by Kate Woodford
Do you know the new-ish idiom in the title of this post? For anyone who hasn’t heard this phrase (which is suddenly everywhere), if you spill the tea, you talk about someone else’s private life, sometimes in a way that is unkind. It’s basically another way of saying ‘gossip’. This post, as you might have guessed, looks at the language of gossip and as usual, includes both single words and phrases. Continue reading “Come on, spill the tea! (Words for ‘gossip’)”
scroll fatigue noun [U]
UK /ˈskrəʊl fəˌtiːg/ US /ˈskroʊl ˌfətiːg/
a feeling of mental exhaustion caused by spending too much time scrolling through social media or other online content
Understanding scroll fatigue as a unique type of cognitive strain helps us see why it can feel so insidious. Unlike tiredness from work or physical activity, scroll fatigue often sneaks up, leaving users unaware of the subtle depletion until it manifests in frustration, distraction, or digital avoidance.
[mindfultechwork.com, 17 January 2026]
ultraprocessed time noun [U]
UK /ˌʌl.trəˌprəʊ.sest ˈtaɪm/ US /ˌʌl.trəˌprɑː.sest ˈtaɪm/
time spent consuming online content that has been designed to keep people watching it, rather than to be useful or educational
Dr. John La Puma, an internist and author of “Indoor Epidemic,” calls these moments we’re on our phones “ultraprocessed time,” because they don’t replenish us. Much like ultraprocessed food, he told me, ultraprocessed time is “engineered for convenience, compulsion and stimulation, not for nourishment.”
[nytimes.com, 4 June 2026]
Slow Social Era noun [S]
UK /ˌsləʊ ˈsəʊ.ʃᵊl ˌɪə.rə/ US /ˌsləʊ ˈsoʊ.ʃᵊl ˌɪr.ə/
a period when people use social media less often and more carefully
So, what exactly is the Slow Social Era? It’s the collective pushback against the speed, sameness and synthetic feel of the modern internet. People are tired of doomscrolling, tired of AI slop filling their feeds, tired of the pressure to keep up with a content treadmill that never stops. The Slow Social Era isn’t about deleting social media entirely – it’s about redefining our relationship with it.
[astondigital.com.au, 2 December 2025]
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by Liz Walter
We often find ourselves in situations where we don’t believe something we are being told. This post looks at some of the phrases we can use when this happens, depending on factors such as how strongly we feel about it, or whether we think someone intended to lie or not. Continue reading “It’s a pack of lies!: things we say when we don’t believe someone”
predictive shopping noun [U]
UK /prɪˌdɪk.tɪv ˈʃɒp.ɪŋ/ US /prɪˌdɪk.tɪv ˈʃɑː.pɪŋ/
a form of online shopping where AI predicts what the customer is likely to want or need and automatically recommends products
Predictive shopping is the next big thing. AI will track your preferences, habits, and browsing patterns, offering product suggestions before you even realize you need them. For example, if you’re a frequent activewear shopper, AI will recommend the latest styles right when it knows you need new shoes.
[www.scayle.com, 10 February 2026]
searchless retail noun [U]
UK /ˌsɜːtʃ.ləs ˈriː.teɪl/ US /ˌsɝːtʃ.ləs ˈriː.teɪl/
a form of online shopping where the customer uses AI tools to find products to buy instead of carrying out online searches
Consumers are no longer typing fragmented keywords and scanning filter results. They are asking questions, engaging in conversations, receiving AI-chosen recommendations, and in some cases are now completing purchases within the AI conversation. This is searchless retail, where discovery happens through AI agents, generative search, and conversational commerce without the customer ever visiting a retailer’s site or using a traditional search function.
[sitecore.com, n.d.]
agentic commerce noun [U]
UK /əˌdʒən.tɪk ˈkɒm.ɜːs/ US /əˌdʒən.tɪk ˈkɑː.mɝːs/
a form of online shopping where AI tools search for products, compare them, and then buy them on the customer’s behalf
Agentic commerce is a new form of online and mobile shopping, in which an AI agent “closes the loop” or completes tasks for a user — such as searching for items, comparing options and making a purchase — with limited or no manual inputs needed from that user.
[mastercard.com, 23 March 2026]
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by Kate Woodford
This week, I’m looking at our feathered friends (=birds) and the language that we use to refer to different parts of them and to the things that they do. Continue reading “Nests and crests (Bird words)”
worldschooling noun [U]
UK /ˌwɜːld.ˈskuː.lɪŋ/ US /ˌwɝːld.ˈskuː.lɪŋ/
a form of education where children travel the world and are taught by their parents rather than attending a traditional school
The rise of remote work, flexible lifestyles and the desire for meaningful family time has made worldschooling an appealing alternative to traditional schooling. Children do not simply learn about history, geography, science or languages in theory. They learn them as they live them. The world becomes the classroom, and travel becomes a catalyst for deeper learning.
[enjoyeducation.co.uk, 22 December 2025]
See also home schooling
sight-doing noun [U]
/ˈsaɪt.duː.ɪŋ/
an approach to travel in which tourists take part in activities or experiences when they are on holiday rather than only visiting sights
In a world of fleeting experiences, sight-doing transforms the journey from passive observation into active participation. Sight-doing is all about engaging with a destination in a way that leaves a tangible mark. Travelers are embracing workshops that produce something they can hold, wear, or display.
[americanexpress.com, 7 April 2026]
See also sightseeing
runcation noun [C]
/rʌn.ˈkeɪ.ʃᵊn/
a holiday based around the activity of running
More and more jet-setting fitness fans are embracing “runcations” — getaways centered on running, which can include everything from destination races to resorts with scenic trails … Runcations fall into two categories: race-focused trips and vacations in which running is the primary way to explore the destination. As interest grows, hotels and resorts answer with guided runs, curated routes and wellness recovery programs.
[nypost.com, 8 April 2026]
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by Liz Walter
Over the years, I have written several posts about emotions, such as this one on describing emotion with metaphors of height and this one on idioms and phrasal verbs to express happiness. Today’s post looks at something a little different: the nouns we use when we want to talk about the way we experience emotions. Continue reading “Waves, twinges and bursts: words we use to describe emotions”
annoyance economy noun [C usually S]
UK /əˈnɔɪ.ᵊns iˌkɒn.ə.mi/ US /əˈnɔɪ.ᵊns iˌkɑː.nə.mi/
the situation where companies deliberately make products or services inconvenient or frustrating for their customers in order to make more money or gather information about them
The so-called annoyance economy refers to the web of spam calls, customer service chatbots and impossible-to-cancel subscriptions, among other aggravations, that Americans have to navigate in their regular financial lives … All these small tasks, and the time and headaches they can involve, add up to a real financial cost.
[theweek.com, 7 May 2026] Continue reading “New words – 8 June 2026”
by Kate Woodford
I recently heard a journalist reflecting on the associations that we have with these opposing words. ‘Up,’ he said, ‘is good’ and ‘down is bad’. While this isn’t always the case, it’s certainly true that the words ‘high’ and ‘up’ often convey positive things, both on their own and in phrases, while ‘low’ and ‘down’ usually suggest the opposite. This post looks at this interesting area of the language.
Let’s start with ‘up’. We find ‘up’ in two nice phrases related to improvement. If a situation is now improving after a difficult or unsuccessful period, we might use the phrasal verb look up, especially by saying ‘things are looking up’. In UK English, we also convey this by saying that something is on the up (or more emphatically, on the up and up):
After a tricky couple of years, I’m pleased to say things are looking up.
Her political career by this time was on the up.
Business is on the up and up.
The adjective down, meanwhile, (or the more emphatic, informal idiom down in the dumps) can be used to mean ‘sad and without hope’ and something that gets you down makes you feel sad and without hope:
You seem a bit down. Is everything all right?
Sometimes, when I’m feeling a bit down in the dumps, I just need to go for a walk.
Having so little money was really starting to get me down.
The adjective ‘up’ meaning ‘happy’ is rather less common than the use of ‘down’ for unhappy, but is used in the phrase up and down, meaning ‘having moods that often change, sometimes happy and sometimes sad’:
I’m a bit up and down since he left, to be honest.
We also say that someone or something experiences ups and downs, meaning both good times and bad times. This phrase can be used of many situations but is especially common when talking about long relationships or careers:
Like every married couple, we’ve had our ups and downs.
‘High’ certainly has positive associations. It means ‘very good’ in phrases such as ‘high quality’ and ‘high standards/principles’. ‘High’ also means ‘being important and having power’ in combinations such as ‘high rank’ and ‘high office’. As you might expect, the opposite in all of these word combinations is ‘low’:
We are lucky in having access to high quality healthcare.
They have a very low standard of living.
He rose to the highest rank in the military.
Like the adjective ‘down’, low can be used to mean ‘sad and without hope’:
She seemed a little low, so I invited her round for a cup of coffee.
Finally, we talk about highs and lows in much the same way that we say ups and downs, meaning both good times and bad times:
Anyone familiar with the emotional highs and lows of new parenthood will love this book.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this post and that the week ahead contains more highs than lows and more ups than downs!
dusking noun [U]
/ˈdʌsk.ɪŋ/
the practice of watching daylight turn to darkness as a form of relaxation
An old Dutch ritual of going outside to watch the coming of night – or dusking – is having a revival across Europe. Fans of the practice say it’s a great way to disconnect from screens and find peace … In the Netherlands, dusking was once an everyday ritual, with families sitting together to observe the end of the day and the coming of night.
[theguardian.com, 1 March 2026] Continue reading “New words – 1 June 2026”