Oxford Dictionaries has just published its list of new words for the day and they prove that language is ever growing and ever evolving. No wonder we have come a long way since Shakespeare! So if you thought that the selfie was too common, then you could as well go for something better, a Kodak moment, that is, if the moment warrants a video selfie!
Topmost in the list of headings of new words in the Oxford Dictonaries blog deals with 'food words' and why should it not be, since we are a generation of foodies who love to brag about the exotic meals we have had. I would have loved to have my word, gravitatarian to be included in the list, but then I guess, very few know that gravitarianism deals with the conscious choice of eating the gravy rather than the meat! Our obsession with the superfruit has made us choose to consume expensive supplements that contain extracts of the acai berry or the Noni fruit! But hold one, there are some who would rather have shoestring fries which are less healthy than the fruits mentioned above! Veganism is on the rise and advocates of this school of eating will cry against the use of meat and eggs in one's diet. Well, there are substitutes for meat in the form of soya Nuggets or chunks and for the lovers of egg, there is the 'aquafaba, a substitute for egg whites' according to Oxford Dictionaries. I guess a lot of us will have partaken of Khao-pad-nam-prick-pao, that Thai dish of noodle, but then drunken noodles will tickle your palate even more, what with the exotic mix of vegetables, meat, and tofu. Experts claim that this stir fried dish might be the result of the 'drunkenness of the chef'! The chef would have thrown in ingredients that would have made it too spicy!
After food, we are concerned about the environment, and it is because we are concerned about the environment that we have come out with some important new words. A language needs to evolve, and in the process of its evolution, every language needs to have contextual relevance. Global warming, civil wars, manmade and natural factors have given rise to a tribe of climate refugees, 'those forced to leave their home' due to the ravages of climate change. Increased awareness about the environment and a sense of responsibility towards protecting the environment means that you are not a climate denier. A climate denier is someone who doesn't give two hoots about climate change, and he contributes to global warming in a big way by burning carbon points. A good conservationist will try to save energy in the form of negawatts, units of energy saved and he will go further in being generous and responsible enough to freecycle his surplus and unwanted goods by giving them away to those in need of them. So, the environment conscious citizen of today goes beyond recycling, reusing and reducing stuff that has the potential of polluting the environment.
The twenty-first century is also the age of the fitness freaks, the age of the fit bit and assorted fitness gadgets. Some fitness freaks enjoy flyboarding as a pastime. Flyboarding is a form of travel in which the fitness guru travels in the air on a board that has jet engines! Some health conscious individuals will skitch to work if they are getting late. Skitching is all about riding a skateboard and hitching on to a moving vehicle. In Gurugram, I see newspaper delivery boys on bicycles hitching onto motorcycles just save time and energy, I, however, don't believe they are bitching! In times when we are conscious about the paunch going North, many of us who are health conscious resort to HIIT exercises. These high-intensity interval training exercises are effective in helping reduce the size of the paunch. The exercise involves alternating high-intensity physical exercise with short periods of recovery ( not, of course taking a brief nap in the gym). People who are lazy and not ready to undertake physical exercise will need, fitspiration often shortened to fitspo. What these terms mean according to the vocabulary gurus is the inspiration to be fit.
Some more interesting words (and I am sure you would agree about their relevance) include, drunk-dial or drunk-text. Calling up that offensive boss while drunk, or texting him while under the influence might cause you a lot of embarrassment later on, when you are sober. Never ever drunk-text or drunk-dial people that matter lest you should regret that silly act all your life!
After food, we are concerned about the environment, and it is because we are concerned about the environment that we have come out with some important new words. A language needs to evolve, and in the process of its evolution, every language needs to have contextual relevance. Global warming, civil wars, manmade and natural factors have given rise to a tribe of climate refugees, 'those forced to leave their home' due to the ravages of climate change. Increased awareness about the environment and a sense of responsibility towards protecting the environment means that you are not a climate denier. A climate denier is someone who doesn't give two hoots about climate change, and he contributes to global warming in a big way by burning carbon points. A good conservationist will try to save energy in the form of negawatts, units of energy saved and he will go further in being generous and responsible enough to freecycle his surplus and unwanted goods by giving them away to those in need of them. So, the environment conscious citizen of today goes beyond recycling, reusing and reducing stuff that has the potential of polluting the environment.
Some more interesting words (and I am sure you would agree about their relevance) include, drunk-dial or drunk-text. Calling up that offensive boss while drunk, or texting him while under the influence might cause you a lot of embarrassment later on, when you are sober. Never ever drunk-text or drunk-dial people that matter lest you should regret that silly act all your life!
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