finally did it.

Watch The Bling Ring, I mean. 

The reason I waited so long was not because I enjoy delayed gratification, or cognitive control, but because it never came out in theatres.

In Ottawa or Montreal.

No wonder it bombed. 

From the moment it started, like the fame-obsessed teenagers it portrays, I was hooked.

And the opening song, Crown on the Ground by Sleigh Bells, didn't hurt. Not one bit.

Directed, written and produced by Sofia Coppola and inspired by real-life events chronicled in a Vanity Fair article by Nancy Jo Sales, the movie provides a not so pretty look at the people who crave, and those who have, the pretty things. 

The Bling Ring was a group of seven teenagers, also referred to as the Hollywood Hills Burglar Bunch, who lived in and around the celebrity mothership: Calabasas, California. They were a bunch of fairly wealthy, fairly confused and fairly adderalled teenagers who figured that being infamous was second-best to being famous.

And they had a taste for the finer things in life.

In total, they stole over 3$ million dollars worth of celebrity loot, including designer handbags, shoes and clothes, makeup, perfume and even underwear. Not to mention booze, drugs (hello five grams of coke found at Paris Hilton's crib!) and a gun (Brian Austin Green's).

There favourite "victim" was Paris but they also helped themselves to crap owned by Miranda Kerr, Megan Fox, Rachel Bilson, Lindsay Lohan and Audrina Patridge who was particularly miffed at having to replace her custom-made denim, "jeans made to fit my body to my perfect shape."

Poor her.

Paris allowed The Bling Ring crew to film in her home and I was honestly shocked to see how much stuff she actually has. Rooms and rooms and rooms of stuff. An entire room dedicated to sunglasses. 

It's pretty gross if you ask me. And don't even get me started on the cushions depicting... what or who else?

Herself.

Narcissism 101.

In the end, The Bling Ring provides a fascinating "behind the closets" look at Hollywood's most wanted. It's well written, nicely filmed, and the music rocks.

 
As for the people it portrays... well, they're a pretty sorry bunch. Criminals and victims alike.

The Bling Ring was Rachel Lee, Nick Prugo, Alexis Neiers, Diana Tamayo, Courtney Ames, Johnny Ajar and Roy Lopez Jr.