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 the practice of seeking out travel destinations not frequented by the majority of tourists in the hope of having some real cultural exchange between the travellers and the locals.
ZG: 8
I think there is a real sense that people are bored with the packaged tourism on offer and have a vague disquiet about zooming around the world while being sheltered from any engagement with the locals. It seems rude somehow.
Read MoreElite has become a synonym for ‘excellent’ but sounds so much classier.
ZG: 9
This extension of meaning, from the person to the activity that such a person can carry out, is now entrenched in sports jargon.
Read MoreCheese tea is the latest tea-drinking craze from Asia since we were introduced to bubble tea from Taiwan.
ZG: 6
The flavour of the month, so to speak. Do I dare to give it a go!
Read MoreA form of football which focuses on passing rather than on running at speed. It retains the advantages of a team sport while being a low-impact and safe form of physical exercise.
ZG: 8
Given the popularity of football and the increasing numbers of older people in society, I can see that this sport may be quite successful.
Read MoreIt would seem that 2015 was the year in which silo art made its first appearance in Australia.
ZG: 9
These artworks are proliferating and hugely visible. The silos used to be an image of rural Australia, along with the old windmill pump, but covered in street art they are now an interesting blend of the city and the bush.
Read MoreA shoutcaster is someone who is a commentator on a video game.
ZG: 5
A little specaiised but now very much part of the jargon of gaming. It would all seem rather dull without the commentators to liven things up.
Read MoreA method of shearing sheep which draws from martial arts and yoga practices, to provide physical and mental training for the shearers and to teach them how to work with sheep rather than fighting them.
ZG: 7
A niche area of activity but a very traditional one producing this extraordinary blend of shearing and ju-jitsu.
Read MoreWe have had a number of shocks administered to the hip-pocket nerve which we have named in general bill shock. Now there is toll shock, with the variante toll shock.
ZG: 6
The point of these shocks is that they are unexpected, or else expected but dramatically inflated. We probably have a few more of them to endure.
Read MoreWe have talked about the extension of the doula’s work from looking after women in childbirth to helping those who are on the path to death. Now we have the abortion doula who assists a woman who is having a termination.
ZG: 5
A specialist area although the abortion doula herself assists in a very general way. It will be interesting to see how many types of doula we will eventually have.
Read MoreTrade is the buying and selling of goods and services. Digital trade is digitally-enabled, with the item of commerce being delivered digitally or physically. It is what happened to commerce when we got the internet.
ZG: 8
How we buy and sell things, after being such a fixed procedure for centuries, is now in a state of flux.
Read MoreWe are all now so familiar with the Nigerian prince scam that we instantly delete email requests for us to set up bank accounts in Africa and receive funds from a foreign land. Now our phones are the conduit for scamming activities.
ZG: 4
It seems that one kind of scam is being replaced by yet another at a pace that is so fast we are learning new words in this field and then almost immediately discarding them.
Read MoreEco-anxiety is a form of anxiety triggered by a sudden awareness of the path to destruction that the world is taking.
ZG: 8
This one is definitely on the rise, sadly, particularly in the absence of any action being taken which gives rise to a sense of helplessness.
Read MoreThis is an order fulfilment method in which the dropshipper takes an order from a customer and then passes it on to a manufacturer who delivers the product.
ZG: 6
It is piece of business jargon it is true, but we, as customers, will probably become familiar with it as we have with other aspects of digital trade.
Read MoreThis is a pattern of behaviour exhibited by someone who wishes to dominate another person, usually one in a relationship with them.
ZG: 6
On the one hand it is good that we are recognising the subtleties of abuse and coming up with terms to identify them. On the other hand it does unfortunately seem to be a growth area of the language.
Read MoreApparently this is the latest way of pranking people.
ZG: 5
Let’s hope this practice is quickly stamped out so that the word fades into oblivion.
Read MoreThis 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 More
