Listen to the author reading this blog post: by Kate Woodford Two weeks ago, I published a blog post on the language of describing similarities, including words such as identikit and analogous. This week I’m looking at idioms and phrases in this area. Let’s start with similarities between people. Someone who is a dead ringer for … The post Dead ringers and peas in pods (Talking about similarities, Part 2) appeared first on About Words - Cambridge Dictionary blog ..read more

unexpected red theory noun [U] UK /ˌʌn.ɪk.spek.tɪd ˈred ˌθɪə.ri/ US /ʌn.ɪkˌspek.tɪd ˈred ˌθɪr.i/ an interior design trend based on the idea that any room will look more attractive if you add one red item or feature to it, especially if the red looks strange or wrong with the other colours in the room Unexpected red … The post New words – 22 April 2024 appeared first on About Words - Cambridge Dictionary blog ..read more

popcorn brain noun [U] UK /ˈpɒp.kɔːn ˌbreɪn/ US /ˈpɑːp.kɔːrn ˌbreɪn/ a psychological condition where someone cannot keep their mind and attention fixed on anything, thought to be caused by spending too much time on social media A psychologist has warned against scrolling on your phone and ending up with “popcorn brain”. Yup, popcorn brain. You … The post New words – 15 April 2024 appeared first on About Words - Cambridge Dictionary blog ..read more

bookshelf wealth noun [U] /ˌbʊk.ʃelf ˈwelθ/ an interior design trend where someone has bookshelves in their home that are filled with books and other objects they genuinely love, rather than displaying these things in order to look clever or stylish There’s a brand new trend popping up on TikTok known as “bookshelf wealth” – but … The post New words – 8 April 2024 appeared first on About Words - Cambridge Dictionary blog ..read more

Listen to the author reading this blog post: by Liz Walter Here in the UK we are well into our spring season, which made me think about the words and phrases we use to describe the plants that are now growing or coming back to life after the long winter. When plants start to appear above … The post Shoots, blooms and blossom: talking about plants appeared first on About Words - Cambridge Dictionary blog ..read more

tipflation noun [U] /ˌtɪpˈfleɪ.ʃən/ the increase in the amount of money that people are expected to give as a tip An increase in tipping has come as part of a post covid world, and gratitude is not the only reason for the rise. A change in the way we live (and hygiene concerns) has played … The post New words – 1 April 2024 appeared first on About Words - Cambridge Dictionary blog ..read more

Listen to the author reading this blog post: by Kate Woodford Today we’re looking at idioms from a range of national newspapers that were published on the same day. We do this every couple of months in order to provide you with up-to-date, frequently used idioms. A broadsheet features an article about men’s fashion. The journalist … The post Sitting on the fence (Newspaper idioms) appeared first on About Words - Cambridge Dictionary blog ..read more

snackification noun [U] UK /ˌsnæk.ɪ.fɪˈkeɪ.ʃᵊn/ US /ˌsnæk.ə.fəˈkeɪ.ʃᵊn/ the shift from eating proper meals every day to eating several snacks instead Snackable lifestyles are popular amongst gen Z and millennials. But how is snackification changing eating habits for these young consumers? Half of U.S. consumers eat three or more snacks a day according to market research … The post New words – 25 March 2024 appeared first on About Words - Cambridge Dictionary blog ..read more

Listen to the author reading this blog post: by Liz Walter We often need to keep our minds fixed on the things we are doing, and this post looks at ways of talking about this. Regular readers know that I like to focus on collocations, or words that often go together, and that will certainly be … The post Paying attention and listening intently: talking about concentration appeared first on About Words - Cambridge Dictionary blog ..read more

skin streaming noun [U] /ˈskɪn ˌstriː.mɪŋ/ the practice of using very few skincare products on your face What if you could pack three effective, holistic, dermatologist-recommended products, and slip those right into your makeup bag … This is where skin streaming comes into play—finally a TikTok trend that influences you to buy less, and more … The post New words – 18 March 2024 appeared first on About Words - Cambridge Dictionary blog ..read more