Language Lovers

‘Binge-watch’, ‘shaming’ and ‘dadbod’ – Lucy Mangan’s take on Collins Word of the Year 2015

Halloween is over. Bonfire Night is turned to ashes. How, then, to enliven the barren days that stretch out before us until we may pop open the first door of the advent calendar and begin the final glorious countdown to Christmas? Why, by announcing the 2015 Collins Word of the… Read More

‘Manbun’, ‘hun’, ‘garroom’ and ‘thinkings’ – Lucy Mangan’s back with your new word submissions

I had a little operation last week, and as a result my ‘sedentarity’ has reached new heights. Or lows, depending on your view of the state of being sedentary, which is of course what AustinAllegro’s submission means. But between the stitches and the interesting new awareness-through-bruising of unknown internal organs,… Read More

‘Bigorexia’, ‘athleisure’ and ‘gudge’ – Lucy Mangan reveals the true nature of your new word submissions

Another week, another defiantly disheartening glimpse into the corporate mindset. This one is brought to you courtesy of the phrase “defeat device” (submitted by AustinAllegro), which is the name given to anything designed to affect emissions control systems. Like, it turns out, the software used in millions of Volkswagen diesel… Read More

Shake it like Shakespeare

Think modern pop music is missing a little poetry? Prefer rhyme schemes to the club scene? If so, you’ll love Pop Sonnets, an anthology of Shakespearean spins on your favourite songs. To celebrate its publication on this National Poetry Day, author Erik Didriksen reveals how he went about… Read More

‘Cereal café’, ‘Corbynomics’ and ‘Kill list’: September’s Words in the News

The start of September looked quite serious, with breaking news of a kill list (a list of high-profile targets) for drone attacks against ISIS. And as the migration crisis continued, August’s “ring of steel” was joined by Fortress Europe, a reference to border closings and other measures to curb immigration… Read More

Etymology Corner – ‘Festival’

Book-lovers are emerging from their paper cocoons in their book-and-mortar houses, in order to attend the Cheltenham Literature Festival and feed their desire for exciting, new reads. Here at Etymology Corner, we’re feeding your love of words. By no coincidence, this month we explore the origin of ‘festival’. Read More

‘Farquhar’, ‘Sangry’ and ‘Thighbrows’: Lucy Mangan avoids the pig-shaped elephant in the room with your new word submissions

I am resisting the temptation to fill this blog with the pig puns and other pieces of porcine wordplay that have been filling the internet since #piggate occurred. Or #Hameron happened. I shall not ask whether any PM has ever been rasher, or if he should get the chop and… Read More

It’s Written in the Stars: Explore the Universe in 20 Words

Stargazers everywhere looked to the skies during the early hours of Monday 28th September to catch the Total Lunar Eclipse, as the moon passed completely through the Earth’s dark shadow and became a blood red colour. To celebrate this beautiful phenomenon, and the publication of his 2016… Read More

‘Biophobia’: a fear of studying life… Lucy Mangan gets Gothic with your new word submissions

“Come round for dribbles!” The mind doesn’t so much boggle as run immediately for shelter and stay there cowering until it can be sure all danger has passed. Nothing good can come of such a phrase, and this is particularly true when you become aware – as I am now,… Read More