We probably hit peak twerk a year or two back—but shaking your behind just gained legitimacy, as it has made it into the dictionary. The Oxford English Dictionary has revealed 500 new words added to its latest edition, and along with twerking, fo’ shizzle, E-cigarette, Twitterati and meh have all made the book.
They’ve also discovered that twerking apparently dates back to 1820, or at least the word does. In a blog post, the OED say that it was originally spelt with an ‘I’, and its first recorded use was in a letter dated February 26, 1820. The full sentence reads: “Really the Germans do allow themselves such twists & twirks of the pen, that it would puzzle any one”.
Here are some of the definitions:
Twerk (verb): {Dancing} in a sexually provocative manner, using thrusting movements of the bottom and hips while in a low, squatting stance
[via Mashable]