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.
The Australotitan, our newest dinosaur, has been described as being the equivalent to 1,400 red kangaroos. I’m not sure that my mind can stretch to encompass 1,400 red kangaroos.
ZG: 5
Not a creature we will meet every day, even as a bunch of bones, but interesting.
Read MoreApparently the Dutch observed that standing around in a paddock with a cow slowed your heart rate enormously. On top of that the cow would agreeably sit down to chew the cud which meant that you could get even more comfortable. This new therapy called cow hugging or cow cuddling is travelling around the world and has arrived in Australia.
ZG: 5
A great activity for regional Australia but not quite so accessible in the cities, except perhaps at the Agricultural Shows.
Read MoreIt was another outbreak in Melbourne in late May that introduced us to the new names for the COVID-19 variants of concern. Apparently India had complained to the WHO about the way in which the world was talking about the Indian variant and so the WHO responded by renaming the lot.
ZG: 8
The people of Melbourne will have delta and kappa engraved on their hearts at the moment. I imagine we have yet to make a few more moves through the Greek alphabet before this is done.
Read MoreThis is the name for the practice adopted by a man who removes his condom at some point during sex without the knowledge or consent of his partner. While this is regarded as criminal behaviour in other parts of the world, in Australia stealthing is not legally identified as behaviour which overthrows the notion of consent and therefore becomes sexual assault. Not yet, anyway.
Read MoreAustralians and New Zealanders seem to have invented the notion of the Mum-and-Dad business ventures or financial dealings, so it is with some pride that we should acknowledge that we now have our own Bank of Mum and Dad (BOMAD or BoMaD).
Read MoreCheugy is a word that has gained ground in Los Angeles with a couple of young women claiming responsibility for it, but it was Hallie Cain who introduced it to TikTok on March 30, 2021, and sent it around the world. She listed the things that she regarded as good examples of cheuginess: graphic tees, girlboss energy, and Herbal Essence shampoo. Others have added to that list.
Read MoreThe violence inflicted on a woman by a man who has been rejected by her in some way, particularly as a dating or marriage partner, is called rejection violence. Dating apps, which allow women to appraise and reject or accept possible partners relatively easily and quickly, have highlighted this reaction on the part of the men involved.
ZG: 10
Violence against women is at the forefront of everyone’s minds at the moment.
Read MoreThe pandemic left international students in Australia with no jobs, no income and no support. One of the results of this is the increase in the practice of hot-bedding, that is, sharing not just a room but a bed, with each person allocated a certain amount of time at a certain time of the day or night to sleep.
ZG: 4
The pandemic has produced winners and losers. Often very little is known about the losers.
Read MoreFirst we had COVID toes, now we have COVID arm. This is a reaction to the COVID inoculation exhibiting as a rash around the site of the jab. In some cases the rash may spread to the hands and feet, and to other areas of the body. It can be very itchy.
ZG: 8
As more of us a being vaccinated there will be a range of reactions, not doubt including this one.
Read MoreScott Morrison assured us towards the end of February that there was no need for vaccine anxiety. However, events since then have heightened the nervousness rather than reduced it.
ZG: 10
One way or the other, the vaccine is at the forefront of our minds at the moment and generating much troubled discussion.
Read MoreThis is a scam in which criminals intercept invoices sent as attachments to emails and alter the bank details from the real one to a bank account set up by the criminal. Often the contact number (if there is one) is changed as well.
ZG: 5
As the frequency of these scams increases, so too will familiarity with the term for it. And loathing!
Read MoreSeitan is wheat dough which has been rinsed many times to remove the bran and starch from it. After that it can be flavoured with spices and sauces, pan-fried or boiled, and served as a meat substitute. It has more protein in it than an equivalent serve of lamb or beef and has a meaty texture and taste.
Read MoreVanlife is a movement that embraces minimalism and personal freedom and self-development. The corollary is that it opposes consumerism, the economic and political status quo, and the imposition of restrictions on the individual by the government.
ZG: 6
It is one of the surprises of the pandemic that we have discovered so many ways to escape our cities and find a new lifestyle that combines safety with pleasure.
Read MoreAfter the excitement of hydroxychloroquine there were a few drugs that were discovered to be effective in the treatment of the coronavirus. Dexamethasone was one of these.
ZG: 3
This drug got very little fanfare and caused very little controversy, unlike hydroxychloroquine and, more recently, ivermectin.
Read MoreIt has been suggested that ivermectin could be used to treat COVID-19. This is based on a laboratory experiment where it was found that a high concentration of ivermectin killed the coronavirus in monkey cells.
ZG: 5
Most of us had not heard about ivermectin until enthusiasts started spruiking its use as a treatment for COVID-19. With a bit of luck it will recede into the distance again.
Read MoreThe starting point for this word is the term enfant terrible which dates back in British English to the 1850s and was applied to a child who embarrassed their parents with ill-timed remarks. Later it was applied to adults who were, in their speech or behaviour, unconventional to the point of shocking other people. Such displays have come to be associated with precocious talent.
ZG: 6
This is a word that may well be found to be useful, given the amount of terribilism on display.
Read MoreIn the Taylor Swift song Champagne Problems, released at the end of last year, the expression is grounded in the fact that the parents of the boy who is about to propose are already opening the bottle of Dom Pérignon to celebrate, not dreaming for one moment that the girl is about to turn him down. The phrase gains meaning through the song until it becomes something like the expression first-world problem.
ZG: 7
A new word or phrase needs a champion to give it general currency. What better champion than Taylor Swift.
Read MoreThe drug tocilizumab was already in use in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. In June 2020 an article was published in The Lancet outlining a study which tested its efficacy in the treatment of the coronavirus.
ZG: 4
This drug has figured briefly in our discussions of possible treatments for COVID-19.
Read MoreThis was initially referred to as a public exposure site, but was rapidly shortened to exposure site as we all became familiar with the routines of contact tracing and the lists of sites where people may have been at risk of contracting COVID-19 from an infectious person.
ZG: 8
This term has become a constant throughout the pandemic. It may one day plummet in frequency. Let’s hope so.
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