If you have not yet heard the phrase “goblin mode”, you’ve probably been living in a cave, or possibly a burrow, or an underground chamber in Gringotts Wizarding Bank (which, incidentally, has no apostrophe).
Every year, the lexicographers at Oxford University choose a word of the year. Sometimes this is more than one word. This year it is “goblin mode”, which beat other contenders such as “selfie” and “climate change”, receiving 93% of the popular vote. Technically, “goblin mode” should be crowned “words of the year” but let’s not split elf hairs.
Most frequently employed in the form “He/she/they went full goblin mode”, these words are, according to Wikipedia’s definition, “a neologism for the rejection of societal expectations and the act of living in an unkempt, hedonistic manner without concern for one’s self-image”.
The Oxford University Press explained goblin mode much better in their press release earlier this week. The term, which first went viral in February, allegedly “rose in popularity over the months following as Covid lockdown restrictions eased in many countries and people ventured out of their homes more regularly. Seemingly, it captured the prevailing mood of individuals who rejected the idea of returning to ‘normal life’, or rebelled against the increasingly unattainable aesthetic standards and unsustainable lifestyles exhibited on social media.”
The explanation also contained some positive comment about the words: “Given the year we’ve just experienced, ‘goblin mode’ resonates with all of us who are feeling a little overwhelmed at this point. It’s a relief to acknowledge that we’re not always the idealised, curated selves that we’re encouraged to present on our Instagram and TikTok feeds.”
So when I am still wearing my pyjamas at 4pm, despite having done a full day’s work, I suppose that could be called an example of goblin mode. Wearing my pyjamas to the office would be going full goblin.
The question must be asked, however: why goblins? Why are these mythical creatures, allegedly very good at financial matters if JK Rowling is to be believed, seen as the most slothful and antisocial of all?
The question must be asked, however: why goblins? Why are these mythical creatures, allegedly very good at financial matters if JK Rowling is to be believed, seen as the most slothful and antisocial of all? Why not elves or leprechauns? Or hobbits, for that matter, who never wear shoes, have very hairy toes, and need about seven breakfasts before thinking about what to have for lunch?
Some years ago, inspired by the unstoppable spread of the word “troll” on social media, I investigated these mythical creatures. JA Coleman’s Dictionary of Mythology yielded the enlightening information that the troll (“droll” in Norse spelling) was originally a giant but evolved into a “supernatural dwarf goblin”.
I found this confusing. In all the fairy (another story for another day) tales I have ever read, dwarves are dwarves and goblins are goblins. I always assumed there was some sort of Mixed Mythologies Act that forbade them from copulating with each other and giving birth to dwoblins.
So what is this “dwarf goblin” of which Coleman speaks? Perhaps he is referring to size rather than species. A “dwarf planet” is, after all, not a planet full of small bearded men fond of pale lost princesses but a celestial body that hasn’t passed the necessary exams to be awarded its full planet diploma.
So perhaps a dwarf goblin, also known as a troll, is not a mixed-race dwoblin but a tiny, tiny goblin. Maybe that’s how it got into the social network.
Coleman also says trolls were believed to burst if ever the sun shone on their faces. Perhaps poor little dwarf-goblin-trolls are exploding all around us every day on the hot tarmac of parking lots, but we don't notice because they're so small. Pity it doesn't happen online.
Whether they are great big slavering creatures or stunted goblins, scary Scandinavian trolls and the nasty modern hobby they are associated with have no etymological connection with the strolling-and-singing kind of trolling. That kind of troll is, however, closely related to the words “trundle” — to roll along — and “trend” — to bend in a particular direction.
Trend is a much-abused word. The verb first applied to rivers, but in the 1950s it was appropriated as a noun describing a popular movement in fashion or culture.
Anyway, goblin mode is now a trending word and there’s nothing much we can do about it. Incidentally, I am wearing my pyjamas as I write this.
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