long covid noun [U]
UK /ˈlɒŋ.kəʊvɪd/ US /ˈlɑːŋ.koʊvɪd/
a condition in which people who have had the covid-19 virus continue to have symptoms and feel unwell for a long time

“Long covid” is a term being used to describe illness in people who have either recovered from covid-19 but still report lasting effects of the infection or have had the usual symptoms for far longer than would be expected.
[bmj.com, 14 July 2020]

maskne noun [U]
/ˈmæsk.ni/
acne caused or made worse by wearing a mask

While maskne might be new to many of us, it didn’t originate out of nowhere. “It has always been an issue in professions where you have to wear a mask regularly,” says dermatologist, Amy Kassouf, MD. “But now that the general public has to wear masks, the incidence of it has certainly increased.”
[health.clevelandclinic.org, 13 July 2020]

Covid toe noun [U]
UK /ˌkəʊvɪd.ˈtəʊ/ US /ˌkoʊvɪd.ˈtoʊ/
a rash or red swelling on the toes, thought to be a symptom of the covid-19 virus

In May, the term “Covid toe” was increasingly discussed as a possible symptom of the coronavirus. The condition, which involves chilblain-like lesions appearing on the feet, is one of several skin conditions currently being investigated as potential signs of Covid-19.
[independent.co.uk, 15 July 2020]

About new words

astrotourism noun [U]
UK /ˌæs.trəʊ.ˈtʊə.rɪ.zᵊm/ US /ˌæs.troʊ.ˈtʊr.ɪ.zᵊm/
travelling to places to look at the stars or to see other events related to outer space, such as eclipses, rocket launches, etc.

Dark Skies, which claims to be the world’s first guide to “astrotourism”, is designed to help you to see the night sky in a new light. It takes you on a night-time journey to 35 dark-sky sites and national parks, and provides practical information on how to witness the next decade’s solar eclipses.
[The Times, 23 November 2019]

heritage travel noun [U]
UK /ˈher.ɪ.tɪdʒ.træv.ᵊl/ US /ˈher.ɪ.t̬ɪdʒ.træv.ᵊl/
travelling to places where your ancestors lived to learn more about their lives

In 2019, Airbnb partnered with 23andMe to give heritage travel recommendations to its customers. When 23andMe users get their DNA results, they also receive suggestions from Airbnb for rentals and experiences in their ancestral locations. Airbnb also has pages on its website dedicated to heritage travel.
[breaktheicemedia.com, 26 February 2020]

philantourism noun [U]
UK /ˌfɪl.ən.ˈtʊə.rɪ.zᵊm/ US /ˌfɪl.æn.ˈtʊr.ɪ.zᵊm/
going on holiday to places where the tourist industry needs support

“Philantourism” is all about travel as a force for good… it’s a natural evolution of voluntourism, but less of a commitment; you don’t need to do anything after you arrive, other than enjoy the culture, buy local and put your spending money into the tourism economy.
[townandcountrymag.com, 17 June 2020]

About new words

quaranteam noun [C]
UK /ˈkwɒr.ᵊn.tiːm/ US /ˈkwɔːr.ᵊn.tiːm/
a group of people who go into quarantine together

Quaranteams, therefore, are not simply a convenient idea because they let people see their friends and family. Isolation poses serious health risks – both physically and mentally – that social bubbles can help alleviate while improving social well-being and quality of life.
[theconversation.com, 17 June 2020]

lockstalgia noun [U]
UK /lɒk.ˈstæl.dʒə/ US /lɑːk.ˈstæl.dʒə/
a feeling of nostalgia for the lockdown period of the covid-19 pandemic

Above all, just as you may have entered lockdown with purpose, exit it with purpose too. If you do not, then you may start having feelings of “lockstalgia”, and start regretting that you did not keep doing the things that you not only found more efficient but preferred and actually enjoyed.
[citywire.co.uk, 2 July 2020]

twindemic noun [C]
/twɪn.ˈdem.ɪk/
a widespread outbreak of both flu and covid-19 at the same time

As public health officials look to fall and winter, the specter of a new surge of Covid-19 gives them chills. But there is a scenario they dread even more: a severe flu season, resulting in a “twindemic.” … The concern about a twindemic is so great that officials around the world are pushing the flu shot even before it becomes available in clinics and doctors’ offices.
[www.nytimes, 16 August 2020]

About new words

dalgona coffee noun [C, U]
UK /dæl.ˌgəʊnə.ˈkɒf.i/ US /dæl.ˌgoʊnə.ˈkɑːf.i/
a drink made from instant coffee, sugar and hot water whipped together until thick and creamy and served over hot or cold milk

I fiddled with a number of approaches to dalgona coffee. I tried using fresh-brewed espresso, but it doesn’t froth sufficiently even when I added heavy cream and extra sugar to the mixture. (I later learned there’s something to the science of instant coffee that helps generate the necessary air bubbles.)
[spokesman.com, 4 May 2020]

bluicing noun [U]
/ˈbluː.sɪŋ/
the process of extracting the juice out of fruit or vegetables then mixing it with other ingredients in a blender to make a smoothie or similar drink

Then, along came the “bluicing” trend, the savior to many of my healthy eating demons. Bluicing is the act of extracting freshly made juice straight into a blender in order to make the most delicious and fresh slushies, smoothies and more. With this multi-functional wellness hack, you can skip the milk-based addition to your smoothies and use juice as the binder for all your ingredients.
[newbeauty.com, 6 February 2020]

walktail noun [C]
UK /ˈwɒk.teɪl/ US /ˈwɑːk.teɪl/
a cocktail that you drink while you walk

For those on a budget, the walktail can just as easily be made at home. Kummer also added that it offers an additional outlet for of-age adults to socialize while maintaining a safe distance. “It’s another way of meeting your neighbors, keeping social distance, and having a drink,” he said.
[wgbh.org, 22 May 2020]

About new words

crisis beard noun [C]
UK /ˌkraɪ.sɪs.ˈbɪəd/ US /ˌkraɪ.sɪs.ˈbɪrd/
a beard grown by a man who is undergoing a difficult or stressful situation

When is a beard just a beard – and when is it a “crisis beard”? US website Vox coined the phrase to define the moment when a man of a certain age has a moment of existential crisis, downs tools and ditches the razor.
[www.guardian.com, 6 February 2020]

skin hunger noun [U]
UK /ˌskɪn.ˈhʌŋ.gəʳ/ US /ˌskɪn.ˈhʌŋ.gɚ/
the basic human need to be touched

For many people, these past few months in lockdown might be the longest they have ever gone without physical contact with a friend. In our new Hidden Value series, we explore the effect “skin hunger” is having on our wellbeing.
[www.bbc.com/future, 7 July 2020]

lockdown tache noun [C]
UK /ˌlɒk.daʊn.ˈtæʃ/ US /ˌlɑːk.daʊn.ˈtæʃ/
a moustache that its wearer has allowed to grow during lockdown

Ever the disciple of the zeitgeist, Harry Styles has joined the long line of celebrities who have grown a moustache during the coronavirus pandemic. The “lockdown tache” has been seen on a wide variety of famous top lips including Armie Hammer, Tyler, the Creator, Dele Alli and Ronnie O’Sullivan.
[theguardian.com, 24 July 2020]

About new words

space marshal noun [C]
UK /ˈspeɪs.mɑː.ʃᵊl/ US /ˈspeɪs.mɑːr.ʃᵊl/
someone whose job is to make sure people are obeying the rules of physical distancing in places such as shops, libraries etc.

They are set to reopen this weekend, although they will have changed, with space marshals at the door, librarians behind Perspex screens, limited capacities and quarantined books.
[inews.co.uk, 3 July 2020]

anti-masker noun [C]
UK /ˌæn.ti.ˈmæskəʳ/ US /ˌæn.t̬i.ˈmæskɚ/
someone who refuses to obey the rule that a mask must be worn in public places to help protect people from covid-19

On Australia’s morning television Today show, presenter Karl Stefanovic cut off an interview with an anti-masker after telling her she had “weird, wacko beliefs” and “I can’t listen to you anymore”. And that’s relatively tame, compared with what’s being said about the “covidiots” on social media.
[theconversation.com, 30 July 2020]

coronavision noun [U]
UK /kəˈrəʊ.nə.vɪʒ.ᵊn/ US /kəˈroʊ.nə.vɪʒ.ᵊn/
problems with eyesight that began or worsened during the period of the covid-19 pandemic and lockdown

Millions of Brits could be suffering from eye problems dubbed ‘coronavision’ after feeling that their sight deteriorated during lockdown, according to a study for the College of Optometrists. One in five adults in the country say they think their vision has become worse in the past four months, with one in three blaming it on too much screen time.
[www.college-optometrists.org, 10 July 2020]

About new words

wall crawl noun [C]
UK /ˈwɔːl.krɔːl/ US /ˈwɑːl.krɑːl/
a tourist activity involving a visit to different walls in a city, one after the other, to look at graffiti or art painted on them

What do you do when you visit a new city? Try out the local cuisine? Check out the most popular museum on TripAdvisor? If you’re big on Instagram, you might be more interested in walking wall to wall to wall. “Wall crawls” are an incredibly popular tourist activity as murals and street art have long been considered the best backdrop for interesting #holiday pics.
[The Guardian, 23 November 2019]

homecation noun [C]
UK /həʊm.ˈkeɪ.ʃᵊn/ US /hoʊm.ˈkeɪ.ʃᵊn/
a holiday spent completely at home

“Our homes have never been more important or served more functions. They are our schools and our workplaces, and that can bring stress to our sanctuaries,” said Zillow home trends expert Amanda Pendleton. “A homecation can bring fun and joy back to our homes and give us some much needed time to unwind, reconnect and recharge.”
[zillowgroup.com, 21 May 2020]

nakation noun [C]
/nəˈkeɪ.ʃᵊn/
a type of holiday where people do not have to wear clothes for most of the time

One of the latest travel trends is all about stripping things down to the basics. The “nakation” — aka clothing-optional tourism — is a fast-growing segment of the travel industry, experts say. Shirking that outer layer at nude beaches and resorts and even on clothing-optional cruises has become the vacation choice du jour for hundreds of thousands of free-spirited Americans.
[chicagotribune.com, 22 October 2019]

About new words

revenge spending noun [U]
/rɪˈvendʒ.ˈspen.dɪŋ/
the activity of shopping more than usual as a reaction to not having been able or allowed to do so for a period of time

The burst of sales has created a new retail term for the post-lockdown rebound: “revenge spending.” The idea is that consumers were shopping starved during their quarantine and are overcompensating by splurging more than usual.
[cnbc.com, 13 May 2020]

social commerce noun [U]
UK /ˌsəʊ.ʃᵊl.ˈkɒm.ɜːs/ US /ˌsoʊ.ʃᵊl.ˈkɑː.mɝːs/
the use of social media websites to buy and sell products and services

The sheer amount of time spent by people, especially younger generations, on social media apps has positioned social commerce as the indisputable market breakout trend for e-commerce in the coming years … One of the primary drivers of the success of social commerce has been the shift of preference by Generation Z and Millennials away from Facebook and towards platforms like YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram.
[forbes.com, 25 June 2019]

spendemic noun [C]
/spenˈdem.ɪk/
a sudden tendency for people to spend money, usually on unnecessary things

Call it a spendemic. “I’ve bought an area rug, a coffee table, prints for the walls, a mirror and plants,” says Jackson Isaacson, 27, who estimates he’s spent nearly $4,000 since self-isolating due to the novel coronavirus outbreak a month ago.
[nypost.com, 20 April 2020]

About new words

Generation Alpha noun [U]
/ˌdʒen.əˈreɪ.ʃᵊn.ˈæl.fə/
a way of referring to the group of people who were, or will be, born in the 2010s and 2020s

A picture of Generation Alpha, if a blurry one, is starting to emerge. In various articles about its members, analysts have stated that they are or will grow up to be the best-educated generation ever, the most technologically immersed [and] the wealthiest.
[theatlantic.com, 21 February 2020]

anti-natalism noun [U]
UK /ˌæn.tiˈneɪ.tᵊl.ɪ.zᵊm/ US /ˌæn.tiˈneɪ.t̬ᵊl.ɪ.zᵊm/
the belief that it is morally wrong to have children

More people, millennials specifically, are drawn to a similar idea that suggests that procreation is problematic. It’s called “anti-natalism,” and proponents believe it’s the environmentally friendly and morally ethical thing to do.
[refinery29.com, 14 August 2019]

boomsplain verb
/ˈbuːm.spleɪn/
to give someone an unnecessary or unwanted explanation of something; used when someone of the baby boomer generation explains something to a younger person

Let me boomsplain: All parents are out of touch. Ours were about (hello again) Vietnam, women’s rights and racism (some things never change). Gen Xer Will Smith had a huge hit in 1988 called “Parents Just Don’t Understand.”
[sfchronicle.com, 19 December 2019]

About new words

hyflex adjective
/ˈhaɪ.fleks/
a way of learning in which lessons are given face to face in classrooms and also made available on the internet

Any in-person activities will be offered in a hybrid/flexible (hyflex) model, meaning that students will have the choice to participate in real-time, either in-person or remotely. These hyflex learning opportunities may take the form of group projects, workshops, or social activities.
[professional.uchicago.edu, 1 July 2020]

STEAM noun [U]
/stiːm/
abbreviation for Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts, and Mathematics (as subjects of study)

STEAM is a way to take the benefits of STEM and complete the package by integrating these principles in and through the arts. STEAM takes STEM to the next level: it allows students to connect their learning in these critical areas together with arts practices, elements, design principles, and standards.
[educationcloset.com, 14 January 2020]

Shape noun [U]
/ʃeɪp/
abbreviation for Social Sciences, Humanities, and the Arts for People and the Economy (as subjects of study)

A national fight to restore the balance between rival academic disciplines and give back lost weight to subjects such as history, foreign languages, geography and English literature, will start this week with the unveiling of Shape, a “rebranding” drive to promote the humanities and social sciences
[The Observer, 21 June 2020]

About new words