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Today’s topic is the language that we use to describe people and actions that are morally good and morally bad.
Continue reading “Worthy and wicked (Words meaning ‘good’ and ‘bad’)”
fambushing noun [U]
/ˈfæm.bʊʃɪŋ/
using a location-sharing app to find out where your parent is and then turning up without warning, often hoping to eat with them, get a lift home, or be given some other help
Gen Z is taking digital surveillance to the next level with a trend called “fambushing,” where kids show up unannounced at their parents’ hangouts to ask for snacks, Starbucks, or rides. According to YPulse, 75% of tweens have their location tracked by parents, but now many parents are finding themselves tracked just as closely, or even more so, by their own kids.
[ypulse.com, 23 June 2025]
no-habiting noun [U]
UK /nəʊ.ˈhæb.ɪtɪŋ/ US /noʊ.ˈhæb.ɪtɪŋ/
the situation where you do not live with someone you are in a committed sexual relationship with
Just when you thought dating couldn’t get any more complicated, along comes “no-habiting” – the revolutionary concept of not moving in with your partner. Groundbreaking stuff, really. Who would’ve thought that maintaining your own space while dating could be considered a “trend”?
[totalapexliving.com, 17 September 2025]
See also cohabiting
mankeeping noun [U]
/ˈmæn.kiː.pɪŋ/
the efforts some women make to support their male partner, especially when he does not have many friends and relies on her for most of his emotional or social needs
“Mankeeping” captures how women often act as emotional anchors, social organisers, and unofficial therapists for their male partners, largely because men have fewer close friendships and support systems,” explains integrative therapist Dr Isabel Kloiber.
[cosmopolitan.com, 6 August 2025]
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”
dry texting noun [U]
/ˌdraɪ ˈtekstɪŋ/
sending very short text messages, sometimes with one-word answers to questions, which may suggest the sender is not interested in the person they are texting
Sometimes, dry texting is harmless. Other times, it can quietly erode a connection, making you or the other person feel ignored or unimportant. In relationships, whether romantic, friendly, or professional, the tone of communication matters as much as the words themselves.
[makeheadway.com, 21 August 2025]
social snacking noun [U]
UK /ˌsəʊ.ʃəl ˈsnækɪŋ/ US /ˌsoʊ.ʃəl ˈsnækɪŋ/
short or casual interactions that make someone feel more connected to others
Social snacking is something different. It’s usually quick and incidental—it just happens to occur while we’re doing something else—but it’s not the primary focus or intention. It might be a few brief words exchanged with the barista while they’re making your morning order [or] a shared joke with someone in a supermarket queue.
[signsmag.com, 1 August 2025]
otrovert noun [C]
UK /ˈɒt.rə.vɜːt/ US /ˈɑː.trə.vɝːt/
someone who may be outgoing and friendly but does not enjoy interacting with groups of people and often feels on the outside of society
If you’re not a joiner, secretly feel like an outsider in any group, feel awkward in groups and uneasy in public, you might be an otrovert, a personality type defined by a sense of “non-belonging”. Otroverts are outsiders who are treated like insiders. Contrary to being shunned, like other outsiders, they are always welcome into the fold. They simply don’t feel like they belong to the group and never did.
[afr.com, 23 July 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’”
broccoli perm noun [C]
UK /ˈbrɒk.ᵊl.i ˌpɜːm/ US /ˈbrɑː.kᵊl.i ˌpɝːm/
a hairstyle where the back and sides are short but the top is longer and curly
The first images from the movie’s set showed that Kent’s new look consists of voluminous curls on top, with short, discreet sides — a style that is now being referred to as the “broccoli perm.” From TikTok to bros, and from bros to the streets, today, the broccoli perm is everywhere. Or at least, everywhere there are kids under the age of 20.
[english.elpais.com, 17 January 2025]
bixie noun [C]
/ˈbɪk.si/
a hairstyle that is a cross between a bob and a pixie cut
The bixie is exactly what it sounds like. Half-bob, half-pixie, the vibe is casual and undone, like a grown-out pixie cut, or a choppier, more mussed-up bob. Pixie Geldof has the most perfect bixie cut, in my opinion (hers used to be a pixie, but she let it grow out).
[vogue.co.uk, 13 June 2025]
mullet gardening noun [U]
UK /ˈmʌl.ɪt ˌgɑː.dᵊn.ɪŋ/ US /ˈmʌl.ɪt ˌgɑːr.dᵊn.ɪŋ/
an approach to gardening that leaves the front part well-maintained and neat while allowing the back to grow wild, in a similar way to the mullet hairstyle
Meet mullet gardening: tidy at the front, wild at the back. This approach to the management of borders, lawns and even entire gardens puts wildlife at the forefront while saving you effort – here’s how it works and why you should try it in your garden.
[rhs.org.uk, 18 July 2025]
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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)”
quadrobics noun [U]
UK /kwɒd.ˈrəʊ.bɪks/ US /kwɑːd.ˈroʊ.bɪks/
a type of exercise where a person mimics the movements of four-legged animals, and may sometimes dress up as an animal
Finally, quadrobics can offer much-needed stress relief and escape from the same workout routines. By incorporating this fun, lighthearted but beneficial exercise into fitness regimes, people can maintain motivation by keeping routines feeling fresh while also improving moods through the playfulness of the exercise.
[womenshealthmag.com, 8 January 2025]
See also aerobics
youth molecule noun [C]
UK /ˈjuːθ ˌmɒl.ɪ.kjuːl/ US /ˈjuːθ ˌmɑː.lɪ.kjuːl/
a nickname for NAD⁺ (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide), a substance in the body that helps cells stay healthy and whose levels decline as people get older, which is in turn linked to memory loss and some diseases of old age
NAD+, often called the “youth molecule”, is the “fuel regulator” of our cells, keeping them functioning properly, repairing damaged DNA, and helping the body produce energy, the researchers explain in their review.
[independent.co.uk, 23 September 2025]
wellbeing washing noun [U]
UK /ˈwel.biːɪŋ ˌwɒʃ.ɪŋ/ US /ˈwel.biːɪŋ ˌwɑː.ʃɪŋ/
behaviour or activities designed to make people think a company supports the physical and mental health of its employees, when it actually gives them very little real help
A Institution of Occupational Safety and Health study found that 51% of employees believe their employer engages in “wellbeing washing,” offering superficial benefits while ignoring serious issues like excessive workloads and burnout.
[vantagefit.io, 19 May 2025]
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by Liz Walter
Way back in 2015, I wrote a post that touched on some differences between American and British English. Today’s post looks specifically at differences in pronunciation. There are of course many, some (more or less) systematic, and some not. I hope that covering some common words will help to raise awareness of issues to look out for.
Continue reading “You say ‘to-may-to’ and I say ‘to-mah-to’: UK/US pronunciation”
thirstwave noun [C]
UK /ˈθɜːstweɪv/ US /ˈθɝːstweɪv/
a period of hot, dry weather that causes soil and plants to lose a very large amount of water to evaporation
During a thirstwave, the atmosphere essentially goes into overdrive, demanding more moisture than usual. From 1981 to 2021, thirstwaves across the United States averaged 0.8 millimeters per day above normal, lasted about 4 days, and occurred nearly 3 times per growing season.
[earth.com, 14 April 2025]
firewave noun [C]
UK /ˈfaɪəweɪv/ US /ˈfaɪrweɪv/
a series of fires that burn strongly and out of control on an area of grass in a city, usually triggered by very hot weather
Cities across the UK are facing a growing threat from an emerging phenomenon called “firewaves” as temperatures rise due to climate change, scientists have warned. Guillermo Rein, professor of fire science at Imperial College London, has been working alongside the London Fire Brigade to help predict when conditions are ripe for a “firewave”.
[bbc.co.uk, 14 August 2025]
smog wave noun [C]
UK /ˈsmɒg ˌweɪv/ US /ˈsmɑːg ˌweɪv/
a period of extreme and long-lasting air pollution, where a mixture of smoke, gases, and chemicals in the atmosphere make it difficult to breathe and can be harmful for health
Authorities in eastern Pakistan have closed public parks, zoos, museums, historical buildings and playgrounds for 10 days as a record-breaking “smog wave” choked 18 districts of Punjab province, leaving tens of thousands of people ill. Lahore residents went about their lives in a twilight gloom that lingered over the city for hours, reducing visibility to around 100 metres.
[jerseyeveningpost.com, 8 November 2024]