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.
This is a point awarded to a student in class for doing something good. Students aim to improve their behaviour and skills in order to win more points.
ZG: 6
This seems quite popular as a digital version of the stars on the back of the hand, one which can provide useful information to teachers and parents.
Read MoreThere is a new trend in funerals where people choose to conduct the ceremony in a park or on the beach or wherever they choose.
ZG: 6
New at the moment but part of a trend towards making death and funerals more intimate.
Read MoreThis phrase, the tag for a theory of group behaviour, is often shortened to just norming and storming.
ZG: 6
The idea is quite well accepted in office management jargon but I don’t think the school tuck shop has quite mastered the art of norming and storming yet.
Read MoreThe e-scooter is an electric scooter designed for adults. It is similar to an electric bike in that it is meant to be durable, not a toy.
ZG: 5
The success of this developing area of the lexicon depends on how successful this venture is in getting people around the CBD.
Read MoreThis is a term that originated in debating circles in America to describe a particular debating strategy.
ZG: 4
And odd term of politics that appeared during the recent election but will probably not surface again.
Read MoreIn military strategic parlance, to operate left of launch is to undertake actions to hamper and weaken the enemy which stop just short of provoking outright war.
ZG: 4
This is an insider’s term, part of the jargon of political commentary and strategic thinking.
Read MoreWe all thought the babyccino was cute when it first came out so it comes as no surprise that fur parents taking their fur child with them for the morning cup of coffee would want to provide a treat for the dog as well.
ZG: 8
The babycino has become a staple for small children. I am sure puppies will become similarly addicted to both the treat and the outing.
Read MoreThis is the latest in self-improvement techniques that has become the thing to do on the internet. The trick of mewing is to flatten your tongue against the roof of your mouth.
ZG: 6
Mewing is not something to be done overnight so it demonstrates what human beings can do when they are sufficiently motivated.
Read MoreIt is in very general terms a positive thing to be forward-leaning although to some people it could seem almost aggressive.
ZG: 6
A buzzword but one which is being used freely at the moment. Who knows how long it will last.
Read MoreMicro apartments are purpose-built and new so they are glossier than the old bedsitters.
ZG: 5
One of the passing fads of the real estate world.
Read MoreWe do seem to have picked up on the idea of a stump speech, which can be a campaign speech or a speech in that style designed to rally the troops.
ZG:7
This one will probably be a fixture for all future elections. It works outside election time in the wider jargon of politics.
Read MoreThe hustle culture of today is characterised by the attitude that you must really push yourself to get anywhere. Long hours, obsessive focus, nervous strain is required if you are to reap the rewards of success.
ZG: 7
Whatever happened to work/life balance! On the one hand we are striving to reach the top of the capitalist pile, and on the other to keep our sanity.
Read MoreThe essence of dadcore is comfort and a total lack of interest in style. Basic items are the baseball cap and the puffer jacket.
ZG: 8
The complete lack of interest in fashion has now become a fashion statement for men. This is a good thing!
Read Morewe are encouraged to regard a human being, a whole human being, a holobiont, as an entity comprising host and microbes.
ZG: 6
Although this is a specialist term, it does have resonance for us, given that we are now encouraged to think that our total health depends on the wellbeing of the organisms in our gut.
Read MoreAir rights are the rights which a landowner has to the space above that land. There are ways in which this ownership is developing into a market in air rights.
ZG: 4
More a matter for big property developers than the individual homeowners, but interesting as a method of getting money for the conservation of buildings.
Read MoreA neobank is a new kind of bank that is entirely digital and generally operates from an app on your phone. It also uses totally new software, quite different from that used by traditional banks and not constrained by legacy issues.
ZG: 5
It is the way of the future although possibly not on every phone new you yet.
Read MoreThis is the verb, to smug, meaning ‘to behave in a complacent and disrespectful fashion towards someone’.
ZG: 4
I would like to give this a high rating because I think it is a very useful verb, but, in reality, I think it has low frequency.
Read MoreCarbon farming aims to trap carbon in the soil and in the vegetation on top of the soil by growing plants that will never be cut down.
ZG: 7
Carbon continues to be a productive word, combining in all sorts of compounds as we struggle with the concepts of how to deal with it.
Read MoreHybrid warfare comprises the traditional armed forces along with lawfare, cyberwarfare,, and the manipulation of social media, generally described as fake news.
ZG: 6
We ought all to be alarmed by this one. Who needs tanks on the ground when you can manipulate elections and hack into a country’s computer systems.
Read MoreAlso known as a loom group, this is a form of pyramid scheme which targets young people using social media.
ZG: 5
An interesting get-rich-quick scheme for those on social media.
Read More
