`Gangnam Style` makes `Words of 2012` list in US

Rapper Psy’s monster hit "Gangnam Style" has been picked as one of this year’s most popular words by a leading lexicon publisher in the U.S.

Grant Barrett, a publisher with the American Dialect Society, contributed the Op-Ed piece “Words of 2012” to the New York Times on Sunday, mentioning words that were widely used in social network sites and by Americans and newly coined and compound words.

Many of the words were related to politics due to the U.S. presidential election last month. “47 percent” was the percentage of people who do not pay taxes and depend on government assistance, and was referred to by Mitt Romney, the failed Republican presidential candidate, in a closed meeting with his supporters in April. He spoke ill of them by saying, "They will vote for this president no matter what…These are people who pay no income taxpeople,” only to face a strong backlash after Romney`s comments were seen as despising low-income people.

“Binders full of women” are also words that Romney used to highlight his efforts to hire women by looking into binders full of women’s resumes in the second TV presidential debate. This also incited criticism because it made look as if he knew so few eligible women that others had to find them for him.

"Eastwooding" means “acting like Clint Eastwood.” The word grew popular in U.S. politics after the veteran actor and movie director ridiculed President Obama as incompetent in the Republican convention as a surprise presenter by talking to an empty chair as if Obama was sitting there.

YOLO is the acronym for "You only live once" and used as an interjection when someone is considering doing something risky. Also included on the Words of 2012 list was the compound word “DOGA,” or “Yoga with a dog.”