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]
snail girl noun [C]
UK /ˈsneɪl ˌɡɜːl/ US /ˈsneɪl ˌɡɝːl/
a woman who thinks that being happy and enjoying a relaxed lifestyle is more important than working too hard and putting herself under pressure
When Australian online site Fashion Journal recently published a piece titled “Snail girl era: Why I’m slowing down and choosing to be happy rather than busy,” it introduced many to the concept of being a “snail girl”. So what does it mean to be a “snail girl”? … At its essence, the concept signifies a work-life balance that recognises the importance of taking breaks, slowing down and pausing when you need to.
[abc.net.au, 30 September 2023]
Swiftonomics noun [U]
UK /ˌswɪft.əˈnɒm.ɪks/ US /ˌswɪft.əˈnɑːm.ɪks/
the impact on the economy of a city or country caused by the singer Taylor Swift and her popularity
Swiftonomics refers to the economic influence of musician Taylor Swift. In 2023, Swift embarked on her Eras Tour, a global series of shows that has become the highest-grossing tour on record, with a gross of more than $1 billion so far. The Eras Tour has been credited with boosting local economies across the U.S. … The pop superstar and her international tour also affected the global economy.
[investopedia.com, 8 March 2024]
microfeminism noun [U]
UK /ˌmaɪ.krəʊ.ˈfem.ɪ.nɪ.zᵊm/ US /ˌmaɪ.kroʊ.ˈfem.ə.nɪ.zᵊm/
a number of small actions carried out with the intention of helping women achieve a state where they have the same rights, power, and opportunities as men and are treated in the same way
On social media, a wave of women are speaking about the small, everyday acts they’re engaging in to clap back against sexism around the office. And it’s pretty inspiring to see just how widespread these acts of microfeminism have become. The actions can be subtle, even seemingly simple or insignificant. Think: emailing a male colleague without using a single exclamation point in order to achieve a more assertive tone.
[fastcompany.com, 18 May 2024]
Listen to the author reading this blog post.
by Liz Walter
Today’s post is the first in a short series on the topic of crime and it looks at some general vocabulary. Once again, I will be focusing on collocations, or words that go together. Continue reading “Committing, tackling, and solving: talking about crime”
hypertourism noun [U]
UK /ˌhaɪ.pəˈtʊə.rɪ.zᵊm/ US /ˌhaɪ.pɚˈtʊr.ɪ.zᵊm/
the situation when an extremely large number of people visit a place on holiday, so that the place is spoiled and life is made very difficult for the people who live there
While on the one hand many hundreds of people have found decent jobs in the tourism sector, on the other hand the most delicate parts of the ancient island of Zanzibar are suffering from the deplorable phenomenon of hypertourism which, for example, is suffocating the small pristine sand islands used as a base for observations of marine fauna and diving.
[ytali.com, 14 February 2024]
See also overtourism
hush trip noun [C]
/ˈhʌʃ ˌtrɪp/
a journey taken by an employee who then works remotely at the place they are visiting without telling their employer they are doing so
Last summer, the site surveyed 918 GenZers remote and hybrid workers and 44% revealed that they have taken a hush trip. About 65% used a virtual background to bamboozle their employers. The majority were able to get away with their trip without their bosses finding out
[forbes.com, 15 May 2024]
airport dad noun [C]
UK /ˌeə.pɔːt ˈdæd/ US /ˌer.pɔːrt ˈdæd/
the father of a family who takes charge of organizing a holiday and likes to arrive at the airport very early, or anyone who behaves in this way when travelling with a group
The term “airport dad” originated on TikTok when kids began documenting their actual fathers while traveling. Over time, the term has expanded to be used to describe anyone who likes to be in charge of the travel day. There are a few ways to identify an “airport dad”: Do they have boarding passes ready to go and seats checked in for all members of their travel party? Did they arrive early to the airport to sit at the gate “just in case”? Did they double-check that all packed bags were under the weight limit?
[yahoo.com, 13 October 2023]
warmdrobe noun [C]
UK /ˈwɔːm.drəʊb/ US /ˈwɔːrm.droʊb/
a collection of warm clothes to wear in cold weather
Finessing the art of cold weather dressing in winter is hard work, but a warmdrobe will make it decidedly easier. The key to a warmdrobe – a wardrobe curated specifically for bitterly cold times such as these – lies in tri- and quad-layering. This is the practice of acquiring pieces that need as little thought as possible because you know you can rely on them to do all of the heavy lifting for you.
[stylist.co.uk, January 2024]
method dressing noun [U]
UK /ˈmeθ.əd ˌdres.ɪŋ/ US /ˈmeθ.əd ˌdres.ɪŋ/
a trend where an actor dresses in the same way as the character they played in a film at events where they are promoting that film
When attending official ceremonies, festivals, or film promotions, actresses still impersonate their characters outside the film set. That new marketing technique combining fashion and performance is known as method dressing. We just have to look back at the big promotional marathon for Dune Part II to witness first-hand the role of method dressing as a marketing strategy. That evening, Zendaya and Florence Pugh opted for two opposite looks that matched their characters in Denis Villeneuve’s film.
[cosmopolitan.com, 26 April 2024]
See also method acting
movement director noun [C]
UK /ˈmuːv.mənt dɪˌrek.təʳ/ US /ˈmuːv.mənt dɪˌrek.tɚ/
someone who creates sequences of movements for fashion models to perform on the catwalk
Though the Poland-born creative has been collaborating with Galliano and the Margiela in-house team since 2018, in addition to working closely with other major brands like Versace and Tom Ford, his journey to becoming one of the most sought-after movement directors today has been nothing short of intriguing, with notable stints in dance, acting and modelling.
[vogue.co.uk, 20 March 2024]
street scar noun [C]
UK /ˈstriːt ˌskɑːʳ/ US /ˈstriːt ˌskɑːr/
a patch of asphalt used to repair a road that is not the same colour, or sometimes the same material, as the road underneath it
Telecoms and water companies are creating “street scars” in a “wasteful process” that is marring British high streets, Nicholas Boys Smith has said in a report. He uses the term “street scars” to describe black or grey patches of tarmac that disfigure the paving of streets and pavements, examples of which can be seen all over the UK.
[theguardian.com, 9 February 2024]
gentle density noun [U]
UK /ˌdʒen.təl ˈden.sɪ.ti/ US /ˌdʒen.t̬əl ˈden.sə.t̬i/
a type of urban development that focuses on building small apartment blocks and houses for one family so that the number of people living in that area does not increase severely and suddenly
High-rise towers and large-scale developments are often associated with high density. However, gentle density takes a different approach by integrating with the existing form and character of single-detached home neighborhoods. This design is not imposing and blends in with the surrounding area.
[urbanlogiq.com, 19 April 2023]
grey belt noun [C usually S]
UK /ˈgreɪ ˌbelt/ US /ˈgreɪ ˌbelt/
areas of land around a city or town that contain unused buildings, car parks etc. and that could be used to build houses
The Labour Party has announced a housing initiative to build 1.5mn houses on the UK’s “grey belt”. This plan aims to address the UK’s current housing crisis by releasing grey belt land for development. Explaining the initiative, the Labour Party stated: “When people talk about the green belt, most people think about hills and countryside but actually some green belt land includes poor quality land, car parks, and wasteland.”
[ftadviser.com, 22 April 2024]
See also green belt
Listen to the author reading this blog post.
I recently published a blog post on the language that we use to describe the way things seem to be (Keeping Up Appearances). Today, I’m looking at a related subject – words that describe things that are definitely not what they seem to be. Continue reading “Fakes and forgeries (Things that are not what they seem to be)”
applejuicification noun [U]
UK /ˌæp.ᵊl.dʒuː.sɪ.fɪˈkeɪ.ʃᵊn/ US /ˌæp.ᵊl.dʒuː.sə.fəˈkeɪ.ʃᵊn/
the use of apple juice as the main ingredient in drinks that contain several different fruit juices, especially when this is not made clear in the name or on the packaging
Last week, an X user shocked the internet in a viral thread by pointing out that most mixed juices and smoothies are mainly made from apples. The post looked at 13 juices in a supermarket aisle, noting that the majority were made with 50% apple juice or more, despite not having any apple in the name. It was described as “applejuiceification and the illusion of choice”.
[theguardian.com, 1 April 2024]
dirty soda noun [C]
UK /ˌdɜː.ti ˈsəʊ.də/ US /ˌdɝː.t̬i ˈsoʊ.də/
a sweet, fizzy, non-alcoholic drink, such as cola or lemonade, mixed with cream and other flavourings such as syrups and fruit juice
The latest phenomenon in the beverage world, dirty sodas refer to soft drinks “made dirty” by the addition of flavor-boosting ingredients such as cream, flavored syrups, or fruit juices … Dirty soda “how-to” videos have become standard fare on TikTok of late, and last year the dirty soda concept went mainstream when Sonic Drive-Ins began offering “Dirty Drinks” laced with cream and flavored syrups.
[masslive.com, 8 April 2024]
WaterTok noun [U]
UK /ˈwɔː.tə.ˌtɒk/ US /ˈwɑː.t̬ɚ.ˌtɑːk/
a community on the social media service TikTok where people post videos of recipes for water mixed with different flavoured ingredients
Welcome to “WaterTok,” one of the latest trends taking over timelines. People are creating cocktails of flavored syrups, powder packets, ice, and, obviously, water (traditionally in their large Stanley cups) in an effort to boost their daily water intake.
[fastcompany.com, 11 April 2024]
Listen to the author reading this blog post:
by Liz Walter
It is common to see confusion between the words ‘worse’ and ‘worst’, so in today’s post, I am going to explain the difference and also talk about some useful phrases which contain these words. Continue reading “Worse than or worst of all? How to use the words ‘worse’ and ‘worst’”