New words – 7 November 2022

a group of four young people on a boat smiling at the camera
AscentXmedia / iStock / Getty Images Plus

liveaboard noun [C]
UK /ˈlɪv.əˌbɔːd/ US /ˈlɪv.əˌbɔːrd/
someone who lives permanently on a boat

The couple are currently in Greece, “a seagoing nation” they adore for its free mooring and the warm welcome extended to liveaboards. They dropped anchor on the small island of Meganisi when Covid struck but plan to cruise on towards Turkey. “Loads of liveaboards want to lap the world in five years or whatever,” Natalie says. “But we like to get to know new places rather than mindlessly circumnavigating the globe.”
[theguardian.com, 28 August 2022]

flying ferry noun [C]
/ˌflaɪ.ɪŋ ˈfer.i/
a large boat that can travel quickly above the surface of the water, used for taking passengers and often vehicles from one place to another

Three feet above the waves, with only its hydrofoils cutting through the water, the boat leaves virtually no wake, noise, or emissions—a sea change from the hulking diesel-powered ferries that currently haul commuters through the archipelago that makes up the Swedish capital. The aim is to have the flying ferry form a part of Stockholm’s public transport fleet.
[wired.co.uk, 14 July 2022]

GOAT noun [C]
UK /gəʊt/ US /goʊt/
abbreviation for Greatest Of All Trips: used to refer to or describe the best, most expensive, most adventurous etc. holiday that someone has ever taken

More than two-thirds of Americans are planning to go big on their next trip. Expedia is calling this new “no-regrets” style of travel the “GOAT” (Greatest of All Trips) mindset … In the coming year, American travelers are going after their GOAT by stepping outside their comfort zone and immersing themselves in a destination, culture, and experiences completely different to their own.
[hospitalitynet.org, 1 December 2021]

About new words

13 thoughts on “New words – 7 November 2022

  1. James Allen Clements

    Soon, our dictionaries will be overloaded with frivolous words and may require a second volume in order to keep up with the nonsense.

    1. Alan Kwok

      Can’t agree more. The more inclusion of frivolous words, the more exclusion of new learners, and of those against the vogue of abbreviations. What a shame!

    1. Hi Lorenz:

      are you thinking that English is not harder than German?

      or not as hard as German?

      Glad you think it is both interesting and beautiful!

      I find German interesting and beautiful; especially when it comes to literature and philosophy.

      [and I still find myself saying “Ich finde” when it comes to various aspects of popular culture].

      For those of us who don’t have Germanic languages in our world or our heritage I imagine they would be about equally difficult!

  2. New words have their place in writing where they are appropriate to the audience and therefore improve communication. Earning a place in a dictionary takes a little longer and a broader understanding of the terminology. Getting my GOAT has a whole different meaning to those of us who are not so young, while ‘livaboard’ has been around for a generation at least.

  3. JoyS.

    A liveaboard is a scuba diving boat that you live on and dive from for several days, as opposed to taking day trips from lodgings on land. Many dive sites are only accessible via liveaboards, and they’re also known as a means to avoid a variety of tropical diseases, as well as selecting for serious divers. Search the word, and you’ll find almost exclusively, adverts for dive operators.

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