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The Oxford English Dictionary has just published its latest updates with words like dad dancing and fiscal cliff added to its pages. New meanings of familiar words such as tweet and epic are included too. If you listened to the Today programme yesterday morning you’ll have heard a fascinating discussion about the extent to which words coined by young people are a major source of new dictionary entries. The fact that chazzy and tings are not part of standard English is exactly why young people want to use them: it reinforces that they are unlike adults, part of their own youthful tribe. Meanwhile standard English, something that we can all use and understand, helps build a wider sense of community. These debates about exclusivity and inclusivity remind me of arguments about the use of language in Christian churches. From the 16th century and the likes of William Tyndale translating the Bible into English to the present day, where the Catholic Church has spent years arguing over a new English translation of the Mass, there has been a tension between the formal and informal; between those who want to describe God as a remote, awesome being and others who want to encourage a more intimate, personal connection...