Can you help us to identify and record the words, phrases, and expressions particular to your hobby or pastime?

You know that feeling you get when you’re telling someone about your favourite hobby—perhaps you’re a quilter, a ballroom dancer, a gamer, or a caver—but every other word you use is greeted with a blank look? Doesn’t everyone know what a fat quarter, a heel turn, or an ear dipper is? Maybe not, but if a term is in common use within a particular community then it is a candidate for inclusion in the OED, and we would love to hear about it! That’s why we’re asking for your help in identifying and recording the vocabulary of all your hobbies and pastimes.

The words and phrases used by people when talking about a shared hobby or pastime can be little-known to outsiders, and are often interesting coinages with unique histories. So whether you’re a bee-keeper or a train-spotter, a knitter, gamer, brewer, or a collector of any sort, the OED would like to hear from you. Please use the form below to tell us about the unique vocabulary relating to your hobby or pastime. We are particularly interested in slang words and phrases, as opposed to technical terms, as the former are harder to trace in print and so are less likely to have come already to the attention of dictionary editors. You can also join the conversation on Twitter with the hashtag #hobbywords.

Posted by Oxford Languages on 4 July 2018 14.42