Cyberloafing: The activity of spending working hours engaged in online activities that are not work related, such as checking social media sites and surfing the internet
Smombie: A pedestrian who is distracted by their mobile phone or similar device
Infobesity: The state of having access to so much information that it leads to difficulties with decision-making, concentration and understanding
Despite this, humanity persists with new words to describe our relationships:
LAT: An acronym for ‘Living Apart Together’: a type of close romantic relationship where the partners choose not to live together
Stashing: The practice of not telling anyone about the person with whom you are in a romantic relationship
…as well as the distinctions of our genders…
Bropropriation: A situation when a man takes a woman’s idea, claims that it is his own and gets the credit for it
Hepeating: A situation when a man repeats a good idea expressed by a woman and acts as though it were his own
…and modern parenthood…
Parennial: A parent who is a member of the millennial generation, born between the early 1980s and the early 2000s
Monster parent: A parent who is excessively authoritarian and over-protective, and who tends to interfere in their children’s education
Getting about is as pressing an imperative as ever…
Flashpacking: A type of backpacking (travelling or camping while carrying everything you need in a backpack) that is more comfortable and luxurious than traditional backpacking
Bleisure: The activity of combining business travel with leisure time
…and the highlight that is the honeymoon has adopted some new versions…
Honeyteer: A honeymoon spent doing voluntary work, usually abroad
Megamoon: A honeymoon on which the married couple’s friends are also invited
Even our pets come in for a make over…
Peticure: A pedicure (a beauty treatment for the feet and toenails) given to pets such as dogs
Dog manor: A luxurious shelter for a dog to sleep in outside
…and fashion is alive perhaps for some more than others…
Schmoo: A jumper without a hole for the head to go through, intended to be wrapped around the wearer’s shoulders
Drouser: An item of clothing comprising a dress attached to a pair of trousers
Food also seems to reinvent itself…
Haem: An organic molecule found in plants that can be used in vegetarian and vegan cooking to mimic the red colour of meat
Kleptopredation: the act of eating prey that has just hunted so that the predator eats the prey of its prey too
…with an emphasis on its healthy effects…
Raw water: Water that is unfiltered and untreated, thought by some people to be a healthier alternative to tap water
Super coffee: Coffee that has had ingredients such as seeds, oats and spices added to it in order to increase its health benefits
…not to mention the physical exercise to work it all off…
Napercise: A type of exercise class that involves sleeping for a short time
Bokwa: A type of exercise in which you perform dance moves and step aerobics, usually in a class with other people
Wild cycling: The activity of exploring the countryside by bicycle, using only small paths and lanes
Adam Jacot de Boinod was a researcher for Stephen Fry’s BBC television series QI, which led to an interest in words. Adam is the author of The Meaning of Tingo and Other Extraordinary Words from around the World, published by Penguin Books.
