Commentary on new words added to the Oxford English Dictionary
'One surprise of this range was the fecundity of riff n.5 (and riff v.1) in producing new nouns referring to the playing of catchy musical phrases. Besides riffage, this update also includes new entries for the whimsical riffola n. and the retro rifferama n. These words entered the English language amid an explosion of popular music journalism in the second half of the twentieth century, coined by critics who apparently felt limited by the staid predictability of riffing n. The three new entries are only the tip of a neologistic iceberg: OED's files also contain examples of riffery, riffdom, riffmongery, and riffology, among others which may eventually be considered for inclusion in future updates. (The OED)
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We rejoiced at an article recently telling us that 'chillax' was now legal tender, as my womenfolk have been using it for some time. And I have today read a government document that opened my eyes to the legal terms 'hotchpot', 'forum shopping' and 'lex fori'. But I am foxed by 'riffola', I confess.
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