New words – 11 February 2013

On February 11, 2013January 25, 2013 By Cambridge WordsIn New words4 Comments

blanket shrug noun a woollen cape-like garment that opens at the front

Blanket shrugs get even hotter this year.

[Grazia (UK celebrity magazine) 17 September 2012]

dench adjective slang very good; cool

He said: ‘When he says DENCH around the boss I don’t think he knows what’s going on’.

[www.thesun.co.uk 20 September 2012]

facekini noun a face mask worn on the beach to avoid facial tanning

In China, some are going to extraordinary lengths to avoid getting a bit of sun with a new item of beachwear – dubbed the
Facekini – causing something of a stir in the coastal tourist city of Qingdao, Shandong Province.

[http://behindthewall.nbcnews.com 21 August 2012]

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New words – 4 February 2013

On February 4, 2013January 25, 2013 By Cambridge WordsIn New words2 Comments

iPub noun a pub with iPads on its tables. The customers use a magnetic swipe card from the bar to buy drinks and then pour the drinks themselves from taps installed on their tables.

Introducing the iPub: London boozer serves beer with iPads

[www.zdnet.com 24 August 2012]

like-gating noun the practice of requiring a user to ‘like’ a brand’s page so that they can access content from that brand on social-networking websites

Well, like-gating on facebook isn’t exactly a new thing. Thousands of companies on Facebook us [sic] it. It’s pretty much page one of most of the Social Media marketing guides I’ve seen […]

[http://discuss.joelonsoftware.com 10 September 2012]

link juice noun the number and quality of links between websites

One-way links are essential to your website as it builds link juice for search engines and also the exposure of being seen by their site visitors and customers.

[www.empowernetwork.com 25 August 2012]

site scraper noun a piece of software that collects content from other sites

‘Use of site scrapers, article crawlers, or other automated methods/scripts to mine the article content of GoArticles are expressly forbidden unless permission has been specifically granted by GoArticles.com’ read one warning.

[The Guardian (UK broadsheet) 22 September 2012]

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Words of Watergate: Part 2

On January 28, 2013January 24, 2013 By hughrawsonIn the English language12 Comments

By Hugh Rawson

President Richard M. Nixon and his men – and all his aides were men back in the benighted 1970s – leaned heavily on harmless-sounding, euphemistic language in order to obscure, if not conceal completely, the criminal activities that formed the Watergate scandal. Examples include caper, house cleaning, plumber, and others noted in last month’s post.

Some of Mr. Nixon’s aides could turn vivid phrases, however. The most talented of these was John D. Ehrlichman, the president’s chief domestic affairs adviser, who blossomed as a novelist after being sentenced to jail for his role in Watergate. It was Ehrlichman who suggested to John W. Dean III, the president’s counsel, that he deep-six the phone-tapping equipment that had been found in the office safe of E. Howard Hunt, Jr., a White House plumber (officially a “consultant”) implicated in the Watergate break-in. Deep-six is sailor’s slang for tossing something overboard into water at least six fathoms (thirty-six feet) deep. Dean wasn’t familiar with the expression, however. As he testified to the Senate committee that investigated Watergate:

“I asked him what he meant by ‘deep six.’ He leaned back in his chair and said: ‘You drive across the [Potomac] river at night, don’t you? Well, when you cross over the river on your way home, just toss the briefcase into the river.’” Continue reading “Words of Watergate: Part 2” →

New words – 28 January 2013

On January 28, 2013January 25, 2013 By Cambridge WordsIn New words5 Comments

gender pollution noun the phenomenon whereby women entering a career renders that career less desirable for men

‘Men don’t go for those jobs as much, especially after women take those jobs.’ ‘Yes, yes, that’s called gender pollution.’

[The Colbert Report (US current affairs satire) 08 August 2012]

groomzilla noun informal, humorous a man who is neurotically obsessed with planning his wedding

Brad Pitt has turned into a groomzilla and can’t wait to marry Angelina Jolie.

[www.standard.co.uk 05 August 2012]

ladvert noun informal an advert featuring and designed to appeal to a ‘lad’

LADVERTS Thanks to sport, adverts for ‘lads’ are everywhere.

[Grazia (UK celebrity magazine) 20 August 2012]

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New words – 21 January 2013

On January 21, 2013January 18, 2013 By Cambridge WordsIn New words2 Comments

flirtationship noun informal a relationship that consists chiefly of flirting

‘Hey, are you and so-and-so dating?’ If you get this question a lot, along with raised eyebrows and winks from your mutual friends, chances are you’re in a flirtationship.

[www.howtoputthefunbackintodating.com 29 August 2012]

mansplain verb informal (of a man) to explain something patronisingly to a woman

Lupe Fiasco Mansplains Some More in the Video for ‘Bitch Bad’

[www.spin.com 23 August 2012]

wifestyle noun informal what sort of wife you are

Your choice of ‘wifestyle’: be like Kate Moss or Kate Middleton

[www.newstatesman.com 02 July 2012]

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Romneyshambles and Vatileaks: variations on a theme

On January 16, 2013January 15, 2013 By Liz WalterIn the English language1 Comment

by Liz Walter

As my colleague Paul Heacock mentioned in his blog , the word omnishambles was one of the runaway successes of 2012. Coined in 2009 for the political comedy ‘The Thick of It’, it came to prominence last year when the leader of the UK’s opposition Labour Party used it to criticize the government’s April budget. The resulting soundbite hit the airwaves, and Labour MPs lined up to re-use the potent word as often as possible in order to hammer it into the public’s consciousness.

The ability of a new term to express a feeling so perfectly and with an element of humour is a major factor in its success. An added bonus of this particular word is that it is easily adaptable. So, for instance, when Mitt Romney visited London in July, it was not long before his series of gaffes, including less than tactful comments on Britain’s ability to host the Olympics, was dubbed the Romneyshambles. Continue reading “Romneyshambles and Vatileaks: variations on a theme” →

New words – 14 January 2013

On January 14, 2013November 30, 2012 By Cambridge WordsIn New wordsLeave a comment

bankster noun informal a banker whose actions are illegal

Where do banksters, you know, bad guy bankers, want their money?

[www.wired.com 30 Sept 2012]

challenger bank noun a bank that provides competition to the large traditional banks

‘I don’t expect the challenger banks to have a meaningful impact for the prices and services of existing banks,’ says Investec banking analyst Ian Gordon

[www.bbc.co.uk 08 July 2012]

pre-distribution noun the equitable channelling of wealth before taxation

For those not in the know – which I suspect is most of us – predistribution is essentially ‘a fairer distribution of wealth before taxation, rather than after’.

[http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk 06 Sept 2012]

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Words of Watergate

On January 7, 2013December 18, 2012 By hughrawsonIn the English language4 Comments

top secret By Hugh Rawson

The fortieth anniversary of the Watergate scandal is well worth observing not only for its political results – an American president, Richard M. Nixon, was forced to resign and a number of his top aides went to jail – but for the way it enriched our political vocabulary. The scandal popularized such words and phrases as cover up, deep six, deep throat, dirty tricks, follow the money, inoperative, smoking gun, and stonewall. And it also offers lessons about the dangers of using deceptive language that remain relevant today.

The words of Watergate tended to be highly euphemistic. The president and his men tried at every step along the way to sugar coat criminal actions through the artful use of language. Thus, the incident that brought the scandal to life, the break-in on June 17, 1972, at the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee in the Watergate complex in Washington, D.C., was initially downplayed by Ron Ziegler, the president’s press secretary, as “a third-rate burglary attempt.” (Actually, this was the second third-rate burglary at the DNC office. The purpose of the June 17 break-in was to fix a telephone bug that had been installed there at the end of May.) Continue reading “Words of Watergate” →

New words – 7 January 2013

On January 7, 2013November 30, 2012 By Cambridge WordsIn New words3 Comments

on the bubble idiom at a point where success or failure will be decided

I didn’t dive well. I was on the bubble. I’m 18th so I’m in [the final].

[NBC TV (US interview with diver, David Boudia) 10 Aug 2012]

smack-talk noun slang the use of insults to goad someone in a competitive situation, usually a game

This is how a rape survivor feels when you use rape jokes as smack-talk in video games

[www.newstatesman.com 07 July 2012]

superbowl noun a handbag that is styled like a bowling bag

You can carry your superbowl with your hand through the handles and the bag resting on your hip like Victoria Beckham, but we reckon that could get uncomfortable.

[Grazia (UK celebrity magazine) 20 Aug 2012]

underbrag noun a boast which consists of openly admitting to failings in a way that proves you are confident enough not to care what others think of you

‘The underbrag is the new humblebrag,’ Doll writes, ‘because it is the brag that does whatever its braggy little heart desires.’

[The Guardian (UK broadsheet) 16 Aug 2012]

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