eye yoga noun [U]
UK /ˈaɪ.jəʊ.gə/ US /ˈaɪ.joʊ.gə/
a type of yoga designed to strengthen the muscles around the eyes

If the eyes really are the window to the soul, it makes sense to treat them with the same respect as our bodies. Enter: eye yoga, the new wellness trend on the block, which promises brighter, better rested peepers in under five minutes.
[vogue.co.uk, 15 January 2021]

stretchologist noun [C]
UK /stretʃ.ˈɒl.ə.dʒɪst/ US /stretʃˈɑː.lə.dʒɪst/
someone who helps you improve your posture and become more flexible by showing you how to stretch properly

Perhaps you have consulted a nutritionist, a personal trainer or a massage therapist, but have you seen a “stretchologist” yet? If not, your tightly coiled muscles may be crying out for the attention of the latest type of fitness guru, one whose niche in an overcrowded market is to guide you towards better posture and greater flexibility.
[thetimes.co.uk, 28 January 2020]

earthing sheet noun [C]
UK /ˈɜːθɪŋ.ʃiːt/ US /ˈɝːθɪŋ.ʃiːt/
a special type of sheet which some people believe enables them to connect with the Earth’s electrical energy while they sleep and thus improve their physical and mental health

What we need for better night-time slumber, we realise courtesy of an advert … is an earthing sheet, thus joining “thousands of people across the UK who are choosing to sleep grounded”. An earthing sheet, we discover by displaying too much curiosity, “uses highly conductive materials such as pure silver and copper combined with innovative Earthing technology to transfer free electrons straight from the Earth to you”.
[newscientist.com, 2 December 2020]

About new words

computer doping noun [U]
UK /kəmˈpjuː.tə.ˈdəʊ.pɪŋ/ US /kəmˈpjuː.t̬ɚ.ˈdoʊ.pɪŋ/
the act of cheating in a game of chess, backgammon, etc., by using a computer program to find out the best move to make

Fide’s general director, Emil Sutovsky, described it as “a huge topic I work on dozens of hours each week”, and its president, Arkady Dvorkovich, said “computer doping” was a “real plague”. At the heart of the problem are programmes or apps that can rapidly calculate near-perfect moves in any situation.
[irishtimes.com, 16 October 2020]

metaverse noun [U]
UK /ˈmet.ə.vɜːs/ US /ˈmet̬.ə.vɝːs/
a shared online space where people, represented by avatars, can take part in many different activities, using virtual reality and augmented reality technology

To picture the metaverse, then, think of a massive virtual realm. One constantly buzzing with activity, where people can go whenever they want, and do whatever they want. They can remotely hang out with friends, create art, consume art, play games and shop. They can visit other realms too, and their identities stay with them as they travel.
[builtin.com, 21 July 2020]

dragging site noun [C]
/ˈdrægɪŋ.saɪt/
an online platform whose members observe the behaviour of someone in the public eye and criticize their actions very severely

During the making of the BBC Radio 4 programme, Me and My Trolls, about dragging site culture, I asked a psychologist and leading expert in cyberstalking to take a look at the site. In just a few hours, she identified incidences of hate speech, harassment and classic behaviours of stalkers and other abusers. And finally, the law may agree with her that dragging sites cross the line.
[theguardian.com, 5 October 2020]

About new words

pub desk noun [C]
/ˌpʌb.ˈdesk/
a table in a pub that someone can use as a desk instead of working at home, usually in return for an hourly or daily payment

After seven months of working from home the cabin fever is starting to set in for many people … Now savvy pub and hotel owners who are facing a huge crisis in the hospitality industry have hit on a new trend to revive their coffers and our flagging attention spans – pub desks. Why camp out with your laptop in the spare bedroom when you could be in a cosy pub with snacks and drinks on hand and probably significantly better wifi than you have at home?
[www.cambridgeindependent.co.uk, 29 October 2020]

chumocracy noun [C]
UK /tʃʌ.ˈmɒk.rə.si/ US /tʃʌ.ˈmɑː.krə.si/
the situation in which someone important gives jobs to friends rather than to independent people who have the necessary skills and experience

Cronyism. Chumocracy. One rule for them, another for everyone else. Describe it however you want, but the past few months has painted a damning picture of the Tories’ slapdash approach to governing – one that is wasting taxpayers’ money and ignoring due process, all while placing favours for their friends above delivering for our local communities.
[www.independent.co.uk, 22 November 2020]

chronoleadership noun [U]
UK /ˌkrɒn.ə.ˈliː.də.ʃɪp/ US /ˌkrɑː.nə.ˈliː.dɚ.ʃɪp/
a way of organizing your working hours around the times of day when you naturally feel most awake

Flexible work schedules are currently not the norm, but sleep experts believe they should be. For 15 years, Camilla Kring has run B Society, which advises companies around the world on how to implement “chronoleadership” – the idea that they should adapt their work patterns to suit the sleeping schedules of their employees, rather than the other way around.
[The Observer Magazine, 31 May 2020]

About new words

black sky event noun [C]
/ˌblæk.skaɪ.ɪˈvent/
a serious event, such as a cyberattack or a natural disaster, that causes a widespread power cut

The National Commission on Grid Resilience, … convened to assess our ability to prevent or respond to a so-called black sky event, concludes in a report released Thursday that the country has fallen behind. The danger of a nation gone dark is rising.
[washingtonpost.com, 15 August 2020]

the Internet of Behaviour noun [S]
UK /ˌɪn.tə.net.əv.bɪˈheɪ.vjəʳ/ US /ˌɪn.t̬ɚ.net.əv.bɪˈheɪ.vjɚ/
a way of using the internet to connect computing devices and use the data from them to track people’s activities

The research and advisory firm says that by 2023, 40 percent of people worldwide will likely be having their individual activities tracked digitally by this Internet of Behaviour. “The Internet of Behaviour captures the ‘digital dust’ of people’s lives from a variety of sources, and that information can be used by public or private entities to influence behaviour,” says Gartner.
[istart.com.au, 29 October 2020]

digital republic noun [C]
UK /ˌdɪdʒ.ɪ.tᵊl.rɪˈpʌb.lɪk/ US /ˌdɪdʒ.ə.t̬ᵊl.rɪˈpʌb.lɪk/
a country whose citizens can access almost all government services on the internet

In Estonia, the only public service not available online is marriage. Dubbed the “digital republic”, Estonia has the most advanced e-government in the world and nurtures a vibrant start-up community. Kersti Kaljulaid, President of Estonia, joins Azeem Azhar to explore how … this digital republic is navigating the Covid-19 pandemic.

[Harvard Business Review, 20 April 2020]

About new words

comfort spending noun [U]
UK /ˈkʌm.fət.ˌspendɪŋ/ US /ˈkʌm.fɚt.ˌspendɪŋ/
the act of buying nice things for yourself in order to feel better when you are stressed or unhappy

Now it’s almost fall, and we’ve graduated from hoarding toilet paper to making midnight online purchases that WalletHub calls “comfort spending.” It helps, somehow, to know that choices, even frivolous ones, are still possible. Maybe you can’t control a virus, but you can control Amazon Prime.
[houstonchronicle.com, 10 September 2020]

shecession noun [C]
/ʃiːˈseʃ.ᵊn/
an economic recession that affects mostly women

One of the unique aspects of the current recession is the way it’s impacting women: though men are more likely to die of Covid-19, the pandemic’s toll on employment is heavier for women. While the 1970s marked the start of “mancession” periods in industries like construction, the current “shecession” is heavily affecting sectors like hospitality and retail.
[www.bbc.com/worklife, 27 October 2020]

mortgage prisoner noun [C]
UK /ˈmɔː.gɪdʒ.ˌprɪz.ᵊn.əʳ/ US /ˈmɔːr.gɪdʒ.ˌprɪz.ᵊn.ɚ/
someone who is unable to transfer their mortgage to a lender that offers lower interest rates because the rules for borrowing have become stricter or their house is worth less than they owe

Mortgage prisoners are customers who have previously been unable to switch mortgages despite being up-to-date with their payments. The FCA changed its rules last year to allow lenders to assess affordability based on a mortgage prisoner’s track record of making mortgage payments if they are not looking to move house, or borrow more.
[ftadviser.com, 26 October 2020]

About new words

super pea noun [C]
UK /ˈsuː.pə.piː/ US /ˈsuː.pɚ.piː/
a type of pea that is thought to reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes by helping to control blood sugar levels

A type of wrinkled ‘super pea’ may help control blood sugar levels and could reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, suggests a new study. The research … suggests incorporating the peas into foods, in the form of whole pea seeds or flour, may help tackle the global type 2 diabetes epidemic.
[imperial.ac.uk, 26 October 2020]

polypill noun [C]
UK /ˈpɒl.i.pɪl/ US /ˈpɑː.li.pɪl/
a pill that contains several different drugs

A “polypill” packed with four different medications to treat high blood pressure and high cholesterol can cut the risk of heart attacks and strokes by up to 40 per cent when taken with aspirin, a study has suggested.
[www.telegraph.co.uk, 14 November 2020]

inflammageing noun [U]
/ˌɪn.fləˈmeɪ.dʒ.ɪŋ/
a quickening of the ageing process caused by inflammation in the body

If you’re stressed, your diet is out of whack, and your skin is feeling the effects of the colder weather, chances are you might be “inflammageing”. The beauty buzzword describes how an excess of inflammation – the body’s natural immune response to external aggressors – accelerates the skin’s ageing process.
[vogue.co.uk, 11 October 2020]

About new words

awe walk noun [C]
UK /ˈɔː.wɔːk/ US /ˈɑː.wɑːk/
a walk outdoors during which the person walking makes a conscious effort to look at the objects, views etc. around them

Consciously watching for small wonders in the world around you during an otherwise ordinary walk could amplify the mental health benefits of the stroll, according to an interesting new psychological study of what the study’s authors call “awe walks.” In the study, people who took a fresh look at the objects, moments and vistas that surrounded them during brief, weekly walks felt more upbeat and hopeful in general than walkers who did not.
[nytimes.com, 1 October 2020]

bee broker noun [C]
UK /ˈbiː.brəʊ.kəʳ/ US /ˈbiː.brəʊ.kɚ/
someone who organizes the moving of bees from where they are kept in their hives to where they will be needed to pollinate trees and crops, and to ensure this is done safely

The Monsons don’t own these bees. The father-and-son team are bee brokers who serve as the middle men between beekeepers scattered throughout the eastern states and almond growers, facilitating the rental of hives for almond pollination, representing beekeepers to ensure their hives are safe and, when required, chauffeuring them from one job site to the next.
[junctionjournalism.com, 20 October 2020]

wildbelt noun [C, usually singular]
/ˈwaɪld.belt/
an area of land where building and other development is not allowed, so that nature can be protected and restored

A new “wildbelt” designation protecting land that is being restored for nature must be included in the UK government’s planning reforms, it has been urged … This wildbelt designation would enable new land that currently does not do much for wildlife to be protected, so efforts to create or restore natural habitat or rewild the area are secure from future changes to land use.
[theecologist.org, 17 September 2020]

About new words

minimony noun [C]
/ˈmɪnə.mə.ni/
a small wedding ceremony that is held instead of, or before, a bigger celebration

Minimonies are a good compromise for couples who’ve been forced to postpone their weddings due to … COVID-19. A minimony is a wonderful way to honor and celebrate your original wedding date. You can choose to get legally married at your minimony even if you still plan to host a larger celebration at a later time.
[thebudgetsavvybride.com, no date]

microwedding noun [C]
UK /ˈmaɪ.krəʊ.wed.ɪŋ/ US /ˈmaɪ.kroʊ.wed.ɪŋ/
a wedding to which only a small number of guests are invited

Think of a microwedding as a cross between an elopement and a big, traditional wedding … “More is not always necessarily more,” says renowned event planner Stefanie Cove. “A microwedding is for the couple who wants to really focus and spend the majority of their budget on the smaller details, whereas it might be difficult to replicate the same experience for, say, 200 guests.”
[theknot.com, 6 May 2020]

divorce tourism noun [U]
UK /dɪˈvɔːs.tʊə.rɪ.zᵊm/ US /dɪˈvɔːrs.tʊr.ɪ.zᵊm/
the activity of going to another country to take advantage of its divorce laws

Russia’s richest man, Vladmir Potanin, won a London court ruling as part of a long-running legal battle with his former wife after a judge said the English courts shouldn’t be used for “divorce tourism.” The couple divorced in Russia in 2014 and Natalia Potanina had applied to the court for a further award, which would have far outstripped the largest payout in a U.K. divorce.
[bloomberg.com, 8 November 2019]

About new words

mancom noun [C]
UK /ˈmæn.kɒm/ US /ˈmæn.kɑːm/
a romantic comedy film in which the story is seen from the viewpoint of a male character

As men are now being encouraged to talk more and be more open with our feelings, there seems to be a correlation with the rise of the ‘mancom’. That’s a male romantic comedy, as if you didn’t know.
[Sunday Telegraph, 20 September 2020]

https://poll.fm/10632545

Kindie noun [U]
/ˈkɪn.di/
a style of music that appeals equally to children and adults and that is mainly written and performed by independent musicians who do not work for a large music company

In Germany, Baked Beans are the latest exponents of a prospering trend of “Kindie” bands that are wielding serious commercial clout in a music industry transformed by online streaming services.
[The Observer, 12 April 2020]

https://poll.fm/10632538

quit lit noun [U]
/ˈkwɪt.lɪt/
a type of book that gives advice on how to stop drinking alcohol; or a type of book that discusses the experience of resigning from one’s job in academia

Once you start reading quit lit – you can’t help but keep seeking more. As a voracious reader, I get it. Without further ado, I’m bringing you the ultimate quit lit book list along with a few recommendations from other genres that can help continue your journey of discovery.
[thisnakedmind.com, 31 July 2020]

If you’re reading quit lit, you’ve likely been in higher education long enough to have experienced the disillusionment of the academic job market. You understand how universities work and see a need for transformation in the academic job market, in the use of contingent faculty and graduate student labor, and in the structure of PhD programs.
[beyondprof.com, 7 March 2020]

https://poll.fm/10632514

About new words