lucy mangan

Avast! Lucy Mangan gets nautical with your recent word submissions

The submission “jackspeak”, from Tommy, has sent me off on such a voyage across the seas of knowledge that it is only with the greatest effort of will and hauling on the mainbrace (or something) that has allowed me to return to dry land with my findings. “Jackspeak” means… Read More

‘Tortoise armies’, ‘mansplaining’, and ‘tediocre’ – it can only be Lucy Mangan and the latest new word submissions

Our contributors’ submissions this week range from words plucked from the mires of ancient(ish) history to newborn babes which were nobbut a gleam in modernity’s eye a few short weeks or months ago. Let us proceed chronologically, beginning with tikitaka’s “schiltron”, which derives from the Old… Read More

Lucy Mangan’s New Year Rant

Right, 2015 – let’s get a few things out of the way before we begin properly next week. 1. No more “the bub” or “the bubba”, or “Bub” or “Bubba” to refer to your own or any other baby. It’s a baby. You aren’t. Enunciate. 2. And while… Read More

What does Lucy Mangan think of the ‘tarpaulin revolution’, ‘wig warmers’ and ‘bulletproof coffee’?

2014 has been the year of – as RobertG submits – the “tarpaulin revolution“. This refers of course to the likes of Occupy Wall Street and other similar, splinter (shred?) groups that have sprung up over the months on both sides of the Atlantic to protest against various forms… Read More

‘Bio-drone’…’lumbersexual’…’panivorous’…and let’s not forget ‘poo bus’ – Lucy Mangan can’t as she looks at your new word submissions

Ah, “poo bus”. Thank you, tikitaka, for reminding us as we claw desperately through the news for tiny crumbs of festive cheer of one of the happier stories of the year; namely, the bus that is – probably even as we speak – ferrying (well, no, okay – you… Read More

Lucy Mangan is back on your word submissions this week, taking on ‘meetnapping’ and ‘brunneous’ among others

Well, hello again. First off – my heartfelt thanks to tikitaka for his or her submission of “cosplayer” and accompanying explanation of it as “someone who wears costumes and acts out roles based on them.” It is a term I have been coming across a lot lately, in my… Read More

The year that was…Lucy Mangan looks at the Collins Word of the Year shortlist

Cometh the publication of the 12th edition of the Collins English Dictionary (and I hope you’re all having fun with it, by the way. My favourite discovery so far is “centonate” – having many pieces or patches. I intend to use it instead of “portfolio” – a word… Read More

The Collins English Dictionary, 12th edition

It’s word nerd Christmas, folks! Which is to say, the new Collins English Dictionary is almost here! Nearly three quarters of a million words (50,000 newly added) in one rather classy-looking volume – or as a Kindle ebook or iOS app, I am reliably informed while still being not… Read More

Devo Manc, investigoogle and factronise: Lucy Mangan takes on your new word submissions

Let us begin, before the last whispers of the winds of topicality depart, with AustinAllegro’s submission of “Devo Manc” – the name given to the notion of an independent Manchester. It’s a play, obviously, on the “Devo Max” that David Cameron is now quiveringly, quislingly offering to… Read More