These are new words or phrases that have caught my eye. My definition of a new word is one which is not in the Macquarie Dictionary online.
Some words seem to have more significance than others in terms of reflecting changes in the Australian culture, so I will give each word a Zeitgeist rating (ZG) within a range of 1-10.
If you disagree with the rating that I give, please argue your case in the comment field provided.
I would love you to contact me if you have made any new word discoveries of your own.
Cancel culture is a form of boycott. Followers remove their attention from the offending person and deprive them of a following.
ZG: 6
There are many moral difficulties that have yet to be managed successfully on social media. The bestowing of instant fame on a person who then turns out to be unworthy is one that has caused angst.
Read MoreAttention economics applies economic theory to the problem of an increasing supply of information creating an attention deficit as a way of devising strategies to manage the supply of information.
ZG: 8
I would not say that this term has huge currency in the community at large but the problem is a very real one.
Read More. Appointment viewing is making a time to watch something, usually because you regard it as particularly important. A must-see.
ZG: 5
I suppose that the different ways in which we consume media are as important to us as the ever-changing fashions in food and drink.
Read MoreThis is an automated system for recovering debts, notably the one used by Centrelink to recover money overpaid to welfare recipients.
ZG: 7
This one is very probably here to stay, despite the damage it does.
Read MoreThe concierge parent differs from the helicopter parent in that, while the helicopter parent is hovering overhead to protect the child from any danger, the concierge parent is there to solve all of life’s problems for the child.
ZG: 5
Discussions of parenting styles can be relied on to surface in the media from time to time. This one may seem a niche term but it will probably pop up again.
Read MoreThis is an education approach mostly used by parents who are teaching their children at home, whereby the child leads the way in indicating their interests and the parents follow the child’s lead.
ZG: 7
Almost anything to do with education is likely to get the attention of the community, but this model seems to be gaining increasing popularity.
Read MoreThe Queensland state election of 2017 produced the Gympie Line. Apparently the LNP warned Malcolm Turnbull that he would not go down well with voters above Gympie and that it would be better if he did not cross the Gympie Line.
ZG: 7
What happens with voters above the Gympie Line is of great interest in this 2019 election.
Read MoreThis is the creation of permanent ocean homes, ultimately reaching the goal of ocean cities.
ZG: 6
This is a curious blending of the anti-government movement with the save-the-environment movement. Only for those who can be sustained by the fervour of their convictions,
Read MoreThe internet is home to many strange fads and fetishes. The latest in these is the mukbang, a U-tube program in which someone livestreams their consumption of a truly huge meal.
ZG: 5
I suppose it makes sense that, at a time when we are all fighting excess calories, we outsource our enjoyment of eating to someone else.
Read MoreOver the last decade significant progress has been made in developing aircraft powered by electricity. As things stand, such planes are capable of doing short flights.
ZG: 7
Planes burning aviation fuel are a big problem for the environment so it is to be hoped that we get more of these planes with even better batteries.
Read MoreThis is the latest in alternative medicine treatments. It is the venom of an Amazonian tree frog, used to purge the body and in the process free the mind from unwanted baggage.
ZG: 4
Personally I will not be taking a treatment that requires me to vomit. It reminds me of the last time I was on a boat with a number of seasick people Not pleasant.
Read MoreThis is described as a revolutionary new method for treating cancer in which the patient’s own T-cell lymphocytes (found in the immune system) are harvested and genetically re-engineered.
ZG: 4
A medical word but one that may get wider currency if it proves to be a success.
Read MoreThis is an American term, modelled on whitewashing, for public relations or marketing approaches that have a veneer of being friendly to gays, and, by extension, to everyone in the LGBTI community.
ZG: 5
Perhaps not commonly used as yet but a neat coinage.
Read MoreThis is an eastward movement of cloud and rainfall coming from the equator over a cycle of 30 to 60 days, causing fluctuations in tropical weather.
ZG: 7
Almost anything to do with the weather is on the top of everyone’s mind at the moment, and the tip of their tongue.
Read MoreThis is a form of trauma can have repercussions that carry over from one generation to the next, through the mechanism of post traumatic stress disorder.
ZG: 7
It has dawned on us sadly that one Sorry Speech cannot magically undo all the harm that has been done.
Read MoreThis is an investment approach, a form of ethical investing, that aims to benefit women by shifting investment choices to companies that are friendly to women.
ZG: 6
Another jargon word but it could be construed as a reaction to the MeToo Movement in the finance world.
Read MoreA gateway drug is the first one taken in a pattern of drug-taking that tends to progress from licit to illicit, from drugs with a mild effect to drugs with a powerful effect.
ZG: 5
This one is more the jargon of the health profession, but will continue to feature in the discussion of drug taking in the community.
Read MoreIn the US the group called theright to repair movement have been advocating for the right for owners to be allowed to fix things themselves, be it a tractor, a dishwasher or a smartphone.
ZG: 6
Many of us have railed against the fact that we can no longer have household items repaired but are forced to go out an buy something new. This group seems to be getting some traction on this problem.
Read MoreThis form of internet scamming has been around for a while but we seem to have now come up with an official name for it.
ZG: 7
Given the frequency of this kind of scamming, the amounts of money involved, and the terrible effect on the victims, I think we will be discussing this one for some time to come.
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