A dictionary publisher has named Gangnam Style, fiscal cliff and mummy porn among its words of the year for 2012.
CollinsDictionary.com selected 12 words, one for each month, which played their part in defining the past year.
The final list – made after members of the public submitted their own suggestions – reflect the top news stories and trends of the year, with events such as the Olympics, the Queen's Diamond Jubilee and US politics all represented.
South Korean musician Psy's catchy song Gangnam Style was chosen as the word for November, the month in which it became the most-viewed video on YouTube with close to a billion views.
Fiscal cliff made it into the list for this month amid talk of the US government facing a sharp decrease in government spending and an increase in taxes that could throw the economy back into recession.
In April the 50 Shades of Grey book series was published, bringing a new name for a certain type of erotic fiction, mummy porn, into public consciousness.
The UK's summer of events is celebrated with two words: Jubilympics recalls the month of June, in which Britain was preparing to host the London Olympics and celebrate the Diamond Jubilee while Games makers, London's vast team of Olympics volunteers, make it on to the list for August.
The publisher said not all of its 12 words of the year will have the longevity to be accepted for the Collins print dictionary.
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