It is natural to want our family and friends to be safe, and this post looks at words connected with being careful – both for advising people to be careful and for describing careful people and actions. Continue reading “Look out! Talking about being careful.”→
Today, in the latest of my money-themed posts, I’m looking at money idioms, by which I mean idioms that say something about money (and not idioms about other subjects that feature the words ‘penny’, ‘money’, ‘coin’ etc.). There are lots of money idioms so this is Part 1 and we’ll publish Part 2 in a couple of weeks. Continue reading “Paying through the nose and pushing the boat out (Money Idioms, Part 1)”→
chauffeur mumnoun [C] UK /ˈʃəʊ.fə ˌmʌm/ US /ʃoʊˈfɝː ˌmʌm/ a mother who lives in an area with little or no public transport and spends a lot of time driving her children to and from school and other places
Chauffeur mums are a well-known Australian phenomenon. A lack of convenient transport options coupled with gendered roles has made many suburban women (and their children) car-dependent, whether they like it or not. And, more often than not, the demands of household chores and child rearing fall more heavily on women. [theguardian.com, 8 November 2022]
sittervisingnoun [U] UK /ˈsɪt.ə.vaɪ.zɪŋ/ US /ˈsɪt̬.ɚ.vaɪ.zɪŋ/ the activity of watching your children while they play on their own
Sittervising may sound obvious once you realize what it is (sitting while supervising your kids). But think about it: How often do you sit on the park bench while your child plays on the playground? Exactly. The goal of sittervising is to let your kids hang independently while you take a minute (or two) to yourself. [theskimm.com, 31 August 2022]
jellyfish parentnoun [C] UK /ˈdʒel.i.fɪʃ ˌpeə.rᵊnt/ US /ˈdʒel.i.fɪʃ ˌper.ᵊnt/ a mother or father who is not very strict with their children and often spoils them
Other styles of parenting have been developed over the years inspired by animals: jellyfish parents are more lenient and permissive in their parenting. They have few rules for their children and can often overindulge them. Studies have shown that children raised by jellyfish parents show a lack of impulse control. Jellyfish parents prioritise connection and love over setting rules and boundaries. They very rarely use punishments to discipline their children. [twinkl.com, 27 April 2022]
In a supermarket last week, I heard a mother telling her child not to be naughty. Naughty is, of course, a word usually used for (badly behaved) children rather than adults. It made me think about other words that we use mainly for children, and I thought the subject would make an interesting post. Continue reading “Telltales and fidgets (Words that we use for children)”→