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Today’s post is the second of a pair focusing on nautical idioms, that is, idioms relating to sailing and the ocean. Part 1 covered idioms with the words ‘boat’, ’ship’ or ‘water’. Today, I’m looking at idioms containing a range of other nautical words. Where an item of vocabulary or the nautical origin of a phrase is not clear, I have given a brief explanation. Continue reading “All hands on deck! (Nautical Idioms, Part 2)”
Rad noun [C]
/ræd/
abbreviation for “rich autumn dad”: a man who dresses in the style of wealthy country gentlemen, for example wearing tweed and corduroy clothes, even if he is young and has no children
The leader of this new style pack, known among fashion watchers as the Rads, is David Beckham. The former England football captain appears in Country Life in a variety of looks including a tweed blazer and corduroy trousers. British country attire is now being embraced by men of all ages who want to emulate old money style. They may not be rich. They may not be a dad. But they can still look like a Rad.
[theguardian.com, 24 October 2025]
Gen Z stare noun [C]
UK /ˌdʒen zed ˈsteə/ US /ˌdʒen ziː ˈsteər/
a facial expression, used of young people, where the face appears blank and emotionless, generally to signal indifference or boredom
The Gen Z generation is getting a lot of press lately, sending shock waves through the work world with something called the “Gen Z stare.” It’s described as a long, blank and expressionless stare in a variety of social situations. Although many critics reduce the look to a silly, disengaged expression, experts argue that … the ‘Gen Z stare’ is more than just a viral buzzword; it is not a new problem, but it is a pervasive one, highlighting a larger issue in today’s workplace: a growing generational disconnect in employee communication and expectations.
[forbes.com, 21 July 2025]
hub-son noun [C]
/ˈhʌb.sʌn/
an adult male who continues to live with his parents, contributes little or nothing financially, but does housework and other household chores
Basically, a hub-son (a play on husband/son, obviously) is a son who lives at home with his mom/parents, holding no job other than performing traditional household tasks. Think of them like a stay-at-home tradwife, but … just an unmarried son who doesn’t want to move out of mommy’s house. But hey, in this economy, can we blame ’em?
[vice.com, 8 October 2025]
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by Liz Walter
My last post looked at phrases containing the word ‘end’ in the sense of the part that is furthest from the centre of something. Today’s post looks at phrases containing the word ‘end’ in its other main sense: the final part of something such as an activity or a period of time.
If something is at an end, it is finished and if it comes to an end, it finishes. On the other hand, if there is no end to something, it will never finish:
Eventually the rescuers arrived and her ordeal was at an end.
That period of my life was about to come to an end.
There seems to be no end to the conflict.
In the end, means finally, for instance at the end of a series of events or after a long discussion. We sometimes describe the point where something starts to get worse until it finishes or fails completely as the beginning of the end:
I made several attempts to call her, but in the end I went to her house.
It was the beginning of the end for our band when the drummer left.
If you do something to/until the bitter end, you continue until it is finished or completed, usually facing great problems or knowing that the result will be bad:
Their opponents had by far the better team, but they fought to the bitter end.
If you say that something is not the end of the world, you mean that it isn’t the worst thing that could happen. We sometimes use this phrase to imply that someone is making too much fuss about something. If someone comes to/meets a sticky end, they die in an unpleasant way. This phrase is slightly humorous, and shouldn’t be used in serious situations:
I know you’re upset about missing the show, but it’s not the end of the world.
The character comes to a sticky end when his car blows up.
I’ll finish with a very common phrase. When people are discussing a situation, they often finish with the phrase at the end of the day, followed by what they consider to be the most important fact about it:
You can complain about the driving test as much as you like, but at the end of the day, if you want to drive, you have to do it.
As you can see from this and my previous post, there are an incredible number of English phrases with the word ‘end’. Is this the same in your language?
As the UK is an island nation, it’s perhaps not surprising that there are a great many idioms in English that relate to the ocean and sailing. Some of these nautical idioms are not known or used by many people and others contain obscure items of vocabulary. However, a surprising number are fairly common in contemporary English. This post (and my next one) will cover the most frequent of these idioms. Continue reading “Rocking the boat (Nautical Idioms, Part 1)”
vibe working noun [U]
UK /ˈvaɪb ˌwɜː.kɪŋ/ US /ˈvaɪb ˌwɝː.kɪŋ/
a way of completing work tasks, such as creating documents or spreadsheets, by prompting an artificial intelligence tool with a general idea of what you want rather than giving it detailed instructions
Microsoft describes “vibe working” as collaboration between people and AI agents inside its productivity apps. Instead of giving a one-time response, the updated Copilot AI tools generate, test, and refine content while users steer the direction, more like a dialogue.
[geekwire.com, 29 September 2025]
boomerslop noun [U]
UK /ˈbuː.mə.slɒp/ US /ˈbuː.mɚ.slɑːp/
low-quality internet content that has been created by artificial intelligence and that is designed to appeal to people from the baby boomer generation
First, let me explain boomerslop: It’s AI slop that’s particularly appealing to a Facebook-loving boomer. I say this with love and affection for baby boomers. Time comes for us all, and every generation gets roasted for its digital foibles. Boomerslop isn’t even necessarily made by boomers. (Meta told me that boomers aren’t the majority of Meta AI users.) But, let’s say, this stuff is spiritually boomerish — it appeals to a boomer sensibility.
[businessinsider.com, 6 November 2025]
clanker noun [C]
UK /ˈklæŋkəʳ/ US /ˈklæŋkɚ/
a derogatory way of referring to a robot, chatbot or anything else that uses artificial intelligence
Clanker has become a go-to slur against A.I. on social media, led by Gen Z and Gen Alpha posters. In recent months, posts about clankers have amassed hundreds of millions of views on TikTok and Instagram and started thousands of conversations on X.
[nytimes.com, 31 August 2025]
throning noun [U]
UK /ˈθrəʊnɪŋ/ US /ˈθroʊnɪŋ/
dating someone because they increase your social status and reputation
“Throning is when someone positions their partner as a status symbol,” Chan says. “It’s about dating someone specifically because they elevate your image. The name comes from the idea of putting someone ‘on a throne’ to boost your own clout/social capital.”
[usatoday.com, 21 October 2025]
swag gap noun [C]
/ˈswæg ˌgæp/
a situation in which one partner in a relationship is widely seen as much more stylish, confident, or successful than the other
We’ve all seen them. Couples strolling down the street, totally loved up but worlds apart in style. One might be effortlessly chic, while the other looks… less so. Now, the internet has a name for it: enter the “swag gap”, a new term used to define couples with obvious style differences (as well as disparities in confidence or just all-round vibe).
[graziadaily.co.uk, 28 October 2025]
shrekking noun [C]
/ˈʃrekɪŋ/
dating someone you think is less physically attractive than you, in the belief that they will treat you better and be a more appreciative and loyal partner
Now another new and potentially toxic trend has arrived — shrekking. For lack of better words, the idea is that you date a conventionally unattractive suitor vis-a-vis Disney’s Shrek and keep your fingers crossed that their amiable character eventually makes you fancy them … Many have branded shrekking as one of social media’s nastiest trends. Experts have said the trend is inherently unfair to the partner that you see as being less attractive.
[standard.co.uk, 2 November 2025]
Listen to the author reading this blog post.
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]