“The Oxford Word of the Year is a word or expression that is judged to reflect the ethos, mood, or preoccupations of the passing year, and have lasting potential as a term of cultural significance.”

In a valiant effort to veer the world’s attention away from last year’s depressing mood, “toxic”, comedian Mallika Dua nominated the word “kyaut”, most strongly associated with her, as Oxford Dictionary’s Word of the Year for 2019.

This immediately agitated the troll brigade on social media, who slammed her for being unpatriotic. “WhY oNlY OxForD iTineRary?” they demanded to know, accusing Dua of constantly finding ways to prove her lack of commitment to India. “If you want to be Kohinoor only, why don’t you just go back to Pakistan?” they cried, displaying an alarming lack of both general knowledge and geography as they stood up for an unscheduled singing of the national anthem.