by Liz Walter
English has several ways of talking about the past, and it can often be difficult to decide which one to use. In this post, I am going to look at three very common past forms: the past simple (he decided), the past continuous (he was deciding), and the present perfect (he’s/he has decided) and try to give some simple advice on which form to use. Continue reading “He decided, he was deciding, he’s decided: choosing the correct past tense”
laze noun [C]
/leɪz/
a lava haze: a toxic cloud formed when hot lava flows into cold seawater
Laze plumes can travel with the wind and can change direction quickly, which has prompted authorities to urge the public to avoid the area completely … Even being downwind of the entry point is not advised because the wispy edges of the laze can cause skin and eye irritation and difficulty breathing.
[abcnews.go.com, 21 May 2018]
firenado noun [C]
UK /faɪə.ˈneɪ.dəʊ/ US /faɪr.neɪ.doʊ/
a fire tornado: a strong, dangerous wind created by a large fire that forms itself into an upside-down spinning cone
Firefighters have captured the moment a “firenado” – a fire tornado resembling a twister – engulfed a plastics factory in Derbyshire. The cyclonic vista was created by a combination of turbulent air and intense heat, and was tackled by officers from services in Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Staffordshire.
[www.huffingtonpost.co.uk, 8 August 2018]
Hothouse Earth noun [C, U]
UK /ˌhɒt.haʊs.ˈɜːθ/ US /ˌhɑːt.haʊs.ˈɝːθ/
a situation where it will no longer be possible to control climate change, leading to large areas of Earth becoming uninhabitable
In a Hothouse Earth, global average temperatures would rise 4–5° C (7–9° F) and sea levels will rise 10–60 meters (33–200 feet) above today’s levels. This would be catastrophic for many aspects of modern civilization. Many agricultural regions would become too hot and arid to sustain crops, making it impossible to feed large swaths of humanity.
[www.forbes.com, 9 August 2018]
The Christmas season is once again here and around the world, people who celebrate this festival are going to parties and gatherings with family, friends and colleagues. One important feature of most gatherings is food so we thought we’d take a look at the language in this area.
When you are hosting (=organizing in your home) a get-together of any type, you have to make decisions about catering (=providing food). How much and what type of food will you offer your guests? You might plan a proper dinner for people. This is sometimes called a sit-down meal, meaning that it is the sort of meal that people eat while sitting at a table: a sit-down meal at a wedding A meal in someone’s house in the evening used to be called a dinner party, though this now sounds a little formal. Nowadays, most people talk about having or asking their friends round/over for dinner: I thought I’d ask Jamie and Luisa round for dinner. Continue reading “Do help yourself! (The language of party food)”
social jetlag noun [U]
UK /ˌsəʊ.ʃᵊl.ˈdjet.læg/ US /ˌsoʊ.ʃᵊl.ˈdjet.læg/
the feelings of tiredness and confusion that people experience when they do not have a regular sleeping pattern, especially when they sleep for longer at weekends
The University of Adelaide sleep specialist Robert Adams said a growing body of research suggested poor sleep was taking a serious toll on Australians’ health and welfare. A study … found that 31% of survey respondents were suffering social jetlag. That is, the time of their sleep on work nights was more than an hour out of sync with sleeps on weekends or other days off.
[www.guardian.com, 8 July 2018]
nap bar noun [C]
UK /ˈnæp.bɑːʳ/ US /ˈnæp.bɑːr/
a place where you can pay money to sleep for a short time during the day
Last year, a survey … revealed that Londoners are more sleep deprived than the rest of the UK. Now someone has gone and launched a nap bar where overworked, overtired city dwellers can get some much needed shut-eye.
[Time Out, 6 December 2017]
sleep pod noun [C]
UK /ˈsliːp.pɒd/ US /ˈsliːp.pɑ:d/
a space, often a small room with a comfortable chair or small bed, where you can sleep for a short time during the day
Upstairs, on floor two, are seven sleep pods stocked with amenities to lull you into the most restful nap you’ve ever had in New York City. The private rooms have ceilings with twinkling stars, soundproof curtains, live plants, essential oil diffusers, reading lights, noise-canceling headphones, and more. Guests can even upgrade for additional linens.
[www.travelandleisure.com, 2 March 2018]
In this, the second of two year-end posts, I look at words associated with some major events and trends of 2018 from the perspective of the US. I’ve picked just six topics from an action-packed year, and I’ve tried to go for variety rather than simply importance, since the purpose of these posts is to provide useful vocabulary, not to report on the news or provide an opinion on it. Continue reading “Wildfires and mid-term elections: a look back at 2018 in the US”
tsundoku noun [U]
UK /tsʊn.ˈdəʊ.kuː/ US /tsʊn.ˈdoʊ.kuː/
the activity of buying a lot of books that you never have time to read
Strictly speaking, the word doku does mean reading, so tsundoku should probably only be used when discussing literature. But you might not be surprised to know some people have applied the term to other aspects of their lives. In a popular post on Reddit’s community dedicated to books, people discussed how this term could explain their relationship with films, television shows and even clothing.
[www.bbc.co.uk, 29 July 2018]
wabi-sabi noun [U]
/ˌwæ.bɪ.ˈsæ.bɪ/
the Japanese concept of appreciating the beauty in old and imperfect things
As we start to emerge from the cosy cocoon of winter, it’s time to embrace wabi-sabi, the spring interiors trend causing a stir. Wabi-sabi is about embracing a way of living that is authentic, simple and close to nature.
[www.t3.com, 11 January 2018]
kakeibo noun [U]
UK /kæ.ˈkeɪbəʊ/ US /kæ.ˈkeɪ.boʊ/
a Japanese approach to managing your money that involves using a journal to plan and monitor your spending each month
Kakeibo is an analog method of budgeting that’s been used in Japanese households for over 100 years. It combines elements of keeping a money journal, a planner, and a ledger all in one. This creates a system that helps you set, track, and achieve savings goals.
[www.studentloanhero.com, 13 June 2018]
Do you eat to live, or live to eat? If you’ve never heard this phrase before, someone who eats to live, eats only because they have to in order to carry on living. For this type of person, food is just fuel. Someone who lives to eat, on the other hand, regards food as the best part of living and is always looking forward to their next meal. I think it’s true to say that most of us fall somewhere between these two extremes! Continue reading “Fussy eaters and healthy appetites (Words and phrases to describe the way we eat)”
cart abandonment noun [U]
UK /ˈkɑːt.əbæn.dən.mənt/ US /ˈkɑːrt.əbæn.dən.mənt/
the practice of adding items to your online shopping cart on an e-commerce site but leaving the site without making the purchase
Without understanding why customers abandon carts, it is impossible to reduce cart abandonment. We’ve collected the top 10 reasons for cart abandonment. We’ll be breaking down each cause in detail, and provide a quick overview of how you can eliminate cart abandonment and recover sales.
[www.barilliance.com, 28 February 2018]
recommerce noun [U]
UK /ˌriːˈkɒm.ɜːs/ US /ˌriːˈkɑː.mɝːs/
the business of buying and selling used items, such as electronics and clothes, on the internet
Recommerce appeals to the aspirational and value-conscious nature of the Indian consumer. The feeling of status elevation by using a better-quality brand or product at a reasonable price point is helping this segment grow. Even more so, the large number of first-time buyers, students, and technophiles who want to upgrade their gadgets find great value in refurbished smartphones.
[www.techinasia.com, 13 February 2018]
pay-what-you-can adjective
UK /ˌpeɪ.wɒt.jəˈkæn/ US /ˌpeɪ.wɑːt.jəˈkæn/
relating to a way of selling goods that allows the shopper to pay only what they can afford
In a bright, airy Toronto market, the shelves are laden with everything from organic produce to pre-made meals and pet food. What shoppers won’t find, however, is price tags. In what is believed to be a North American first, everything in this grocery store is pay-what-you-can.
[www.guardian.com, 25 June 2018]
From New York to London to Tokyo, fans of the online Cambridge Dictionary have been voting for the word that they believe best sums up the year 2018. Our editors chose a shortlist of four words from this year’s new additions by looking at which ones were most popular and most relevant to 2018, and then asked you – our blog readers and social media followers – to vote.
The votes have now been counted and the People’s Word of 2018 has been decided. The word that received the most votes is:
nomophobia noun [U]
fear or worry at the idea of being without your mobile phone or unable to use it
The Cambridge Dictionary is one of the most popular online dictionaries in the world, and you, our users, are part of a very smart and enthusiastic global community using our free resources. So we were eager to give you the opportunity to tell us which words out of the thousands of new words and definitions we add every year best reflected 2018’s trends and events.
Your choice, nomophobia, tells us that people around the world probably experience this type of anxiety enough that you recognized it needed a name! Like many modern coinages, nomophobia is what’s called a blend: a new word made up of syllables from two or more words, in this case ‘no mobile phone phobia.’
Of course nomophobia isn’t a scientific word; a true phobia (extreme fear of something) is different from anxiety (extreme worry). The word has actually been around a lot longer than you would think. The earliest known use was in 2008 – not by psychologists, but by YouGov researchers, in a report commissioned by the UK Post Office. It then began to appear in UK media and has since spread around the world. Having proved its staying power, it was added to the online Cambridge Dictionary earlier this year.
Other words on the shortlist for the People’s Word of 2018 were:
gender gap noun [C]
a difference between the way men and women are treated in society, or between what men and women do and achieve
ecocide noun [U]
destruction of the natural environment of an area, or very great damage to it
no-platforming noun [U]
the practice of refusing someone an opportunity to make their ideas or beliefs known publicly, because you think these beliefs are dangerous or unacceptable
For more information about how the Cambridge Dictionary editors decide which new words to add to the online dictionary, take a look at the two-minute animation on our YouTube channel.
by Liz Walter
As 2018 draws to a close, I thought it would be interesting to look at just a few of the year’s major events. This post takes a UK perspective; my next one will cover events in the USA. I should make it clear that the purpose of this post is to focus on vocabulary – much as I might like to, I am not expressing any personal opinions about things that have happened! Continue reading “A royal wedding and an attempted murder: a look back at 2018 in the UK”