Jessica Bennett, “At the Super Bowl of Linguistics, May the Best Word Win” (New York Times, Jan. 18, 2015)
The rules for WOTY selection are simple: Anyone, including the public, can participate. Words can be nominated from the floor (perhaps the only time you’ll see a linguist shout). And the terms should be “newish,” said Ben Zimmer, the chairman of the new words committee and the event’s M.C. Though the contest is called, yes, word of the year, multiword expressions are allowed (to the chagrin of some purists).
Read the rest here.