a luxurious modern bathroom with plants, large windown, seats and a free-standing tub

New words – 24 July 2023

a luxurious modern bathroom with plants, large windown, seats and a free-standing tub
asbe / E+ / Getty

spathroom noun [C]
UK /ˈspɑːθ.ruːm/ US /ˈspæθ.ruːm/
a bathroom that has been designed to be very clean, comfortable and relaxing, like a spa

More people are looking to incorporate wellness into their home, particularly in the bathroom. The focus is on creating a “spathroom”, a bathroom/spa hybrid that promotes serenity and calm. Good lighting is a spathroom essential, as light has a huge effect on our wellbeing.
[county.wedding, 24 February 2023]

bed rotting noun [U]
UK /ˈbed ˌrɒt.ɪŋ/ US /ˈbed ˌrɑː.tɪŋ/
the habit of spending a lot of time in bed to relax

As experts and introverts continue to tout the benefits of self-care, “bed rotting” has become one of the most popular forms of recouping. While it may sound extreme “bed rotting” just refers to lying in bed for long periods of time … While people have laid around and stayed in bed for long periods of time for years, many Gen Zers online note that “bed rotting” has to be intentional and come with no guilt to really count and be regenerative.
[nypost.com, 29 May 2023]

table gown noun [C]
/ˈteɪ.bᵊl ˌgaʊn/
an expensive tablecloth usually made from shiny or sparkling material and highly decorated

Summerill & Bishop, which has been adorning the smartest tables since launching its fashion-forward collection of table linens eight years ago, has upped the ante with its new Couture collection of glamorous, sequin-bedecked “table gowns”. With a camouflage design inspired by the mottled bark on the London plane trees that surround the brand’s Holland Park flagship, each cloth is embellished with upwards of 260,000 sequins embroidered on to pure French linen.
[telegraph.co.uk, 8 June 2023]

About new words

close-up photograph of a young girl holding a small green frog

Growling, hissing and croaking: using animal noises to show human emotions

Listen to the author reading this blog post:

close-up photograph of a young girl holding a small green frog
Gins Wang / E+ / GettyImages

by Liz Walter

My last post looked at replacing the common verb ‘say’ with more interesting verbs that can convey information about a speaker’s emotions or personality. This post continues that theme, this time concentrating on verbs that are used for animal noises. Continue reading “Growling, hissing and croaking: using animal noises to show human emotions”

a middle-aged couple wearing sunglasses and carrying suitcases in a sunny setting

New words – 17 July 2023

a middle-aged couple wearing sunglasses and carrying suitcases in a sunny setting
Flashpop / DigitalVision / Getty

thirst trip noun [C]
UK /ˈθɜːst ˌtrɪp/ US /ˈθɝːst ˌtrɪp/
a holiday lasting a few days, taken during a period when there are no public holidays

With nearly 100 days between President’s Day and Memorial Day weekend, Americans are entering the longest stretch of the U.S. calendar without a federally sanctioned day off. This 3-day weekend drought leaves people parched for a getaway. New search data from Hotels.com shows a new trip type is quenching our thirst this spring: thirst trips, or short weekend stays that satisfy our desire for a day off by the pool.
[hospitalitynet.org, 22 February 2023]

slowmad noun [C]
UK /ˈsləʊ.mæd/ US /ˈsloʊ.mæd/
a digital nomad (= a remote worker who travels to different locations) who spends a lot of time in one place

Many years later, with my teenage dreams still in mind, I left my Parisian apartment and became a slowmad. I started wandering in Europe until I discovered the concept of coliving and something I didn’t know I needed, a sense of community. Fast forward to early 2022 when I encountered the place I now call home: Château Coliving.
[chateaucoliving.com, 19 May 2023]

lisness noun [U]
/ˈlɪz.nəs/
a type of travel where a longer holiday will include some time spent working, attending a business conference etc.

Between business and pleasure, we’ve identified a paradigm shift that we call “lisness”. The reverse of the old way – of tacking a day or two of relaxation onto a business trip – this is about planning a leisure trip and creating time in which to work. We’re seeing client travels extending into month-long ventures, with a 75/25 leisure/business split. With time to labour and time to lounge (or explore).
[blacktomato.com, 30 May 2023]

About new words

a young man putting chairs up on tables in a cafe as he prepares to leave work at the end of the day

At the end of the day (Phrases with ‘day’, Part 2)

Listen to the author reading this blog post:

a young man putting chairs up on tables in a cafe as he prepares to leave work at the end of the day
The Photo Commune / DigitalVision / GettyImages

by Kate Woodford

In a recent post, I looked at phrases containing the word ‘day’, most of which relate in some way to time. Today, I’m considering frequent idioms that feature the word ‘day’. In many of these, the original meaning of ‘day’ isn’t quite as obvious. Continue reading “At the end of the day (Phrases with ‘day’, Part 2)”

two young adults on a date drinking coffee together at a small table outside a shop

New words – 10 July 2023

two young adults on a date drinking coffee together at a small table outside a shop
Cultura RM Exclusive / Robin James / Image Source / Getty

infla-dating noun [U]
UK /ˈɪn.fləˌdeɪ.tɪŋ/ US /ˈɪn.fləˌdeɪ.t̬ɪŋ/
going out with someone you have a romantic relationship with to do things that are not very expensive

As you can guess by its name, infla-dating is a trend where people are going on cheaper dates. This trend works for people who are in a long-term relationship as well as singles on a first date. Because with everything as expensive as it is right now, it’s not financially practical to have a date at fancy restaurants anymore.
[yourtango.com, 16 April 2023]

wokefishing noun [U]
UK /ˈwəʊk.fɪʃ.ɪŋ/ US /ˈwoʊk.fɪʃ.ɪŋ/
pretending to care more than you actually do about social problems such as racism and inequality in order to attract someone you want to have a romantic relationship with

So, what’s “wokefishing?” Don’t fall prey to this sneaky dating trend. Wokefishing is like the love child of being “woke” and “catfishing,” and it’s as deceptive as it sounds. Wokefishing is all about pretending to be socially conscious to attract potential partners. These modern-day chameleons will say anything to make you think they’re as progressive as can be.
[distractify.com, 17 May 2023]

untyping noun [U]
/ˈʌn.taɪ.pɪŋ/
choosing to start a romantic relationship with someone who isn’t the type of person you normally find attractive

To hell with consistency: “untyping” has hit the dating scene to shake things up, perhaps for the better. Rather than succumb to dating burnout, singles are thinking outside the box and parting ways with the norms in a partner they once considered to be dealbreakers.
[myimperfectlife.com, 27 May 2023]

About new words

black-and-white photograph of a young woman with her head tipped back and mouth open as though laughing or shouting, with brightly coloured abstract shapes coming from her mouth to represent speech

Spluttering, cackling and drawling: verbs to use instead of ‘say’

Listen to the author reading this blog post:

black-and-white photograph of a young woman with her head tipped back and mouth open as though laughing or shouting, with brightly coloured abstract shapes coming from her mouth to represent speech
Tara Moore / DigitalVision / GettyImages

by Liz Walter

This post looks at ways of conveying personality or emotions by choosing a more interesting verb than ‘say’ when you report someone’s speech. Anyone who has been on a creative writing course will be familiar with the maxim ‘Show, don’t tell,’ and choosing a specific synonym for ‘say’ can help you to do this. Continue reading “Spluttering, cackling and drawling: verbs to use instead of ‘say’”

two chefs garnishing a dessert

New words – 3 July 2023

two chefs garnishing a dessert
Nick Daly / Image Source / Getty

four-hands dinner noun [C]
UK /ˌfɔː.hændz ˈdɪn.ər/ US /ˌfɔːr.hændz ˈdɪn.ɚ/
a special dinner cooked in an expensive, often famous restaurant by two senior chefs

Modern German restaurant Heimat’s head chef Peter Find and Towngas’ CulinArt 1862 head chef Stanley Wong are coming together for a special four-hands dinner happening in March and April. Celebrating their 30 years of friendship as well as their shared German heritage, the two chefs have prepared unique eight-course menus complete with sake and German wine pairings.
[timeout.com, 28 February 2023]

alpha-footing noun [U]
/ˈæl.fəˌfʊtɪŋ/
the activity of choosing not to wear shoes in certain situations, such as in business meetings, said to be a sign of wealth and power

Goodbye loafers, beefed-up boaters and clunky cowboy boots – the new summer shoe for men is … nothing. Yup, the ultimate power move right now is alpha-footing, aka taking off your shoes completely. The naked foot look was dramatically brought to the screen by Lukas (Alexander Skarsgard) in Succession.
[thetimes.co.uk, 23 May 2023]

pandemic brain noun [S]
/pænˈdem.ɪk ˌbreɪn/
a series of symptoms including forgetting things and not being able to think clearly that people are said to experience as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, even if they have not had Covid

From early on in the pandemic, college students reported strange symptoms even if they didn’t have COVID-19 — like forgetfulness, trouble concentrating, and an inability to think clearly. News outlets and social media users labeled the phenomenon “pandemic brain.” New research published in the Journal of American College Health suggests that college students may have been experiencing pandemic brain at the start of the 2020–2021 school year through spring 2022.
[bestcolleges.com, 24 April 2023]

About new words

composite photograph of the Beijing skyline seen at several different times of day and night

From one day to the next (Phrases with ‘day’, Part 1)

Listen to the author reading this blog post:

composite photograph of the Beijing skyline seen at several different times of day and night
Waitforlight / Moment / GettyImages

by Kate Woodford

The word ‘day’ features in a lot of commonly used phrases and idioms so I thought I’d take a look at the most useful ones. This post focuses mainly on phrases rather than idioms. Continue reading “From one day to the next (Phrases with ‘day’, Part 1)”

a top-down view of a person's hands typing on a laptop, with three stylised grey clouds above it, against a plain black background

New words – 26 June 2023

alexsl / iStock / Getty Images Plus

supercloud noun [S]
UK /ˈsuː.pə.klaʊd/ US /ˈsuː.pɚ.klaʊd/
a single computing system where services such as storage, apps etc. from different providers can be easily accessed by the user

The answer proposed by the supercloud concept is to create another abstraction layer above this that operates agnostically of whatever cloud platform or platforms are running below it. This is the supercloud, where applications can be run in containers or virtual machines, interfacing with any cloud platforms underneath.
[forbes.com, 4 April 2023]

exascale adjective
/ˈek.sə.skeɪl/
An exascale computer is very powerful, able to carry out one quintillion (1018) mathematical operations per second

Exascale supercomputers are the next frontier in computing. They can quickly analyze massive volumes of data and realistically simulate many of the extremely complex processes and relationships behind the fundamental forces of the universe—in a way that’s never been done before. Many industries and systems could be affected, including precision medicine, climate science, and nuclear physics.
[mckinsey.com, 22 November 2022]

sky computing noun [U]
UK /ˌskaɪ kəmˈpjuː.tɪŋ/ US /ˌskaɪ kəmˈpjuː.t̬ɪŋ/
a way of accessing services, apps etc. on different systems on the internet through a top level to which all the systems belong

Sky computing has been described as “the layer above the clouds.” The term refers to a newer model of cloud computing known as multi-cloud, where organizations may pick and choose different cloud services from different operators according to their specific requirements.
[techbehemoths.com, 20 July 2022]

About new words

a person's hand reaching out to take one slice from a pie chart made up of five coloured segments: red, white, green, yellow and blue

Obtaining information and deriving satisfaction: 5 different ways of saying ‘get’

Listen to the author reading this blog post:

a person's hand reaching out to take one slice from a pie chart made up of five coloured segments: red, white, green, yellow and blue
John Scott / The Image Bank / GettyImages

by Liz Walter

One way to improve your English is to find more interesting vocabulary to use instead of very common words. This post looks at five verbs you can use instead of ‘get’. Regular readers of my posts will know that I often talk about collocation, or words that commonly go together. I’ll be focusing on this particularly today because although the words I’m covering are basically synonyms, some of them tend to collocate strongly with particular groups of nouns. Note that they are all a little more formal than ‘get’ but still commonly used, especially in writing. Continue reading “Obtaining information and deriving satisfaction: 5 different ways of saying ‘get’”