Rad noun [C]
/ræd/
abbreviation for “rich autumn dad”: a man who dresses in the style of wealthy country gentlemen, for example wearing tweed and corduroy clothes, even if he is young and has no children

The leader of this new style pack, known among fashion watchers as the Rads, is David Beckham. The former England football captain appears in Country Life in a variety of looks including a tweed blazer and corduroy trousers. British country attire is now being embraced by men of all ages who want to emulate old money style. They may not be rich. They may not be a dad. But they can still look like a Rad.
[theguardian.com, 24 October 2025]

Gen Z stare noun [C]
UK /ˌdʒen zed ˈsteə/ US /ˌdʒen ziː ˈsteər/
a facial expression, used of young people, where the face appears blank and emotionless, generally to signal indifference or boredom

The Gen Z generation is getting a lot of press lately, sending shock waves through the work world with something called the “Gen Z stare.” It’s described as a long, blank and expressionless stare in a variety of social situations. Although many critics reduce the look to a silly, disengaged expression, experts argue that … the ‘Gen Z stare’ is more than just a viral buzzword; it is not a new problem, but it is a pervasive one, highlighting a larger issue in today’s workplace: a growing generational disconnect in employee communication and expectations.
[forbes.com, 21 July 2025]

hub-son noun [C]
/ˈhʌb.sʌn/
an adult male who continues to live with his parents, contributes little or nothing financially, but does housework and other household chores

Basically, a hub-son (a play on husband/son, obviously) is a son who lives at home with his mom/parents, holding no job other than performing traditional household tasks. Think of them like a stay-at-home tradwife, but … just an unmarried son who doesn’t want to move out of mommy’s house. But hey, in this economy, can we blame ’em?
[vice.com, 8 October 2025]

About new words

vibe working noun [U]
UK /ˈvaɪb ˌwɜː.kɪŋ/ US /ˈvaɪb ˌwɝː.kɪŋ/
a way of completing work tasks, such as creating documents or spreadsheets, by prompting an artificial intelligence tool with a general idea of what you want rather than giving it detailed instructions

Microsoft describes “vibe working” as collaboration between people and AI agents inside its productivity apps. Instead of giving a one-time response, the updated Copilot AI tools generate, test, and refine content while users steer the direction, more like a dialogue.
[geekwire.com, 29 September 2025]

boomerslop noun [U]
UK /ˈbuː.mə.slɒp/ US /ˈbuː.mɚ.slɑːp/
low-quality internet content that has been created by artificial intelligence and that is designed to appeal to people from the baby boomer generation

First, let me explain boomerslop: It’s AI slop that’s particularly appealing to a Facebook-loving boomer. I say this with love and affection for baby boomers. Time comes for us all, and every generation gets roasted for its digital foibles. Boomerslop isn’t even necessarily made by boomers. (Meta told me that boomers aren’t the majority of Meta AI users.) But, let’s say, this stuff is spiritually boomerish — it appeals to a boomer sensibility.
[businessinsider.com, 6 November 2025]

See also boomer, slop

clanker noun [C]
UK /ˈklæŋkəʳ/ US /ˈklæŋkɚ/
a derogatory way of referring to a robot, chatbot or anything else that uses artificial intelligence

Clanker has become a go-to slur against A.I. on social media, led by Gen Z and Gen Alpha posters. In recent months, posts about clankers have amassed hundreds of millions of views on TikTok and Instagram and started thousands of conversations on X.
[nytimes.com, 31 August 2025]

About new words

throning noun [U]
UK /ˈθrəʊnɪŋ/ US /ˈθroʊnɪŋ/
dating someone because they increase your social status and reputation

“Throning is when someone positions their partner as a status symbol,” Chan says. “It’s about dating someone specifically because they elevate your image. The name comes from the idea of putting someone ‘on a throne’ to boost your own clout/social capital.”
[usatoday.com, 21 October 2025]

swag gap noun [C]
/ˈswæg ˌgæp/
a situation in which one partner in a relationship is widely seen as much more stylish, confident, or successful than the other

We’ve all seen them. Couples strolling down the street, totally loved up but worlds apart in style. One might be effortlessly chic, while the other looks… less so. Now, the internet has a name for it: enter the “swag gap”, a new term used to define couples with obvious style differences (as well as disparities in confidence or just all-round vibe).
[graziadaily.co.uk, 28 October 2025]

shrekking noun [C]
/ˈʃrekɪŋ/
dating someone you think is less physically attractive than you, in the belief that they will treat you better and be a more appreciative and loyal partner

Now another new and potentially toxic trend has arrived — shrekking. For lack of better words, the idea is that you date a conventionally unattractive suitor vis-a-vis Disney’s Shrek and keep your fingers crossed that their amiable character eventually makes you fancy them … Many have branded shrekking as one of social media’s nastiest trends. Experts have said the trend is inherently unfair to the partner that you see as being less attractive.
[standard.co.uk, 2 November 2025]

About new words

fambushing noun [U]
/ˈfæm.bʊʃɪŋ/
using a location-sharing app to find out where your parent is and then turning up without warning, often hoping to eat with them, get a lift home, or be given some other help

Gen Z is taking digital surveillance to the next level with a trend called “fambushing,” where kids show up unannounced at their parents’ hangouts to ask for snacks, Starbucks, or rides. According to YPulse, 75% of tweens have their location tracked by parents, but now many parents are finding themselves tracked just as closely, or even more so, by their own kids.
[ypulse.com, 23 June 2025]

no-habiting noun [U]
UK /nəʊ.ˈhæb.ɪtɪŋ/ US /noʊ.ˈhæb.ɪtɪŋ/
the situation where you do not live with someone you are in a committed sexual relationship with

Just when you thought dating couldn’t get any more complicated, along comes “no-habiting” – the revolutionary concept of not moving in with your partner. Groundbreaking stuff, really. Who would’ve thought that maintaining your own space while dating could be considered a “trend”?
[totalapexliving.com, 17 September 2025]

See also cohabiting

mankeeping noun [U]
/ˈmæn.kiː.pɪŋ/
the efforts some women make to support their male partner, especially when he does not have many friends and relies on her for most of his emotional or social needs

“Mankeeping” captures how women often act as emotional anchors, social organisers, and unofficial therapists for their male partners, largely because men have fewer close friendships and support systems,” explains integrative therapist Dr Isabel Kloiber.
[cosmopolitan.com, 6 August 2025]

About new words

dry texting noun [U]
/ˌdraɪ ˈtekstɪŋ/
sending very short text messages, sometimes with one-word answers to questions, which may suggest the sender is not interested in the person they are texting

Sometimes, dry texting is harmless. Other times, it can quietly erode a connection, making you or the other person feel ignored or unimportant. In relationships, whether romantic, friendly, or professional, the tone of communication matters as much as the words themselves.
[makeheadway.com, 21 August 2025]

social snacking noun [U]
UK /ˌsəʊ.ʃəl ˈsnækɪŋ/ US /ˌsoʊ.ʃəl ˈsnækɪŋ/
short or casual interactions that make someone feel more connected to others

Social snacking is something different. It’s usually quick and incidental—it just happens to occur while we’re doing something else—but it’s not the primary focus or intention. It might be a few brief words exchanged with the barista while they’re making your morning order [or] a shared joke with someone in a supermarket queue.
[signsmag.com, 1 August 2025]

otrovert noun [C]
UK /ˈɒt.rə.vɜːt/ US /ˈɑː.trə.vɝːt/
someone who may be outgoing and friendly but does not enjoy interacting with groups of people and often feels on the outside of society

If you’re not a joiner, secretly feel like an outsider in any group, feel awkward in groups and uneasy in public, you might be an otrovert, a personality type defined by a sense of “non-belonging”. Otroverts are outsiders who are treated like insiders. Contrary to being shunned, like other outsiders, they are always welcome into the fold. They simply don’t feel like they belong to the group and never did.
[afr.com, 23 July 2025]

About new words

broccoli perm noun [C]
UK /ˈbrɒk.ᵊl.i ˌpɜːm/ US /ˈbrɑː.kᵊl.i ˌpɝːm/
a hairstyle where the back and sides are short but the top is longer and curly

The first images from the movie’s set showed that Kent’s new look consists of voluminous curls on top, with short, discreet sides — a style that is now being referred to as the “broccoli perm.” From TikTok to bros, and from bros to the streets, today, the broccoli perm is everywhere. Or at least, everywhere there are kids under the age of 20.
[english.elpais.com, 17 January 2025]

bixie noun [C]
/ˈbɪk.si/
a hairstyle that is a cross between a bob and a pixie cut

The bixie is exactly what it sounds like. Half-bob, half-pixie, the vibe is casual and undone, like a grown-out pixie cut, or a choppier, more mussed-up bob. Pixie Geldof has the most perfect bixie cut, in my opinion (hers used to be a pixie, but she let it grow out).
[vogue.co.uk, 13 June 2025]

mullet gardening noun [U]
UK /ˈmʌl.ɪt ˌgɑː.dᵊn.ɪŋ/ US /ˈmʌl.ɪt ˌgɑːr.dᵊn.ɪŋ/
an approach to gardening that leaves the front part well-maintained and neat while allowing the back to grow wild, in a similar way to the mullet hairstyle

Meet mullet gardening: tidy at the front, wild at the back. This approach to the management of borders, lawns and even entire gardens puts wildlife at the forefront while saving you effort – here’s how it works and why you should try it in your garden.
[rhs.org.uk, 18 July 2025]

About new words

thirstwave noun [C]
UK /ˈθɜːstweɪv/ US /ˈθɝːstweɪv/
a period of hot, dry weather that causes soil and plants to lose a very large amount of water to evaporation

During a thirstwave, the atmosphere essentially goes into overdrive, demanding more moisture than usual. From 1981 to 2021, thirstwaves across the United States averaged 0.8 millimeters per day above normal, lasted about 4 days, and occurred nearly 3 times per growing season.
[earth.com, 14 April 2025]

firewave noun [C]
UK /ˈfaɪəweɪv/ US /ˈfaɪrweɪv/
a series of fires that burn strongly and out of control on an area of grass in a city, usually triggered by very hot weather

Cities across the UK are facing a growing threat from an emerging phenomenon called “firewaves” as temperatures rise due to climate change, scientists have warned. Guillermo Rein, professor of fire science at Imperial College London, has been working alongside the London Fire Brigade to help predict when conditions are ripe for a “firewave”.
[bbc.co.uk, 14 August 2025]

smog wave noun [C]
UK /ˈsmɒg ˌweɪv/ US /ˈsmɑːg ˌweɪv/
a period of extreme and long-lasting air pollution, where a mixture of smoke, gases, and chemicals in the atmosphere make it difficult to breathe and can be harmful for health

Authorities in eastern Pakistan have closed public parks, zoos, museums, historical buildings and playgrounds for 10 days as a record-breaking “smog wave” choked 18 districts of Punjab province, leaving tens of thousands of people ill. Lahore residents went about their lives in a twilight gloom that lingered over the city for hours, reducing visibility to around 100 metres.
[jerseyeveningpost.com, 8 November 2024]

About new words

best friend dictionary noun [C]
UK /ˌbest frend ˈdɪk.ʃᵊn.ᵊr.i/ US /ˌbest frend ˈdɪk.ʃᵊn.er.i/
a set of inside jokes and made-up words and phrases used by close friends

You know you’re bonded with your best friend when you develop words and phrases of your own, almost like a secret language. On TikTok, this tradition has been dubbed the “best friend dictionary” and it already has millions of views … The best friend dictionary is iconic, but even more impressive is how quickly everyone partaking in this trend seems to know the definitions.
[bustle.com, 14 May 2024]

friendflation noun [U]
/frendˈfleɪ.ʃᵊn/
the rising cost of going out with friends

Can you put a price on friendship? Apparently you can, and it isn’t cheap. The rising cost of socialising, known as “friendflation”, is “becoming a serious pressure point” for many adult friendships, said The Mirror. “Birthdays aren’t just a few drinks at the pub, they’re weekends away, lavish brunches or fancy dinners”, and “even going for a coffee is nearly a fiver”.
[theweek.com, 1 October 2025]

medium friend noun [C]
/ˈmiː.di.əm ˌfrend/
someone who is closer than an acquaintance but not a very close friend

I personally don’t think that it makes sense to go around calling people medium friends to their face. This term is more about internal taxonomy so that you can name and understand the phenomenon without feeling like you’re the only person experiencing this or feeling bad for it.
[reeswrites.com, 1 June 2025]

About new words