I have zero authority or backing to make the following claim, but seeing as such a situation hinders precisely no ‘content creator’ ever when it comes to them flogging a new course, I’m going to make it anyway.

The claim?

If, according to the Chinese Zodiac, 2025 is The Year of the Snake (how bloody spot-on for Social Media), then when it comes to LinkedIn in particular, clearly 2024 was The Year of the Shitgibbon.

As a copywriter as well as a half-decent human being, I get more than a little bit irked when people a) steal my wondrous ideas, and b) make a big deal about having come up with said ideas all by themselves (and by god does this happen frequently from other ‘professionals’ in my sphere), so I’m not going to join their skanky ranks by claiming I came up with shitgibbon by myself. I couldn’t have done, because if I had, I would have no doubt spent an over-indulgent amount of time congratulating myself for my hilariousness and creativity. No, I must have heard it somewhere before (Antiques Roadshow or Songs of Praise, perhaps), but as with all joyous wordery I discover out in the world, I’m always keen to run with it and spread its goodness far and wide for all to enjoy.

In the time I’ve been spreading shitgibbons* on social media over the years, I’ve come to think of the word not only as my favourite of all the phrases in my lexicon, but also as a superb way of describing the trends and patterns so prevalent on LinkedIn these days thanks to the posts from an ever-growing clique of self-proclaimed influencers and L-list celebrities.

For me, 2024 has been The Year of the Shitgibbon not only because I’ve found more opportunity than any year before to embrace my usage/people’s love of my usage of it, but also because the posts from people on LinkedIn have become so crappy and self-indulgent this past year, that the majority of the ‘content’ could only ever be described (for me) as shitgibboning of the highest order. You can actually make your own definition of this fabulous turn of phrase, by the way, which is the unexpected joy of shitgibbon, it really is… For me, however, a shitgibbon (verb: shitgibboning) is:

• The perpetual poster of self-indulgent selfies and stories
• The humblebragger who would put Bono and the Band-Aiders to shame
• The try-hard who seemingly cannot take a shite without telling you how much money they’ve made since the last wipe (all the while oblivious to the fact that nobody, if you’ll excuse the pun, gives a shit).

Of course, these may or may not be your own personal shitgibbons, and that’s okay. Feel free to share your own definitions with me – I’m here to learn.

You have to admit, even if you’ve never heard the word until this beautiful blog, you know you’ve seen shitgibbon posts in your feed this year, and you know you’ll be adopting this word as your alternative OED word of the year before the day is out. Ugh, I haven’t actually clicked that link in the brackets, yet, but I hope and pray they haven’t chosen something upsettingly teenage like fucking ‘rizz‘ again…

Friends, I know you’ll be adding shitgibbon to your vocab as we speak (because why wouldn’t you?). It’s the one word I’ve used this year in my posts where veritable flocks of good people have come out in joyful support of its presence in my prose. I give the people what they want, if nothing else…

I really hope you’ll love shitgibbon as much as I do, but by all means choose your own word that sums up your 2024 (on LinkedIn or off it) and share it with me. It can be an old faithful, a new creation, or a fresh twist on a traditional classic…

Making shitgibbon more accessible to the masses in 2024, having played my part to raise the profile of ratbastard in 2023, I have high hopes for what 2025 is about to bring to my glossary.

Happy New Year, all…

Watch out for the snakes.

*that sounds horrific, I apologise…