Over the past few months the English language has been evolving and adapting to our unfamiliar experience of lockdown. A whole host of new words and phrases have appeared, which are becoming part of our everyday vocabulary.
At Brighter English, we’ve put together a list of our top 8 laugh out loud Lockdown words that you can learn today!
1. Covidiot (n)
A blend of the words ‘Covid’ and ‘idiot’, this word describes someone who has done something stupid during lockdown. It usually describes someone who has either broken the rules or done something selfish or silly that offends other people.
E.g. He sneezed on a bunch of bananas in the supermarket and then put them back. What a Covidiot!
2.Coronacoaster (n)
A blend of the words ‘Corona’ and ‘rollercoaster’, the ‘Coronacoaster’ refers to the emotional ups and downs of lockdown. One minute you’re happily chatting to a friend on Zoom, the next you’re in floods of tears and you have no idea why.
E.g. I was having a great time in the garden and then I suddenly felt very upset. Today’s been a real Coronacoaster.
3. Doomscrolling (n)
Obsessively scrolling through our social media news feeds is something we’re all guilty of from time to time, but ‘doomscrolling’ is a strictly Coronavirus –related phenomenon. Doomscrolling refers to the lockdown habit of scrolling through the media looking for terrible news stories about the Coronavirus.
E.g. Stop doomscrolling! You’ve been reading too many depressing articles today!
4. Quarantini (n)
A quarantini is an alcoholic cocktail which you drink to cope with all of the stressful effects of being on lockdown. It may be made with some unusual ingredients because that’s all you happen to have in the cupboard. Vodka, Nesquik, ketchup and marshmallows, anyone?
E.g. It’s been a terrible day at home and I’m so stressed. I think I’ll make myself a quarantini to relax.
5. Coronial (n)
Fusing Corona and millennial, this clever word projects us into the future – nine months into the future to be precise. A millennial refers to a person who was born before the year 2000, known as the millennium, and has reached young adulthood in the early 21st Century. Coronials are the next generation of babies that have been conceived during lockdown.
6. Blursday (n)
A combination of ‘blur’ and ‘day’, this frighteningly accurate lockdown word describes the feeling you get when you have absolutely no idea what day it is anymore. When you’re stuck in the house day after day with nothing to do, the days of the week can all seem like a blur. It’s a bit like the Christmas holidays when all the shops are closed, you can eat chocolate and watch films all day and you’ve completely forgotten which day the bins are supposed to go out.
E.g. What day is it today? I have no idea…it’s Blursday.
7. Zoombombing
Let’s face it, after months of lockdown we’re all officially Zoom addicts. Whether we’ve been using it for work or for a virtual party with our friends, video calls have taken over our life like never before. Unfortunately, many of us are forgetting to protect our Zoom meetings with a password, which can mean that our call can be hijacked or ‘zoombombed’ by uninvited guests. These zoombombers are far from polite and often say or do offensive or funny things that force the host to end the meeting.
8. Farcemask (n)
This word is a mishmash of the words ‘farce’ and ‘facemask’. A ‘farce’ describes a ridiculous situation or event, and when it’s combined with ‘mask’ it literally means a ridiculous facemask. We’re all getting used to covering our faces these days, but some people are being more sensible about it than others. While some are wearing functional, surgical masks, others are using whatever they have to hand, and keeping their germs from spreading with masks made out of plastic bottles, snorkels and even underwear!
We hope you’ve enjoyed reading our Brighter English guide to Lockdown language. Why not impress your friends by using one of these brand new words in a conversation today!
Do you have any funny Coronavirus-related vocabulary in your language? If so, we’d love to hear about it! Share your words in the comments box below.