the Great Resignation noun [S]
/ðə.ˌgreɪt.rez.ɪgˈneɪ.ʃᵊn/
a trend in the employment market during 2020 and 2021 that has seen a much larger number of people than usual resign from their job

More people are quitting their jobs, and it could shake the world of work forever. But are we making incorrect generalisations about the Great Resignation? Workers are quitting their jobs. A lot of them. So many, in fact, we’re still smack in the middle of the so-called Great Resignation … There are several reasons why workers are walking away – poor working conditions, fears of contracting Covid-19 and existential epiphanies among them.
[bbc.com/worklife, 29 October 2021]

returnment noun [U]
UK /rɪˈtɜːn.mənt/ US /rɪˈtɝːn.mənt/
going back to work after a period of time not in paid employment

In 2012, I burnt out and suffered from depression, and when I launched my own business, three years later, it was terrifying. Nobody returned my phone calls because I was dismissed as “just a housewife”, and I felt incredibly lonely. Whether you’ve been out of work for 18 months or 18 years, “returnment” can be challenging – but it’s not always as difficult as it might seem.
[telegraph.co.uk, 19 October 2021]

overemployment noun [U]
UK /ˌəʊ.vər.ɪmˈplɔɪ.mənt/ US /ˌoʊ.vɚ.ɪmˈplɔɪ.mənt/
the practice of a remote worker secretly having more than one full-time job and working just enough hours at each one for their employers not to notice

The overemployment trend has gained steam with the rise of remote work, which has often meant less employer supervision of workers. This means that juggling multiple jobs in secret is usually more feasible for wealthy, white-collar workers since their work can frequently be done remotely, which isn’t often the case for blue-collar workers.
[uk.news.yahoo.com, 17 November 2021]

About new words

tappigraphy noun [U]
/təˈpɪg.rə.fi/
the study of how, how often and in what patterns someone taps the keys on their mobile phone, thought to provide information on their behaviour and their physical and mental health

Arko Ghosh is the company’s cofounder and a neuroscientist at Leiden University in the Netherlands. “Tappigraphy patterns” – the time series of my touches – can, he says, confidently be used not only to infer slumber habits (tapping in the wee hours means you are not sleeping) but also mental performance level (the small intervals in a series of key-presses represent a proxy for reaction time), and he has published work to support it.
[theguardian.com, 7 November 2021]

killware noun [U]
UK /ˈkɪl.weəʳ/ US /ˈkɪl.wer/
a type of computer program used illegally to attack someone’s computer system and designed to cause people physical harm

Unlike malware and ransomware, whose sole purpose is financial gain for the attackers, killware has only one goal – causing physical harm. The name killware appeared in the media after the highly publicized cyberattack on a water plant in Oldsmar, Florida … Fortunately, no killware attack has been successful so far. The moniker itself sounds a bit overhyped, and that might be true at the moment. But the reality is that hackers have a way of not only hurting us emotionally but also physically.
[dailyhawker.com, 26 October 2021]

screenome noun [C]
UK /ˈskriː.nəʊm/ US /ˈskriːn.əʊm/
a very detailed record of someone’s activity on their smartphone or tablet

If Byron Reeves has his way, the concept of “screen time” will be a relic. Instead, it will be your “screenome” that’s important … The Human Screenome Project aims to more accurately capture our digital footprint using an eyebrow-raising technique: background software that screenshots a volunteer’s phone every five seconds while it’s activated. A screenome would offer a way to study smartphones and tablets for patterns of use linked to issues such as social-media addiction and mental health problems.
[technologyreview.com, 15 January 2020]

About new words

blue food noun [U]
/ˌbluː.ˈfuːd/
food that comes from the sea, such as fish, shellfish and seaweed

Recently, however, calls have emerged not for less fishing, but more, under the banner of a new term encompassing all seafood and aquaculture products: “blue food.” The Blue Food Alliance, launched ahead of the UN Food Systems Summit, has brought together academics, policymakers, and corporate donors focused on increasing the consumption of sustainable seafood.
[wired.com, 24 October 2021]

unconscious reducer noun [C]
UK /ʌnˌkɒn.ʃəs.rɪˈdʒuː.səʳ/ US /ʌnˌkɑːn.ʃəs.rɪˈduː.səʳ/
someone who is eating less meat than they did before, but without having made a deliberate decision to do so

The unconscious reducers were said by the report to mostly be of retirement age and living with fewer people. They were found to be much less likely to experiment with cooking or refer to themselves as a ‘foodie’, preferring more traditional dishes … “How unconscious reducers think and feel about meat isn’t any different to those people who are actually increasing their meat consumption – they’re not turning away on purpose so there is a chance to re-engage them with the category,” explained AHDB senior retail insight manager Kim Malley.
[ahdb.org.uk, 3 December 2020]

foodprint noun [C]
/ˈfuːd.prɪnt/
a measurement of the impact on the environment of all the processes needed to bring food to consumers

The issue of carbon “foodprints” – how much CO2 is emitted in the production, transportation, and preparation of various foods – is front-and-centre at this week’s Cop26 climate summit in Glasgow. On Tuesday, it emerged that restaurants inside the conference centre are printing carbon estimates on their menus, alongside each item’s price … In order to reach the goals defined in the Paris Agreement, we may soon have to limit our foodprint to no more than 0.5kg of CO2 emissions per meal.
[www.telegraph.co.uk, 4 November 2021]

About new words

roséwave noun [U]
UK /ˌrəʊ.zeɪ.ˈweɪv/ US /ˌroʊ.zeɪ.ˈweɪv/
a style of music designed to make the listener think of relaxed summer days and evenings

Last year, of course, we couldn’t stomach celebrating; it felt downright wrong to act carefree about, well, anything. And even though oftentimes the very best pop music can help take our minds off our troubles, roséwave didn’t feel quite right last summer. But, like an old friend, it was waiting right there when we needed it, chilling to be uncorked at just the right temperature.
[aspenpublicradio.org, 9 June 2021]

glitch noun, verb [U]
/glɪtʃ/
a dance, made popular on TikTok, where the dancer moves in a fast, jerky way that makes it look as though the viewer has a bad internet connection, or to dance in this way

“The first video I did wasn’t really a glitch — it was a shoulder dance,” she said. For the second video, she moved in sync with the fast, sputtering beat, which made her look like she was glitching. Within a few days, that video racked up millions of views … Many creators challenged themselves to pull off the moves as seamlessly as Clark, while others invented their own unique glitch maneuvers.
[insider.com, 1 July 2021]

docuality noun [U]
UK /ˌdɒk.jə.ˈæl.ə.ti/ US /ˌdɑː.kjə.ˈæl.ə.t̬i/
television programmes that are part documentary, part reality show, featuring people who are filmed in real situations rather than actors playing a part, and giving facts about a particular subject

Channel 4 is bringing a whole load of entertainment to screens in 2021. From Married At First Sight UK to brand new series, Highlife, there’s no end of reality TV to delve into this year. Dubbed a ‘docuality’ series, Highlife combines documentary-style elements with some reality TV and provides an insight into the lives of a very hardworking and glamorous group of friends.
[realitytitbit.com, 10 September 2021]

About new words

wish-cycling noun [U]
/ˈwɪʃ.saɪ.klɪŋ/
putting an item in a recycling bin in the hope that it can be recycled, usually when the item is not actually recyclable

While the US recycling rate worryingly hovers around an at best estimate of 35 percent, wish-cycling might be a well-intentioned habit in an increasingly confusing and incomplete recycling system. But wish-cycling often does more harm than good and has consequences that can impact local programs and global recycling as a whole.
[zerowasteboxes.terracycle.com, 4 August 2020]

energy island noun [C]
UK /ˌen.ə.dʒi.ˈaɪ.lənd/ US /ˌen.ɚ.dʒi.ˈaɪ.lənd/
a platform built on the sea that is used to generate and store electricity from wind turbines (tall structures with blades that are blown by the wind) that surround it

A project to build a giant island providing enough energy for three million households has been given the green light by Denmark’s politicians. The world’s first energy island will be as big as 18 football pitches (120,000sq m), but there are hopes to make it three times that size. It will serve as a hub for 200 giant offshore wind turbines.
[bbc.co.uk/news, 4 February 2021]

climate tech noun [U]
/ˈklaɪ.mət.tek/
the business of using technology to create products and services that will enable society to adapt to the effects of climate change

Over the next one to two years, I predict that we’ll see a boom in climate tech startups, and startups that build the predicted effects of climate change directly into their business plans. Some of these companies will be explicitly ‘green,’ with business plans and marketing that directly address climate change.
[techstars.com, 18 July 2021]

About new words

pivot space noun [C]
/ˈpɪv.ət.speɪs/
an area of an office that can be used for different purposes

Pivot spaces – or multi-functional areas of the office – are not new, but social distancing measures and a focus on improving the employee experience in the office are making them a key feature of tomorrow’s workplace … With employees now returning to the office and coronavirus still a lingering threat, more businesses are thinking about how to best adapt their spaces. Designed well, these pivot spaces can help to make the office somewhere people want to be.
[www.workdesign.com, September 2020]

ask gap noun [S]
UK /ˈɑːsk.gæp/ US /ˈæsk.gæp/
the difference in the salary earned by people who ask for (and receive) a higher amount and those who do not

Research shows that the pay gap, which is well documented, partly stems from the ‘ask gap’: the difference in salary expectations between groups, which undercuts women and minorities in particular. Closing this gendered and racialised ‘ask gap’ can pay major dividends for careers, reducing long-term salary inequality.
[bbc.com, 18 June 2021]

polywork noun [U]
UK /ˈpɒl.i.wɜːk/ US /ˈpɑː.li.wɝːk/
the activity of having several different jobs at the same time

Slightly different than a necessary hustle but still falling into these new lifestyles of Millennials and Gen Z is the concept of polywork: the rejection of traditional full-time jobs in favor of pursuing multiple jobs to fulfill multiple interests. Someone might work as a social media marketer while also being an investor, a writer, and a podcast host; they might also run a nonprofit, manage investments and field more creative roles such as producing plays.
[fierceelectronics.com, 6 August 2021]

About new words