Have you ever felt like making up your own words? Don’t be shy, the English language is always growing and changing. You may just find your creation in the dictionary if its usage becomes popular.

Think athleisure, contactless, deepfake – these are all words you use in your daily conversations. Have another look at them and you will realise words follow trends and develop to describe lifestyle changes and things that impact how we do things.

Just recently, Merriam-Webster added 690 new words to the dictionary.

Here are just a few:

• Microtransaction – noun: an online transaction involving a small amount of currency; especially: such a transaction made within a video game (as to purchase exclusive content or competitive advantage)
• Padawan – noun, informal : a young person especially when regarded as naïve, inexperienced, etc.
• Simp – verb, informal : to show excessive devotion to or longing for someone or something
• Cromulent – adjective, informal + humorous : acceptable, satisfactory
• Tabata – noun : a type of high-intensity interval training that usually consists of eight sets of exercises (such as jumping jacks) each performed at maximum intensity for 20 seconds interspersed with a brief rest of 10 seconds
• Cheffy – adjective: characteristic of or befitting a professional chef (as in showiness, complexity, or exoticness)
• Emping – noun: a slightly bitter cracker or chip popular in Indonesia that is made from the dried flattened seed of a melinjo tree (Gnetum gnemon)
• Girlboss – noun: an ambitious and successful woman (especially a businesswoman or entrepreneur)
• Edgelord – noun, slang : someone who makes wildly dark and exaggerated statements (as on an internet forum) with the intent of shocking others

For the complete list go to

https://www.merriam-webster.com/wordplay/new-words-in-the-dictionary

Reading voraciously as I do, and going about my daily craft, I also picked up a few new phrases:

Writing an article on sustainability: The “Greta effect” refers to the significant impact and influence that Greta Thunberg, a Swedish environmental activist, has had on the global climate movement. Greta gained international attention in 2018 when she started striking from school to demand action against climate change. Her activism quickly spread worldwide, inspiring millions of young people and adults alike to join the fight for a sustainable future.

A name you know well 

Heard on the news after one of Jacob Zuma’s many court appearances: Stalingrad Tactics. Also known as the “Stalingrad defence,” this refers to a military strategy or legal tactic where a party involved in a legal dispute employs an all-out, aggressive approach aimed at exhausting the resources and resolve of their opponent.

It is named after the Battle of Stalingrad during World War II, which was characterised by intense and prolonged fighting. In a legal context, Stalingrad tactics typically involve overwhelming the opposing party with numerous legal actions, motions,and other manoeuvres, often with the goal of wearing them down and forcing them to give in or abandon their claims. (Sounds just like ol’ Zuma).

Please add these to your vocabulary so you don’t get caught unawares at all those dinner party discussions – and let me know what you think.

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