The Cambridge Dictionary Word of the Year 2025 is… parasocial
This word, which was previously used mainly in academic contexts, was added to the Cambridge Dictionary in 2023 after our lexicographers noticed it appearing in news articles and on social media. Continue reading “Cambridge Dictionary’s Word of the Year 2025”
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by Liz Walter
Today’s post is the first of a pair looking at some of the very many phrases that contain the word ‘end’. The noun end has two main meanings. The first is the part of something that is furthest away from the centre. Today’s post looks at phrases where ‘end’ relates to this meaning. Continue reading “Jumping in at the deep end: phrases with ‘end’”
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My last post looked at the language that we use to describe people and animals who are physically strong and weak. Today’s post focuses on words for things that are strong and weak. Continue reading “Sturdy or flimsy? (Words for strong and weak things)”
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Today’s post and my next one focus on words for talking about physical strength and its opposite, weakness. This first one looks at words for people (and animals) who are physically strong and physically weak.
Continue reading “Ripped or puny? (Words meaning ‘strong’ and ‘weak’)”
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by Liz Walter
Some people seem to sail happily through life, always looking forward to what’s coming next and always expecting things to go well. Others are quite the opposite, always expecting bad things to happen. Today’s post looks at some of the language we use to describe these two extremes.
Continue reading “Glass half full: talking about optimism and pessimism”
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This week’s post relates to the language used to describe an activity that gives a great deal of pleasure to people the world over – growing and taking care of plants and flowers, whether outside or in the home.
Continue reading “Green fingers and thumbs (The language of gardening)”
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by Liz Walter
There are often occasions when we don’t want to do something or when we refuse to do something. There can be many reasons for not doing something, and the language we use to talk about it may depend on them. Today’s post looks at some of the most common ones.
Continue reading “I don’t have the heart for it: not wanting to do things”
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Do you know someone who is ‘good in a crisis’ – someone who stays admirably calm in difficult circumstances when the people around them are too stressed to make good decisions? Perhaps you are good in a crisis. This week, I’m looking at all the words and phrases we use to talk about such people.
Continue reading “Calm and collected (The language of staying calm in a crisis)”
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This week’s blog post is a companion to one that I published last month on ways of talking about luck. Today’s post focuses on the language of chance – that force that makes things happen without any obvious cause.
Continue reading “Random and fortuitous (Words for talking about chance)”
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by Liz Walter
Today’s post is the second of a pair covering words and phrases connected with competitions and contests of all types (you can find the first post here). This post focuses on vocabulary associated with winning and losing.
Continue reading “Decisive victory or narrow defeat: talking about competitions (2)”