‘Floss’, ‘VAR’ & ‘Vegan’ – #CollinsWOTY 2018 is here!

Some people get hyped for Halloween, others are crackers for Christmas. Here at Collins Dictionaries, Word Of The Year is like all the major annual holidays rolled into one. We arrive at work on the glorious day, dressed as giant dictionaries, clutching our reusable coffee cups in honour of single-use…… Read More

Etymology Corner – Collins Word of the Year 2018

It’s the most wonderful time of the year once again, Collins Dictionary have announced the 2018 Word of the Year shortlist. Our lexicographers monitor the 4.5 billion-word Collins Corpus and create the annual list of new and notable words that reflect an ever-evolving culture and the preoccupations of those who… Read More

Tabular iceberg, drill music, and the Strictly Curse: October’s Words in the News

October is the “scary month”, and I have scary news. No, it’s not Brexit. That’s for next year. It’s a weird, rectangular iceberg that NASA has discovered in Antarctica. In other words, an iceberg that looks “made” instead of “naturally formed”. Like some intelligent life form carved it. But so… Read More

Coorie doon: words to cosy up to

It’s that time again: the clocks have just made the (welcome) move back to GMT, the coats and jumpers have been dug out, and the year’s winter wellness trend has made its appearance… Following on from the widely disseminated Danish concept of hygge, and the interest around last year’s… Read More

What on earth is The Schwa?

Say again, ‘The Schwa’? The what? When reading our colleague’s post over on the Collins English Language Learning blog, I heard about The Schwa sound for the very first time, and thought it would be useful to replicate some of the content here. I was intrigued to… Read More

Meme Ban, Heart Age & Collagin: September’s Words in the News

It’s Two For the Price of One month on the Collins Dictionary blog. Yes, one news story is yielding two new pieces of vocabulary. Lucky me! And not so lucky for anyone who uses the internet to communicate on a regular basis. The European Parliament has voted in favour… Read More

Scallop War, Monkey Dust & Fortnite: August’s Words in the News

It’s not often I get to report Breaking News in this blog, but August ended with a bang, as British and French fisherman came to blows off the coast of Normandy. The cause? Scallops! Though it started with stones, smoke bombs, and farting in one’s general direction, this so-called Scallop… Read More

VAR, planebae & a peng sort: July’s Words in the News

A repeat of The Beast from the East might bring blessed relief to many parts of the country, as the hot topic (no pun intended) this month was definitely #HeatwaveUK. Lush green fields are a thing of the past, as the latest satellite images from space show a burnt… Read More

Are you a football fan visiting Moscow?

Springing immediately to mind at the mention of Moscow is the image of Red Square with the twin features of the imposing historic Kremlin and the shining onion-domed Cathedral of St Basil the Blessed. The citadel of the Kremlin has been inextricably linked to all the most important historical… Read More