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by Liz Walter
The simple verb hit forms part of a surprisingly large number of idioms with very varied meanings. Today’s post looks at some of the most useful of these. Continue reading “Hitting the nail on the head: idioms with ‘hit’”
graduation creep noun [U]
/ˌgrædʒ.uˈeɪ.ʃᵊn ˌkriːp/
the trend for graduation ceremonies to be held for pupils and students at lower levels of education and not just for university graduates
Previously, events like these may have involved little more than a sing-along and some remarks from the teacher. Now, however, they’re ticketed occasions, with processions, diplomas, props, and professional photographers. The kids wear miniature caps and gowns, while parents mingle at a reception. Neither the parents nor the teachers I spoke to could point to any one reason for “graduation creep”: gentle parenting, a postpandemic rebound for in-person events, the need for social media documentation—take your pick.
[slate.com, 28 June 2026]
fall curriculum noun [C]
UK /ˌfɔːl kəˈrɪk.jə.ləm/ US /ˌfɑːl kəˈrɪk.jə.ləm/
the trend for adults to assign themselves a number of subjects to study and learn more about during the autumn months
Across TikTok, Gen Zers and millennials are reclaiming study time through a new viral phenomenon known as the “fall curriculum.” The idea is simple but surprisingly effective: instead of scrolling endlessly on their phones, participants set themselves a personal curriculum of three or more subjects to explore during the season. The approach offers structure and the thrill of rediscovering the joy of learning for its own sake.
[newsweek.com, 6 September 2025]
rejection cake noun [C]
/rɪˈdʒek.ʃən ˌkeɪk/
a cake that someone decorates and shares on social media after their application to a university has been rejected, usually as a light-hearted way of showing their disappointment
As videos of emotional college acceptances and elaborate school-themed bed parties fill high schoolers’ social media feeds, some seniors are putting a humorous spin on the emotional let down of getting denied from colleges with rejection cakes … When Co-Founder of Counseling at Expert Admissions Bari Norman saw the rejection cake videos, she thought, “finally, some reality.”
[eu.usatoday.com, 25 April 2025]
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by Kate Woodford
My posts have had an animal theme of late, and this one is no exception. A piece that I recently posted on bird-related vocabulary covered words for different parts of a bird. This one features vocabulary for parts of other animals, focusing on words that we don’t usually use for parts of human bodies. Continue reading “Paws and claws (Words for parts of animals)”
engagement pod noun [C]
UK /ɪnˈgeɪdʒ.mənt ˌpɒd/ US /ɪnˈgeɪdʒ.mənt ˌpɑːd/
a group of people who agree to like, share and leave positive comments on each other’s social media posts to make them appear more popular
One specific form of inauthentic engagement is an engagement pod, which is a coordinated group of people that like, comment and share posts to attempt to boost visibility and virality. This form of inauthentic activity erodes trust and is not allowed on LinkedIn.
[news.linkedin.com, 13 March 2026]
dopamine site noun [C]
UK /ˈdəʊ.pə.miːn ˌsaɪt/ US /ˈdoʊ.pə.miːn ˌsaɪt/
a fake shopping site that mimics the experience of browsing and adding items to a cart so users can get the pleasure of shopping without spending money
Online “dopamine sites” trending among young people in South Korea have taken this phenomenon to a whole new level by offering fake consumption experiences. These sites capture the pleasure associated with buying without the financial cost, splitting the emotional experience of anticipation from any real-world consequences.
[psychologytoday.com, 22 June 2026]
clipping economy noun [C]
UK /ˈklɪp.ɪŋ iˌkɒn.ə.mi/ US /ˈklɪp.ɪŋ iˌkɑː.nə.mi/
an online economy based on creating and sharing short video clips to increase views and make money
And this is no longer a niche corner of internet culture. Some estimates now place the clipping economy at roughly a $3 billion industry as of early 2026, spanning creator payouts, clipping agencies, AI editing tools, growth marketplaces, and distributed content networks.
[linkedin.com/pulse, 19 May 2026]
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by Liz Walter
Back in 2017, my colleague Kate Woodford wrote a couple of posts on ‘binomials’, which are pairs of words joined with ‘and’ or ‘or’, that are used together in a fixed order. Today I’m taking this one step further by looking at ‘trinomials’ or groups of three words always used in the same order. Continue reading “Tall, dark, and handsome: using trinomials”
omega block noun [C]
UK /ˈəʊ.mɪ.gə ˌblɒk/ US /oʊˈmeɪ.gə ˌblɑːk/
a weather pattern, resembling the uppercase Greek letter omega, where an area of warmer high pressure is trapped between two areas of cooler low pressure, causing the same weather conditions to last for a long period
Omega blocks usually last between three and ten days, but can go on for longer. With the current omega block, a “surge of hot, dry air from North Africa has become trapped in the atmosphere over parts of Europe,” said Time … In Paris this week, temperatures hit a June record of 105.62 F.
[theweek.com, 26 June 2026]
weather whiplash noun [S]
UK /ˌweð.ə ˈwɪp.læʃ/ US /ˌweð.ɚ ˈwɪp.læʃ/
a quick change from one extreme of weather to another, for example from very cold to very hot, or very dry to very wet
Winter days balmy enough for shirtsleeves, followed by record-setting polar-vortex lows. Day after day of blue skies, followed by torrential rains. Jungle humidity, then air so dry that skin feels like sandpaper. Temperatures spiking past 90 degrees for a day and then falling back to the 50’s and under. There is an informal term for all these weird back-and-forth weather extremes we’re witnessing: weather whiplash.
[clf.org, 27 May 2026]
global weirding noun [U]
UK /ˌgləʊ.bᵊl ˈwɪəd.ɪŋ/ US /ˌgloʊ.bᵊl ˈwɪrd.ɪŋ/
the process by which climate change is causing the weather worldwide to become more extreme and unpredictable
Global weirding speaks to the complex ways climate change is affecting weather globally. It refers to the fact that many extreme weather events are becoming more frequent and/or more severe than they were in the past … Global weirding affects us all, but it doesn’t affect us all equally. Communities that are already marginalised, lacking access to clean water, sufficient food, or reliable housing, are often most vulnerable to these disasters.
[climatewords.org, n.d.]
See also global warming
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]