Every month, we take a look at a word in the headlines, in English, for your English. See more at The Word of the Month.
Definitions
Woke: (US Slang) variant of “awake”, meaning alert to issues, especially of racial and social justice
Ex: “I tip my Latina barista at least 10%, so you could say I’m pretty woke.”
Woke in the news
Conservative media: “The woke socialist agenda threatens the fabric of society.”
Liberal media: “Woke causes could be addressed at some point, but no rush.”
Black people: “Woke used to be our word.”
Woke or awake? A pop quiz
1. I drank 93 espressos. I’m [A]
2. A baby started crying at 4am. It [B] me up.
3. My goldfish reads Marx. He/she is [C].
Answers: A. awake B. woke C. woke
Don’t confuse WOKE with:
Wookie: Enormous furry creature from Star Wars. Ironically has very antiquated ideas on gay marriage.
Wok: Large asian pan, very progressive piece of cookware. #StayWok
Work: Capitalist endeavor that just can’t stop. Woke bosses should implement a 3-day work week. Listening, Gymglish?