Every year neologisms, the official word for newly coined words, slip effortlessly into our language. Invariably, to stand the test of time, they need brevity, wit and invention rather than simply be what linguists call a profanity or a vulgarism.
Of course last year was all about Brexit and inevitably this year has been all about Covid, with a brand new set of words covering every aspect of life this year.
As a philologist, a lover of words, here are my favourites from this year across the English-speaking world and have come into general use, typically from newspapers and social networks.
Pandemic words
Quaranteam: A group of people who go into quarantine together.
Maskne Acne: Caused or made worse by wearing a mask.
Space marshal: Someone whose job is to make sure people are obeying the rules of physical distancing in places such as shops, libraries etc.
Lockstalgia: A feeling of nostalgia for lockdown periods. Not sure who would feel that way.
The travel world
Workation: A holiday where you stay in a hotel or other accommodation and work from there.
Air bridge: A flight route between two countries where the Covid-19 virus is well controlled, enabling people to travel without having to go into quarantine afterwards
Philantourism: Going on holiday to places where the tourist industry needs support
Styles for a crisis
Zoomwear: A style of dressing that involves wearing clothes suitable for the office above the waist and casual clothing below the waist.
Crisis beard: A beard grown by a man who is undergoing a difficult or stressful situation.
Technology
Zoombombing: The act of joining a meeting on the Zoom videoconferencing platform without having been invited, with the aim of disrupting it, often by posting inappropriate content.
Digital campfire: A small group of people who communicate online, usually on a social media site.
Education
Flexi-schooling: The teaching of children partly at home, usually by their parents, and partly at school.
Hyflex: A way of learning in which lessons are given face to face in classrooms and also made available on the internet.
Food for thought
Social supermarket: A place where food is sold at very low prices to people who do not have enough money to buy it in other shops.
Seacuterie: An assortment of cold fish and shellfish, cooked or prepared in different ways.
Bluicing: The process of extracting the juice out of fruit or vegetables then mixing it with other ingredients in a blender to make a smoothie or similar drink.
The environment
Climate criminal: A person or organisation whose actions make the climate emergency worse.
Ghost gear: Fishing equipment, such as nets and lines, that is abandoned in the ocean and takes several hundred years to decompose, thus causing harm to sea life and the environment.
Sandscaping: The activity of adding a large amount of sand to an existing beach to try to prevent or reduce the erosion of the coastline.
Urban creep: The gradual loss of green space in a city that happens when gardens are paved over, house extensions are built etc.
Odds and ends
Twixmas: The days between Christmas Day and New Year’s Day
Janxiety: Feelings of unhappiness and worry that people often have at the beginning of a new year.
Adam Jacot de Boinod was a researcher for Stephen Fry’s BBC television series QI, which led to an interest in words. He is the author of The Meaning of Tingo and Other Extraordinary Words from around the World, published by Penguin Books.