New words – 3 July 2017

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Generation Me noun [U]
UK /ˌdʒen.əˈreɪ.ʃᵊnˈmiː/ US /ˌdʒen.əˈreɪ.ʃᵊnˈmiː/
a way of referring to the group of people born around the year 2000

A leading private school headmaster is bringing in empathy lessons and calling for others to follow suit — warning that “Generation Me” has less understanding of other people than any generation in recent history.
[The Sunday Times, 5 March 2017]

generational nomad noun [C]
UK /dʒen.əˌreɪ.ʃᵊnᵊlˈnəʊ.mæd/ US /dʒen.əˌreɪ.ʃᵊnᵊlˈnoʊ.mæd/
someone who was born on the dividing line between two different generational groups

For those, like me, in the upper age bracket of millennials (who are aged, roughly, between 18-36), yet not quite old enough to be firmly in Generation X (aged 37-52), the disconnect is most glaringly evident on social media. Welcome to life as a generational nomad.
[The Sunday Times, 29 January 2017]

micro-influencer noun [C]
UK /ˌmaɪ.krəʊˈɪn.flu.ənsəʳ/ US /ˌmaɪ.kroʊˈɪn.flu.ənsɚ/
someone who has a small number of followers on social media and who influences what people buy through the products they write about

We’re all familiar with the names of Instagram’s top millennial female influencers. But the social platform is also home to a huge number of “micro influencers,” or users who might command just a few thousand followers yet whose style and brand affiliations are closely followed — and emulated — by their dedicated fans.
[Adweek, 19 March 2017]

About new words

Can you do a handstand? Talking about ability

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by Liz Walter

We often need to talk about things we can do and ask other people questions about their own abilities. This post looks in some detail at the common modal verb can and also suggests some other ways to express the same idea.

We use can extremely often to make statements and questions. Remember that can is always followed by an infinitive verb without to.

Laura can play the piano.

Laura can to play the piano.

Can you see the stage from here?

Can you seeing the stage from here? Continue reading “Can you do a handstand? Talking about ability”

New words – 26 June 2017

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asperitas noun [U]
UK /æsˈpe.rɪ.təs/ US /æsˈpe.rɪ.t̬əs/
a type of cloud that forms a thick layer in the shape of waves

The asperitas cloud is among the stars of the World Meteorological Organization’s scarcely published International Cloud Atlas.
[USA Today, 24 March 2017]

dark sunshine noun [U]
UK /ˌdɑːkˈsʌn.ʃaɪn/ US /ˌdɑːrkˈsʌn.ʃaɪn/
a substance thought to exist inside the sun that gives off a special type of light

While scientists continue looking skyward to find more insight into the mysteries of dark matter, some have begun looking to our sun for “dark sunshine.”
[Astronomy magazine, 25 May 2016]

red geyser noun [C]
UK /redˈgiː.zəʳ/ US /redˈgaɪ.zɚ/
a galaxy that contains a large number of very large black holes and where no new stars are able to form

Today, astronomers … are announcing the discovery of a new class of galaxies called “red geysers” that harbor supermassive black holes with winds that have the power to keep dormant galaxies quiet.
[Astronomy magazine, 25 May 2016]

About new words

It’s kicking off! (Phrasal verbs for starting things)

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by Kate Woodford

This week we’re looking at the many phrasal verbs that are used to refer to things starting.

Let’s begin with the verb ‘start’ itself as it has a number of phrasal verbs. If you start off a meeting, you begin it by doing something: I’d like to start off the meeting with a brief summary of our aims. You can also use ‘start off’ intransitively: I’m going to start off with a few introductions. Continue reading “It’s kicking off! (Phrasal verbs for starting things)”

New words – 19 June

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F rating noun [U]
UK /ˈef.reɪ.tɪŋ/ US /ˈef.reɪ.t̬ɪŋ/
a classification awarded to a film written or directed by a woman, or with important female characters

The F rating was created in 2014 by Bath film festival executive director Holly Tarquini to “support women in film and change the stories we see on screen”.
[The Guardian, 7 March 2017]

the Paula principle noun [C]
UK /ˈpɔːl.ᵊ.prɪn.sə.pᵊl/ US /ˈpɑːl.ᵊ.prɪn.sə.pᵊl/
a theory that most women have a job that does not allow them to fulfil their competence

The Paula principle applies as much to the clerk who does not apply for a supervisor’s job because she does not have the confidence, as it does to the deputy CEO blocked from the top job by covert discrimination or male cliquery.
[The Observer, 12 March 2017]

sologamy noun [U]
UK /səˈlɒg.ə.mi/ US /səˈlɑː.gə.mi/
the act of marrying oneself in an unofficial ceremony

Love or hate sologamy, it seems to capture the public imagination, begging a variety of glib questions that people can’t wait to ask: “Does that mean if you don’t get on you’ll have to divorce yourself?”
[Huffington Post, 27 February 2017]

About new words

I was completely baffled. (Words meaning ‘confused’)

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by Kate Woodford

From time to time, we all find ourselves unable to understand things, whether it’s instructions for a piece of equipment that confuse us, an event or situation that we can’t explain or just a comment by a friend. Life is sometimes just confusing! This is reflected in the number of near-synonyms and phrases that describe being confused and things that confuse us. This week we thought we would take a look at them. Continue reading “I was completely baffled. (Words meaning ‘confused’)”

New words – 12 June 2017

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ambient tea noun [C and U]
/ˈæm.bi.ənt.tiː/
a type of tea served at room temperature, usually with food

Ambient tea … feels appropriate for service with fine food as it can be poured from a bottle or decanter into glasses at a temperature that creates no condensation on the glass and is pleasant to hold in one’s hands.
[www.postcardteahouse.com, 14 December 2016]

golden milk noun [C and U]
UK /ˈgəʊl.dᵊn.mɪlk/ US /ˈgoʊl.dᵊn.mɪlk/
a type of drink made with coconut milk, turmeric and sometimes other ingredients

Used for centuries in Ayurvedic medicine, golden milk is a combination of the powerful spice turmeric, coconut milk, and sometimes coconut oil.
[www.popsugar.co.uk, 21 June 2016]

mindful drinking noun [U]
/ˈmaɪnd.fᵊl.drɪŋ.kɪŋ/
the activity of consuming little or no alcohol at social events

Forget pub crawls – increasing numbers of young people are replacing beer and wine with “mindful drinking” – where abstinence, not alcohol, is all the rage.
[The Observer, 26 February 2017]

About new words

Hard Brexit, soft Brexit, grammar schools or renationalized railways? The UK general election.

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by Liz Walter

UK citizens are going to the polls on June 8th to choose their next government. Again.

Yes, we had a general election in 2015, and yes, in theory, we have a five-year fixed-term parliament, so really we should have waited until 2020. However, our Prime Minister, Theresa May, decided that it would be a good idea to call a snap election (one decided suddenly). Since this is a language blog, I won’t speculate on her reasons, but instead concentrate on the language being used in the campaign. Continue reading “Hard Brexit, soft Brexit, grammar schools or renationalized railways? The UK general election.”

New words – 5 June 2017

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gigamansion noun [C]
/ˈgɪg.ə.mæn.ʃᵊn/
a very large and expensive house

Gigamansion is the term we must now use to describe the new breed of homes that are landing like alien motherships on the fragrant hills of Bel Air, Beverly Hills and Holmby Hills.
[The Times, 18 February 2017]

furnitecture noun [U]
UK /ˈfɜː.nɪ.tek.tʃəʳ/ US /ˈfɝː.nɪ.tek.tʃɚ/
furniture that is part of the structure of a house or other building

The property … contains some fantastic examples of “furnitecture” – furniture that’s integrated into the architecture. Murphy has only four pieces of furniture because everything else – seating, beds, bookshelves, wardrobes – is part of the fabric.
[The Telegraph, 27 February 2017]

sky pool noun [C]
/ˈskaɪ.puːl/
a swimming pool suspended in the air between two buildings

The developers say the transparent ‘sky pool’ will be the first of its kind in the world, giving swimmers the ability to look 35 metres down to the world below, with only 20cm of glass between them and the outside world.
[Cosmopolitan, 13 February 2017]

About new words

Can I give you a hand? (Words and phrases for helping others)

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by Kate Woodford

Most of us enjoy helping other people. We like to feel useful and we feel like better people when we do things for others.  The act of helping also brings us together, often creating a sense of community. This week, then, we look at the words and phrases that we use to refer to actions that we do to help others.

Perhaps not surprisingly, the noun hand, meaning ‘help’ is used in a number of common conversational phrases. It is often – although not always – used for physical rather than mental tasks. Could you give/lend me a hand with this table, please? / Ethan might need a hand with the clearing up.
Continue reading “Can I give you a hand? (Words and phrases for helping others)”