what gets in the OED:

As a rule, a neologism needs five years of solid evidence for admission to the canon. “We need to be sure that a word has established a reasonable amount of longevity,” McPherson says. “Some things do stick around that you would never expect to stick around, and then other things, you think that will definitely be around, and everybody talks about it for six months, and then. ...”

from Cyber-Neologoliferation.

(this is a section of the NYTimes that requires registration, but I think there is free access this week.)

Last edited by tsuwm; 11/10/06 09:32 PM.