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This blog is about the fascinating, fun, and challenging things about the English language. I hope to entertain you and to help you with problems or just questions you might have with spelling and usage. I go beyond just stating what is right and what is wrong, and provide some history or some tips to help you remember. Is something puzzling you? Feel free to email me at wordlady.barber@gmail.com.
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Friday, June 17, 2016

The birth of the word "fashionista"

I remember seeing evidence of "fashionista" when we were editing the letter F of the first edition of the Canadian Oxford Dictionary, in about 1995, but not enough for it to make the cut for the dictionary. But by 2002 when we were editing the 2nd edition, there was plenty of evidence, so in it went. In fact, I often use this particular word as an example of how words make it into dictionaries. 
Here's the story of how the word came to  be (thanks to Word Spy for the link). 
http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2013/04/i-apologize-for-inventing-the-word-fashionista-20-years-ago/275048/

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About Me

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Canada's Word Lady, Katherine Barber is an expert on the English language and a frequent guest on radio and television. She was Editor-in-Chief of the Canadian Oxford Dictionary. Her witty and informative talks on the stories behind our words are very popular. Contact her at wordlady.barber@gmail.com to book her for speaking engagements; she can tailor her talks to almost any subject. She is also available as an expert witness for lawsuits.