carbon pawprint noun [C]
UK /ˌkɑː.bᵊn ˈpɔː.prɪnt/ US /ˌkɑːr.bᵊn ˈpɑː.prɪnt/
a measurement of the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere produced through activities relating to owning a pet

Our dogs’ carbon pawprints are largely related to their diets, with carbon-intensive ingredients such as meat being the main contributing factor … It has been estimated that the carbon pawprint associated with owning a medium sized dog is roughly twice that of running a typical SUV car, and the dogs in the USA are responsible for emissions equivalent to 13 million cars, or 64 million tonnes of CO₂ per year.
[vetchef.com, 9 March 2021]

planetarian noun [C]
UK /ˌplæn.əˈteə.ri.ən/ US /ˌplæn.əˈter.i.ən/
someone who buys, prepares and eats food in a way designed to have the smallest possible impact on the planet

Eating less meat and dairy is one of the ways we can have a positive impact on the future of the planet, as multiple studies on climate change have demonstrated … If you’ve ever tried Meatless Monday, vegan before 6, or any other not-vegan-all-the-time method in an effort to reduce your meat consumption, you’re probably on your way to becoming a planetarian.
[cnn.com, 6 December 2021]

pollution lockdown noun [C]
UK /pəˌluː.ʃᵊn ˈlɒk.daʊn/ US /pəˌluː.ʃᵊn ˈlɑːk.daʊn/
a period of time in which people are not allowed to leave their homes or travel freely, because of the high levels of pollution in the atmosphere

Delhi has been engulfed in a shroud of smog for the past few weeks. The air pollution has become so severe in India’s capital city that schools have been closed indefinitely, and work-from-home guidelines were implemented in the nation’s first pollution lockdown.
[newframe.com, 7 December 2021]

About new words

supercold noun [C]
UK /ˈsuː.pə.kəʊld/ US /ˈsuː.pɚ.koʊld/
a cold that has more serious symptoms than most colds and is often mistaken for Covid-19

A pharmacy chain has released advice for people unsure whether they’re suffering from coronavirus or a “supercold” … As the weather gets colder and winter approaches, there has been a surge in cold and flu cases. Some of these feel more aggressive than usual following last winter’s Covid-19 restrictions, leading to the nickname “supercold”.
[cambridge-news.co.uk, 13 November 2021]

holistorexia noun [U]
UK /həˌlɪs.təˈrek.si.ə/ US /hoʊˌlɪs.təˈrek.si.ə/
a mental illness where someone has an extreme obsession with their health and wellness

Hour-long meditations, ever-changing diet fads and an aversion to medical professionals – these could all be signs of so-called “holistorexia”. There’s a warning that some people can get so obsessed with wellness and “all things health” that it can actually make them ill. It can involve “alternative” therapies and practices that can prove time-consuming, expensive and even dangerous for those who take or follow them.
[newstalk.com, 30 June 2021]

vaccine envy noun [U]
/ˈvæk.siːnˌen.vi/
resentment felt by someone waiting to receive the Covid-19 vaccination towards people who have already been vaccinated

Many of us have experienced loss during the pandemic — the loss of loved ones, jobs, routines, and a sense of safety. These losses wear on our patience and our ability to deal with strong feelings. As a result, waiting for a vaccine can seem especially difficult and lead us to vaccine envy. It might even feel like a new kind of loss. But the good news is that there are things we can do to cope while we wait for our shot.
[medium.com, 30 April 2021]

About new words

Queenager noun [C]
UK /ˈkwiːnˌeɪ.dʒəʳ/ US /ˈkwiːnˌeɪ.dʒɚ/
a woman of middle age or older who leads a busy life, dresses stylishly and enjoys having fun

On the small screen, it is Queenagers extraordinaires Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin who have rewritten the rules with their hit TV show Grace and Frankie. This comedy is a revolutionary portrayal of two women in their 80s, who despite many obstacles, have no trouble having a good time. In fact, it’s the ultimate Queenage fantasy.
[telegraph.co.uk, 6 June 2021]

silvfluencer noun [C]
UK /ˈsɪlv.flu.ən.səʳ/ US /ˈsɪlv.flu.ən.sɚ/
a middle-aged or elderly person who encourages people to buy items such as clothing and make-up by recommending them on social media, and is paid by companies to do so

The silvfluencers are all about refined eccentricity … Despite having reached an age where they know what suits them, they’re not afraid to make a so-called wardrobe mistake. They mix vintage Yves Saint Laurent with & Other Stories, bright colours with optimistic prints, red lipstick with grey hair. They strike unstudied poses and post refreshingly unedited captions.
[thetimes.co.uk, 9 July 2021]

the Elastic Generation noun [S]
/ðiː əˈlæs.tɪk ˌdʒen.əˈreɪ.ʃən/
the group of women aged between 50 and 70 who are well off and have a broad range of interests, seen by the advertising industry as consumers who are likely to spend a lot of money on products, travel etc.

With the Elastic Generation being fashion and beauty’s biggest spenders right now, it only makes sense that older women should be seen representing their off-runway counterparts in the industry. Naomi Campbell … closed the show at Saint Laurent’s Paris Fashion Week Show last season, an honour not usually reserved for those with 49 years under their belts.
[moda-uk.co.uk, 14 February 2020]

About new words

the Great Resignation noun [S]
/ðə.ˌgreɪt.rez.ɪgˈneɪ.ʃᵊn/
a trend in the employment market during 2020 and 2021 that has seen a much larger number of people than usual resign from their job

More people are quitting their jobs, and it could shake the world of work forever. But are we making incorrect generalisations about the Great Resignation? Workers are quitting their jobs. A lot of them. So many, in fact, we’re still smack in the middle of the so-called Great Resignation … There are several reasons why workers are walking away – poor working conditions, fears of contracting Covid-19 and existential epiphanies among them.
[bbc.com/worklife, 29 October 2021]

returnment noun [U]
UK /rɪˈtɜːn.mənt/ US /rɪˈtɝːn.mənt/
going back to work after a period of time not in paid employment

In 2012, I burnt out and suffered from depression, and when I launched my own business, three years later, it was terrifying. Nobody returned my phone calls because I was dismissed as “just a housewife”, and I felt incredibly lonely. Whether you’ve been out of work for 18 months or 18 years, “returnment” can be challenging – but it’s not always as difficult as it might seem.
[telegraph.co.uk, 19 October 2021]

overemployment noun [U]
UK /ˌəʊ.vər.ɪmˈplɔɪ.mənt/ US /ˌoʊ.vɚ.ɪmˈplɔɪ.mənt/
the practice of a remote worker secretly having more than one full-time job and working just enough hours at each one for their employers not to notice

The overemployment trend has gained steam with the rise of remote work, which has often meant less employer supervision of workers. This means that juggling multiple jobs in secret is usually more feasible for wealthy, white-collar workers since their work can frequently be done remotely, which isn’t often the case for blue-collar workers.
[uk.news.yahoo.com, 17 November 2021]

About new words

tappigraphy noun [U]
/təˈpɪg.rə.fi/
the study of how, how often and in what patterns someone taps the keys on their mobile phone, thought to provide information on their behaviour and their physical and mental health

Arko Ghosh is the company’s cofounder and a neuroscientist at Leiden University in the Netherlands. “Tappigraphy patterns” – the time series of my touches – can, he says, confidently be used not only to infer slumber habits (tapping in the wee hours means you are not sleeping) but also mental performance level (the small intervals in a series of key-presses represent a proxy for reaction time), and he has published work to support it.
[theguardian.com, 7 November 2021]

killware noun [U]
UK /ˈkɪl.weəʳ/ US /ˈkɪl.wer/
a type of computer program used illegally to attack someone’s computer system and designed to cause people physical harm

Unlike malware and ransomware, whose sole purpose is financial gain for the attackers, killware has only one goal – causing physical harm. The name killware appeared in the media after the highly publicized cyberattack on a water plant in Oldsmar, Florida … Fortunately, no killware attack has been successful so far. The moniker itself sounds a bit overhyped, and that might be true at the moment. But the reality is that hackers have a way of not only hurting us emotionally but also physically.
[dailyhawker.com, 26 October 2021]

screenome noun [C]
UK /ˈskriː.nəʊm/ US /ˈskriːn.əʊm/
a very detailed record of someone’s activity on their smartphone or tablet

If Byron Reeves has his way, the concept of “screen time” will be a relic. Instead, it will be your “screenome” that’s important … The Human Screenome Project aims to more accurately capture our digital footprint using an eyebrow-raising technique: background software that screenshots a volunteer’s phone every five seconds while it’s activated. A screenome would offer a way to study smartphones and tablets for patterns of use linked to issues such as social-media addiction and mental health problems.
[technologyreview.com, 15 January 2020]

About new words

blue food noun [U]
/ˌbluː.ˈfuːd/
food that comes from the sea, such as fish, shellfish and seaweed

Recently, however, calls have emerged not for less fishing, but more, under the banner of a new term encompassing all seafood and aquaculture products: “blue food.” The Blue Food Alliance, launched ahead of the UN Food Systems Summit, has brought together academics, policymakers, and corporate donors focused on increasing the consumption of sustainable seafood.
[wired.com, 24 October 2021]

unconscious reducer noun [C]
UK /ʌnˌkɒn.ʃəs.rɪˈdʒuː.səʳ/ US /ʌnˌkɑːn.ʃəs.rɪˈduː.səʳ/
someone who is eating less meat than they did before, but without having made a deliberate decision to do so

The unconscious reducers were said by the report to mostly be of retirement age and living with fewer people. They were found to be much less likely to experiment with cooking or refer to themselves as a ‘foodie’, preferring more traditional dishes … “How unconscious reducers think and feel about meat isn’t any different to those people who are actually increasing their meat consumption – they’re not turning away on purpose so there is a chance to re-engage them with the category,” explained AHDB senior retail insight manager Kim Malley.
[ahdb.org.uk, 3 December 2020]

foodprint noun [C]
/ˈfuːd.prɪnt/
a measurement of the impact on the environment of all the processes needed to bring food to consumers

The issue of carbon “foodprints” – how much CO2 is emitted in the production, transportation, and preparation of various foods – is front-and-centre at this week’s Cop26 climate summit in Glasgow. On Tuesday, it emerged that restaurants inside the conference centre are printing carbon estimates on their menus, alongside each item’s price … In order to reach the goals defined in the Paris Agreement, we may soon have to limit our foodprint to no more than 0.5kg of CO2 emissions per meal.
[www.telegraph.co.uk, 4 November 2021]

About new words