Wordsmith

Sydney Morning Herald

Saturday May 9, 1998

Susan Butler

Susan Butler, publisher of The Macquarie Dictionary, on words to know now

DYCON

noun a person who is regarded as an iconic figure by the lesbian community [dyke + icon]. The citation for this comes from the Herald in 1997 with Doris Day offered up as the example. She was described as a "perky dycon". The Herald also challenged The Macquarie Dictionary to include the word now that it had put it in print. At the time we could find no other example of the word in use, but since then it has appeared twice in the newspapers. There's a way to go to the fourth edition, so if it keeps up this rate of appearance, it may yet make it.

© 1998 Sydney Morning Herald

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