New month, new words. As we head towards the end of the year, our editors are keeping a close eye on our new words. The Macquarie Dictionary Word of the Year is imminent after all. Will any of the six words below make the shortlist? Could one even take out the crown?
These are the questions we ponder while sipping a locktail. Reminiscent of quarantini, a locktail is a cocktail enjoyed at home during guess what? That’s right, a COVID-19 related lockdown. We’ve all been tempted to reach for a locktail during the shadow pandemic. That’s the term used to describe the increase in mental health problems due to living with the stresses and restrictions of the pandemic.
If you’re not a fan of locktails, you might cope with lockdown by trip stacking: booking two holidays at once in case one gets cancelled due to COVID-19. Who can even afford that?
That takes care of the new pandemic-related words. Our three other new words have an animal theme. Beware, it’s swooping season! The time of year in Australia when magpies swoop at people to protect their nests. Unlike magpies, the turbo chook doesn’t swoop. And no, before you ask, a turbo chook is not some kind of robotic chicken, it’s a native Tasmanian hen.
Diving below the waves of the Bass Strait now, our final new word is seahorse dad. It’s well known that with seahorses, it’s the males that give birth. Hence, seahorse dad is a transgender man who gives birth.
