Grathwohl correctly predicted that the contest would ultimately boil down to a showdown between “Swiftie” and “rizz,” which it did, after a strong push from “de-influencing” to eliminate “Swiftie.”
Regarding “rizz,” Grathwohl mentioned that the word has unique characteristics. Typically, shortened forms are derived from the beginning (app, rhino) or the end (hood, bot) of a word. However, it is less common, but not unheard of, for abbreviated forms to come from the middle (flu, fridge), he explained.
He also pointed out that “rizz” can be used as a verb (e.g., “rizz it up,” meaning to charm someone). “When a word expands its usage from one part of speech to another, it indicates that it may have lasting power,” he added.
Grathwohl had a friendly comment for Holland as well. He said, “I hate to be a linguistic watchdog, but Tom should know that limited rizz is still rizz. He’s not being very precise.”
Grathwohl also mentioned that “Swiftie,” despite its overexposure, is noteworthy for demonstrating how “fanalects” (languages developed by fans) take hold. Many of these languages never escape specific subreddits, but with more platforms to share, they can spread more easily.
In case you’re wondering, Taylor Swift and Tom Holland, who supposedly lacks “rizz,” have not officially dated. (Holland is happily in a relationship with Zendaya.) Nevertheless, today, everyone on Earth might feel like they’re in a parasocial situationship with Swift, whether they like it or not.