Broga™ noun [U] UK ˈbrəʊ.gə US ˈbroʊ.gə
a type of yoga designed to appeal to men

Men who crave the benefits of yoga, but recoil at sharing the experience with a room full of women are turning to Broga, a rugged take on the 3,000-year-old practice of movement and breath.
[www.reuters.com 27.04.2015]

AFOL noun [C] UK eɪ.ˌef.əʊ.’el US eɪ.ˌef.oʊ.’el
abbreviation for adult fan of Lego™: an adult who enjoys building models from Lego™

Chrys B. of Heathcote, Australia had an interest in LEGO in her early teens but endured a Dark Age that lasted a number of decades until she discovered the Star Wars LEGO range. It was after attending Brickvention 2012 that she decided she really was an AFOL.
[www.thebrickroomblog.com August 2016]

droneboarding noun [U] UK ‘drəʊn.bɔːd.ɪŋ US droʊn.bɔːrd.ɪŋ
the activity or sport of moving over snow standing on a snowboard and being pulled by a drone

Droneboarding is the newly developed practice of using a drone to drag around someone on a snowboard. [A] video filmed in late January shows a standard-sized human being dragged around on a snowboard by a very large drone.
[www.yahoo.com 03.02.2016]

About new words

the internet of me noun [S]
UK ˌɪn.tə.net əv ‘miː US ˌɪn.t̬ɚ.net əv ‘miː
a system of objects with computing devices in them that are able to connect to each other using the internet and exchange personal data about their owner

eBay’s founder has invested in a startup that claims to use data aggregation to create the “internet of me” … The startup’s app collects data from its users’ social networks, including pictures and posts.
[www.wired.com 27 September 2016]

device mesh noun [S] dɪˈvaɪs meʃ
a network of electronic devices that can find information and communicate with other people and organizations using the internet

We’re still using mobile devices, but we’ve now added tablets and smart watches to the ever-multiplying list of end-points we use to access applications and information. [Analyst company] Gartner refers to this trend as ‘the device mesh’…
[www.itproportal.com 30 April 2016]

trust score noun [C] UK ‘trʌst ˌskɔː US ‘trʌst ˌskɔːr
a way of communicating with a computer to prove who you are without the need for a password

Google wants to get rid of your password. The company has proposed a system it calls “trust scores” to remove the need to remember usual numerical and linguistic credentials using a ‘Trust API’ … The API would factor in a number of personal identifiers including the way your voice sounds, facial recognition, location in relation to known Wi-Fi networks and Bluetooth devices and typing speed. 
[www.wired.com 25 May 2016]

About new words

FOLO noun [U] UK ˈfəʊ.ləʊ US ˈfoʊ.loʊ
abbreviation for “fear of living offline”: the feeling that you have to post attractive photos of yourself on social media to make your life seem interesting

This year however it’s all about FOLO (fear of living offline) which is the need for us to digitally validate anything we do (likes, shares and comments) otherwise it feels like it never took place.
[www.linkedin.com 18 January 2016]

digital divorce noun [C or U] UK ˌdɪdʒ.ɪ.təl dɪˈvɔːs US ˌdɪdʒ.ə.t̬əl dɪˈvɔːrs
an online process to end a marriage legally

The new process of digital divorce will allow couples to end their marriages online, without the need for either the couple in question or the judge to physically attend court in relation to the case.
[www.divorcemagazine.com 12 April 2016]

social eating noun [U] UK ˌsəʊ.ʃəl ‘iːt.ɪŋ US ˌsoʊ.ʃəl ‘iːt.ɪŋ
a practice that involves filming yourself while you eat and posting or streaming it on a social media website

There is a new way to connect on social media: Watching people eat. Social Eating is a live streaming platform on Twitch … Twitch’s public relations director [said] social eating has been a popular part of South Korean culture for years. 
[CBS New York 22 September 2016]

About new words

nutricosmetics noun [plural] UK/ˌnjuː.tri.kɒzˈmet.ɪks/ US /ˌnuː.trikɑːzˈmet̬.ɪks/
substances, especially in the form of a liquid or a pill, that are intended to improve your appearance

Nutricosmetics – beauty products you ingest rather than apply – promise everything from firmer skin to thicker hair. That’s the future, according to trend forecasters … these powders, drinks and pills are set to radically change our beauty routines.
[Stylist 21 June 2016]

blood spa noun [C] /ˈblʌd ˌspɑː/
a place where blood is analysed and special beauty treatments given according to the results

Blood spas aren’t as gory as you’d think. While blood is at the heart of the treatment, your plasma and platelets won’t actually be used in your facial or massage – at least not all the time.
[www.brit.co 13 October 2016]

microblading noun [U] /ˈmaɪ.krə.bleɪd.ɪŋ/
a method of making eyebrows look thicker that uses a special tool to inject ink under the skin

Eyebrow trends come and go, from thin and sharp to bold and bushy à la Cara Delevingne and basically every other model who’s been hot in the past few years. But the latest trend we can’t get enough of is microblading, a new tattoo technique that fills brows out or reshapes them by drawing on tiny lines that look like individual hairs.
[www.today.com 05 September 2016]

About new words

glass wall noun [C usually singular] UK /ˌglɑːs ˈwɔːl/ US /ˌglæs ˈwɑːl/
a barrier to becoming accepted or included at work, usually affecting women or minority groups

The ‘glass wall’ that divides men and women they argue, is the new glass ceiling. Women aren’t just being overlooked for the next promotion; they are being shut out behind a glass wall by male-oriented office culture.
[Marie Claire 07 September 2016]

brass ceiling noun [C usually singular] UK /ˌbrɑːs ˈsi:lɪŋ/ US /ˌbræs ˈsi:lɪŋ/
a point after which someone, usually a woman, cannot reach a higher position in the military

Mariette Kalinowski, a former Marine, writes in the New York Times that while the “brass ceiling” is cracked, it is not gone because the military culture of hypermasculinity has not yet changed.
[www.linkedin.com 09 February 2016]

man tax noun [C or U] /ˈmæn ˌtæks/
a tax that has to be paid only by men

Owners of a New York City independent pharmacy recently imposed a one-day, 7% “man tax” in their efforts to raise awareness of the ongoing nationwide debate over taxes on feminine hygiene products and the gender inequality women experience when purchasing personal health products.
[www.pharmacytimes.com 21 October 2016]

About new words

sneakerhead noun [C] UK /ˈsniː.kə.hed/, US /ˈsniː.kɚ.hed/
someone who owns, buys and sells sneakers (UK= trainers), especially those with rare or unusual designs

With celebrities from Kanye West to Pharrell Williams now designing their own styles for Nike and Adidas, respectively, sneakerheads have gone from a subculture to dominating the culture.
[Newsweek 21 May 2016]

glunge noun [U] /glʌndʒ/
a type of fashion that combines glamour and grunge

What do you get if you merge glamour with a dose of grunge a la X Factor’s Rita Ora? Glunge, duh!
[Reveal 04 January 2016]

shacket noun [C] /ˈʃæk.ɪt/
a light jacket, similar to a shirt

Step forward the shacket: the shirt-come-jacket. The shacket … is heavier than a cotton shirt but lighter than say, a denim or utility jacket.
[The Telegraph 15 March 2016]

About new words

socialating noun [U] UK /ˈsəʊ.ʃə.leɪ.tɪŋ/, US /ˈsoʊ.ʃə.leɪ.tɪŋ
the practice of combining a romantic date with a social outing with friends

Socialating means pretty much what it sounds like – sociable dating – and is a growing trend amongst people who like to mix meeting new people with hanging out with their mates.
[www.mysinglefriend.com 27 April 2016]

ghosting noun [U] UK /’gəʊs.tɪŋ/, US /’goʊs.tɪŋ/
the practice of ending a romantic relationship by suddenly breaking off contact with the other person

There’s now officially a word for that weird phase out/disappearing act that people can do to end a relationship before pretty much ceasing contact all together – and it’s called ‘ghosting’.
[Marie Claire 12 September 2016]

TWAG noun [C] /twæg/
tech wife and girlfriend: the wife or girlfriend of a entrepreneur in the technology industry

Silicon Valley has become the new Hollywood, as moguls and social media barons take over from film stars and sportsmen not just on rich lists, but as alpha men. Being a co-founder of a company is this decade’s equivalent to being a rock star or a chef. If their attractiveness to models and actresses proves anything, then being a TWAG […] is a ‘thing’.
[The Sun 25 July 2016]

About new words

vertical farming noun [U] UK /ˌvɜː.tɪ.kəlˈfɑː.mɪŋ/, US /ˌvɝː.t̬ə.kəlˈfɑːr.mɪŋ/
a farming technique in which food crops are grown in vertical stacks

Proponents of vertical farming call it the “third green revolution”, analogizing the developments to Apple and Tesla. They tout the potential of such technology to address food shortages as the world population continues to grow.
[The Guardian 14 August 2016]

Clexit noun [U] /’klek.sɪt/
an exit by a country from international climate treaties

First there was Brexit […]. Now a movement is building that would further stun the supranationalists: an exit from the United Nations climate change protocol, dubbed “Clexit.” Brexit happened, and Clexit could be next.
[The Washington Times 11 August 2016]

chemical tax noun [C or U] /ˈkem.ɪ.kəl ˌtæks/
a tax on the purchase of items that are difficult to recycle

The Swedish government is planning tax breaks on various items to encourage repairs and recycling. The aim is to make Sweden less wasteful and make the economy more friendly to the environment. […] Buying new white goods and computers will also be made more expensive, thanks to a new so-called chemical tax on hard-to-recycle goods.
[www.bbc.co.uk/news 19 September 2016]

About new words

ghost driver noun [C] UK /’gəʊst ˌdraɪ.və/, US /’goʊst ˌdraɪ.vɚ/
a taxi driver who uses a frightening profile photograph to encourage the passenger to cancel the taxi ride

The practice, which has been nicknamed the ghost driver issue, involves scam drivers using gruesome pictures that force users to hit “cancel” when they see who is coming to pick them up, and pay a cancellation fee. [The Telegraph 20 September 2016]

creepy clown noun [C] /ˈkriː.pi ˌklaʊn/
someone who dresses up as a clown in order to frighten people

… [C]reepy clown sightings are cropping up across the country without explanation. [www.rollingstone.com 29 September 2016]

trumpkin noun [C] /’trʌmpkɪn/
a pumpkin made to look like Donald Trump

People are carving their pumpkins to resemble Donald Trump in what is undeniably one of Halloween’s scariest offerings. The ‘Trumpkin’ is taking over social media with hundreds of people carving out or painting ridiculous expressions onto their vegetables.  [Metro 13 October 2016]

About new words

bobu noun [C] UK /’bəʊ.bu:/ US /’boʊ.bu:/
a businessman who leads a bohemian lifestyle

Welcome to the world of the bobu — bohemian businessman — the new breed of freedom-seeking creative entrepreneur. He either rejects the world of conventional employment or has been rejected by it.
[The Times 25 September 2016]

Gen Z noun [U] UK /ˌdʒen ‘zed/ US /ˌdʒen ‘zi:/
a way of referring to the group of people born between the late 1990s and the early 2010s

Marketing has a new buzzword: Gen Z. Younger than millennials, the next generation is more reliant on digital than its predecessor, forcing brands to get more creative in their marketing.
[Adweek 28 September 2016]

midult noun [C] /ˈmɪd.ʌlt/
someone, especially a woman, in the middle stage of adulthood who has interests more associated with those of younger people

Marketers and political pundits are fond of identifying new demographic groups […] The latest is the Midult – a phrase coined by journalists Emilie McMeekan and Annabel Rivkin to describe a new tribe of women aged 35-55. The Midult is being described as more than just a demographic but a movement and a mindset.
[www.translatemedia.com 13 July 2016]

About new words