Listen to the author reading this blog post.
The much-loved Tina Turner famously sang ‘You’re simply the best, Better than all the rest’, giving us a brief but helpful lesson in irregular comparatives and superlatives. In this post, I aim to expand on the superlative part of that lesson, providing useful words and phrases for describing someone or something that is considered the best.
Continue reading “Simply the best! (Ways to describe the best)”
quishing noun [U]
/ˈkwɪʃ.ɪŋ/
a type of phishing attack that uses QR codes to trick people into visiting websites or downloading files that will harm their computer or allow people to take money from them
Quishing works similarly to traditional phishing attacks, where the URL to the malicious website is delivered via email or SMS messages. However, in quishing, the QR code is decoded into a URL that points to the malicious website. The malicious QR code can be printed on paper or simply created digitally on digital posters and delivered via social media posts or emails.
[authentic8.com, 13 June 2024]
FaaS noun [U]
/ˌefeɪeɪˈes/
abbreviation for “fraud as a service”: the business of selling knowledge, software, data etc. to enable people to carry out fraudulent activities online
In a world where the shadows of the internet foster not just innovation but also illicit economies, the emergence of Fraud as a Service (FaaS) marks an unavoidable evolution in the cybercrime saga. Imagine a marketplace, not unlike those you’re used to, but one that trades in deception, theft, and digital disruption.
[fraudio.com, 10 April 2024]
money mule noun [C]
/ˈmʌn.i mjuːl/
someone who receives money from a criminal into their bank account and then transfers it to another person
Money mules are a crucial link in the fraud chain – and, while they are criminals in the eyes of the law, many are completely unaware of their involvement. You may know one, or even be one yourself! … Not all money mules are complicit – many are victims of fraud themselves, while others may be forced or tricked into letting criminals use their bank accounts.
[which.co.uk, 1 July 2024]
Listen to the author reading this blog post.
by Liz Walter
My last post looked at some general vocabulary for talking about crime. Today I’m going to focus on the specific area of theft.
Continue reading “Robbing, looting, and embezzling: talking about stealing”
Generation T noun [U]
/ˌdʒen.əˈreɪ.ʃᵊn ˈtiː/
a way of referring to the group of people who were born in the early 2000s and who spend a lot of their free time travelling and going on holiday
With 18-24-year-olds set to be the most prolific travellers in 2024, ABTA – The Travel Association – has delved into their plans for the year ahead. Dubbed Generation T by ABTA due to their enthusiasm for travel, almost three-quarters of them are planning to travel overseas in the next 12 months … That doesn’t mean lots of quick breaks either. Generation T has been taking a much higher number of holidays for seven days or more than any other age group.
[abta.com/news, 28 November 2023]
See also Generation Z
microgapping noun [U]
UK /ˈmaɪ.krəʊ.gæp.ɪŋ/ US /ˈmaɪ.kroʊ.gæp.ɪŋ/
an alternative to the gap year, where people take shorter breaks and travel around their home country
Want to “get off the beaten track” on home turf this year? Maybe go biking, learn photography or try a spot of forest bathing in ancient forests? Or forage for gin botanicals, paddle down an idyllic river or improve your cooking skills? All this and more are possible in the Forest of Dean and Wye Valley. It’s ideal territory for microgapping, if you can’t get much time off or fork out for a long holiday.
[visitdeanwye.co.uk, 15 August 2022]
ghamping noun [U]
/ˈgæm.pɪŋ/
camping in a place that is said to have ghosts
The Rhode Island house that inspired the 2013 horror film The Conjuring is offering fans of the films and amateur paranormal investigators the chance to go “ghamping” – ghost camping – on the property. The Burrillville structure, dubbed The Conjuring House after gaining fame from the film, said eight camp sites have been set up on the property, each with a 3-4 person tent.
[upi.com, 24 May 2023]
Listen to the author reading this blog post.
Today I’m looking at idioms and phrases from a range of national newspapers published on the same day. This is something I do every couple of months in order to provide you with up-to-date, common idioms.
Continue reading “Never say die! (Idioms and phrases in newspapers)”
decel noun [C]
/ˈdiːsel/
someone who believes that AI and other new technologies are developing so quickly that they are likely to cause very serious problems and that progress should be deliberately slowed down
Another group of tech folks who matter in the AI debate are sometimes called the “decels.” Of course, decels are often denizens of the tech world, too. For example, earlier this year, a bunch of tech folks, including Elon Musk, signed an open letter proposing a pause in AI research past the level of GPT-4. The decels are still in favor of building new AI tech; they just want to be more careful about it.
[techcrunch.com, 20 November 2023]
slop noun [U]
UK /slɒp/ US /slɑːp/
AI-generated content that is unwanted and of poor quality
Your email inbox is full of spam. Your letterbox is full of junk mail. Now, your web browser has its own affliction: slop. “Slop” is what you get when you shove artificial intelligence-generated material up on the web for anyone to view. Unlike a chatbot, the slop isn’t interactive, and is rarely intended to actually answer readers’ questions or serve their needs.
[theguardian.com, 19 May 2024]
e/acc noun [U]
/ˌiːˈæk/
abbreviation for effective accelerationism: a movement that believes AI and other new technologies should be allowed to develop as quickly as possible without any restrictions
E/acc, as it’s known online, represents an obscure but growing movement that has made progress — specifically accelerated technological progress — its moral mission … Many of e/acc’s proponents are venture capitalists, founders, and engineers who would happen to benefit financially from technology’s accelerated progress.
[ca.style.yahoo.com, 5 January 2024]
See also accelerationism
By Patricia Ferraz
Brush up on your English through your love of reading. In this post, we highlight interesting phrases and idioms from the popular novel, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. Continue reading “Putting a spanner in the works – Idioms in The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society”
coffee badging noun [U]
UK /ˈkɒf.i ˌbædʒɪŋ/ US /ˈkɑː.fi ˌbædʒɪŋ/
the activity of going to your place of work and staying just long enough to have a coffee with colleagues before going home again to work there
Is your boss demanding you come into the office more often? As companies issue return-to-office orders, some workers are trying a new workaround called “coffee badging”. With most companies telling workers to show up at least some of the week — and some companies even weighing a return to a blanket five-day office mandate — employees are getting crafty with how long they actually stay there.
[euronews.com, 19 June 2024]
mouse jiggling noun [U]
/ˈmaʊs ˌdʒɪg.ᵊl.ɪŋ/
the activity of making one’s computer mouse move at regular intervals, using a gadget or piece of software, in order to make your employer think you are working when in fact you are not
The recent termination of over a dozen Wells Fargo employees for so-called simulation of keyboard activity, also known as ‘mouse jiggling’, has sparked widespread debate about modern management practices and the ethical implications of employee surveillance. This development is indicative of larger issues within corporate culture, particularly in the remote work landscape.
[developerherald.eu, 13 June 2024]
vampire task noun [C]
UK /ˈvæm.paɪə tɑːsk/ US /ˈvæm.paɪr tæsk/
one of the routine but necessary administrative tasks that employees have to spend a lot of time doing rather than more important work
Constantly overwhelmed by your to-do list at work? It’s time to stop “vampire tasks” from taking over your day. Between filing documents, clearing emails, scheduling meetings, chasing co-workers, managing your calendar and filling out expenses, how much of your working day is taken up by… doing your job? … If your days feel long and stressful but you’re not entirely convinced you’ve been productive by the time you clock off, you could be getting bogged down by these “vampire tasks”.
[www.stylist.co.uk, April 2024]
By Patricia Ferraz
Brush up on your English through your love of reading! In this post, we highlight interesting phrases and idioms from the popular mystery novel, The Thursday Murder Club. If you like mysteries and unusual detectives, you’ll love this best-seller by Richard Osman, which is soon to be made into a film by Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment.
Continue reading “In for a penny, in for a pound: Idioms in The Thursday Murder Club”
pebbling noun [U]
/ˈpeb.ᵊl.ɪŋ/
the activity of giving someone small gifts or sending them memes, photos, or videos on social media to show you love them
Now, it seems, humans are taking a page from the Antarctic animals, as a trend known as “pebbling” takes hold. How it works: A thoughtful lover gives their significant other some sort of gift, whether it be a cup of coffee or a sweet viral video, to brighten their day. “Pebbling started with the advent of meme sending as a form of creating a connection with people,” [said] Gigi Engle, a relationship expert and psychotherapist.
[nypost.com, 8 June 2024]
trendbait noun [U]
/ˈtrend.beɪt/
a new term or concept created to attract attention on social media platforms and start a trend
Trendbait describes the influx of slang for slang’s sake, where people create slang terms or new phrases in the hopes of going viral … Trendbait leans into internet FOMO – the fear of missing out. It helps generate language which bonds niche communities on the internet. And, where relevant, brands can lean into this language to connect with their target audience.
[brandwatch.com, 6 June 2023]
See also clickbait
anti-fan noun [C]
/ˈæn.tɪ.fæn/
someone who posts a lot of negative comments about a famous person on social media websites
We hear a lot these days about young people’s infatuation with influencers … But we almost never hear about an arguably more dedicated group: their anti-fans. These are the people who unite around a shared hatred of particular social media stars. They post on sites which host many forums where anti-fans post biting criticism of influencers’ appearance, weight and lifestyle, calling them bad mothers or suggesting their partners have cheated.
[theguardian.com, 27 Febuary 2024]