WAGS man-bag dictionary place

THE words 'WAG' and 'dictionary' are not often included in the same sentence - until now.

The word WAG - meaning the Wives and Girlfriends of football players - is just one of hundreds of words which have made it into the Collins English Dictionary’s 9th edition.

And the inclusion of words such as 'hoodie', 'carbon footprint' and 'muffin top' - referring to the amount of flesh spilling over the waistline - provides a snapshot of our changing world.

The obsession with health has led to the inclusion of words such as “brainfood” - or foods containing nutrients thought to help brain function - and 'man flu', the common cold which men claim hit them much harder than their ladies.

And in the wake of the row over the “McJob” label, McMansion - a large modern house considered to look mass-produced - is now in the book.

In the fashion world, 'size zero' is in the dictionary for the first time, along with 'man-bag.'

Then there are “celebutantes”, young women from a wealthy background who become celebrities.

Our growing concern with the environment is reflected in new words such as 'carbon offsetting.'

World events have also penetrated the language, with '7/7', 'Beslan' and 'Gitmo' - slang for Guantanamo Bay - all making it in to the Collins dictionary.

The use of the English language is monitored for the dictionary through a 2.5billion-word database from books, newspapers, magazines, journals, websites and transcripts of radio and television programmes.