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category-the-english-language tag-finance tag-hurricane-sandy tag-neologisms tag-politics tag-the-english-language tag-the-olympic-games tag-words-of-the-year"> <div class="entry-wrapper"> <header class="entry-header"> <h1 class="entry-title">The words of 2012</h1> <div class="entry-meta"> <span class="posted-on">On <a href="https://dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/2012/12/18/the-words-of-2012/" rel="bookmark"><time class="entry-date published" datetime="2012-12-18T09:00:39+00:00">December 18, 2012</time><time class="updated" datetime="2013-01-18T12:27:23+00:00">January 18, 2013</time></a></span><span class="byline"> By <span class="author vcard"><a class="url fn n" href="https://dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/author/pheacock/">Paul Heacock</a></span></span><span class="cat-links">In <a href="https://dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/category/the-english-language/" rel="category tag">the English language</a></span> </div> </header> <div class="entry-content"> <p>by <a href="http://dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/paul-heacock/">Paul Heacock</a></p> <p>As the year winds to a close, it is once again time for the staff and contributors to Cambridge Dictionaries Online and its blog, About Words, to sort through the year gone by and highlight the words and phrases that rose to <a href="http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/prominence?q=prominence" target="_blank">prominence</a>. In one way or another, all of these strike us as <a href="http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/emblematic?q=emblematic" target="_blank">emblematic</a> of 2012.</p> <p>The new year brought some typical words <a href="http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/fore_1?q=fore" target="_blank">to the fore</a>, with <b>resolution</b> and <b>prosperous</b> making <a href="http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/meteoric_2" target="_blank">meteoric</a> jumps in the number of searches for each. But many of our visitors must have had a romantic start to the year, because <b>cuddle</b> also became a very popular word to look up.</p> <p>The second month of 2012 brought a more sober frame of mind, with words like <b>bailout, hostile, grim</b> and <b>fail</b> all getting huge <a href="http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/business-english/uptick?q=uptick" target="_blank">upticks</a> in searches on CDO.</p> <p>In April, the phrasal verb <b>give up</b> made a sudden appearance at the top of our most-searched-for list. It was the only top 50 appearance for the term all year, and seems odd coming in springtime. Perhaps the searches were in reference to the financial turmoil, or to the tradition of giving up something for <a href="http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/lent_2" target="_blank">Lent</a>, or to news reports in the US that month showing what people were willing to give up in order to have access to the Internet.<span id="more-2064"></span></p> <p>Speaking of the ongoing global financial problems, the word <b>austerity</b> hit number 9 in our search results for May. This was a point when austerity moves in the UK, Greece, throughout the EU and in the US were very much in the news. There was, for a time, even talk of a possible <b>eurogeddon</b>, the complete financial collapse of <a href="http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/business-english/the-eurozone" target="_blank">the eurozone</a>.</p> <p>Summer was an especially busy time of year, linguistically. In June, the word <b>Jubilee</b> was the second most frequently searched-for item on Cambridge Dictionaries Online, no doubt because of celebrations marking Queen Elizabeth’s 60 years on the throne. (The word <i>dictionary</i>, a frequent favorite on our site, was number 1.) Also showing a huge increase in searches were related words such as <b>pageant, throne </b>and <b>commemorate</b>.</p> <p>In July, scientists at the Large Hadron Collider announced the discovery of the Higgs boson, which led to a resurgence of the use of the term <b>god particle</b> to describe this elemental piece of the natural universe. While not new – the term comes from a 1993 book – it came into new prominence in 2012. Although widely used in the media, scientists apparently dislike the use of this term.</p> <p>Older words come back to the fore with some frequency, but rarely with as much prominence as <b>omnishambles</b> did. Originally appearing in a 2009 episode of the BBC TV series “The Thick of It” and meaning a complete and utter cock-up or mess, it roared into <a href="http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/vogue?q=vogue" target="_blank">vogue</a> in 2012 when it developed traction in relation to political events in the UK in that life-imitating-art fashion. The adjective <b>omnishambolic</b> also made its way into the lexicon.</p> <p>The Summer Olympics brought joy to many sports fans around the world, and also brought back to life an enduring argument about the use of nouns as verbs. The word <b>podium</b> was heard a lot as a verb during these Olympics, as in “She hopes to podium at this event.”</p> <p>August is sometimes called the silly season in the news business, and some of that silliness seems to have spilled over into dictionary searches. Probably because of the arrest of the feminist punk band Pussy Riot, visitors were searching the term <b>pussy</b> much more often than usual. They also searched for <b>shades of grey</b>, no doubt because of the popular <i>Fifty Shades of Grey</i> books.</p> <p>September brought <b>pleb</b> to prominence because a British MP was alleged to have used this word in an argument with a policeman.</p> <p>Autumn in New York is a lovely <a href="http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/standard_2" target="_blank">standard</a> composed by Vernon Duke in 1934. This year, however, it brought a new word, <b>Frankenstorm</b>, to describe the devastation wrought by Hurricane Sandy in the region. Many fear that the term may be needed to describe increasingly disrupted weather patterns around the world.</p> <p>US presidential elections never fail to provide some sort of lexical innovation. One of this year’s coveted voting groups was variously <a href="http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/dub_1" target="_blank">dubbed</a> <b>waitress moms </b>or <b>Walmart moms</b>. These were the working-class women who it was thought might vote for either candidate. Also in November, <a href="http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/bumble?q=bumble" target="_blank"><b>bumble</b></a> moved up the charts because The Economist called the Taiwanese president a bumbler.</p> <p>Also worthy of note for making news this year were the terms <b>Big Data</b>, for the collection of massive amounts of information online, especially about consumer behavior; <b>pink slime</b>, a beef product made from offcuts of meat; and the delightful adverb <strong>automagically</strong><strong>, </strong>which means ‘independently, without effort and as if by magic.’</p> <p>Finally, we have to note an <a href="http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/oddity?q=oddity" target="_blank">oddity</a> that appeared in our monthly <a href="http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/tally_2" target="_blank">tallies</a> of top searches: the phrase <b>eat your heart out</b> started the year as our 14th most common search term. In the following months it moved up to number 3, then was 6<sup>th</sup> in March, 9<sup>th</sup> in April, 30<sup>th</sup> in May, 4<sup>th</sup> in June, 8<sup>th</sup> in July, 4<sup>th</sup> in August and 31<sup>st</sup> in September. Then, just as mysteriously, it was gone from the Top 50 in October, November and December.</p> <p>What are your Words of 2012? 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As in ‘It is very concerning that the government plans to cut spending on …’. My intuition is that until recently the word used would have been ‘worrying’ or expressed as ‘I/We are very concerned that …/It is a matter of some concern that …’</p> <div class='jetpack-comment-likes-widget-wrapper jetpack-likes-widget-unloaded' id='like-comment-wrapper-18458032-6238-67433afd50502' data-src='https://widgets.wp.com/likes/#blog_id=18458032&comment_id=6238&origin=dictionaryblog.cambridge.org&obj_id=18458032-6238-67433afd50502' data-name='like-comment-frame-18458032-6238-67433afd50502'> <div class='likes-widget-placeholder comment-likes-widget-placeholder comment-likes'><span class='loading'>Loading...</span></div> <div class='comment-likes-widget jetpack-likes-widget comment-likes'><span class='comment-like-feedback'></span><span class='sd-text-color'></span><a class='sd-link-color'></a></div> </div> </div> <div class="comment-metadata"> <a href="https://dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/2012/12/18/the-words-of-2012/#comment-6238"> <time datetime="2013-01-05T09:04:45+00:00"> January 5, 2013 at 9:04 am </time> </a> <span class="reply"><a rel="nofollow" class="comment-reply-link" href="#comment-6238" data-commentid="6238" data-postid="2064" data-belowelement="div-comment-6238" data-respondelement="respond" data-replyto="Reply to BB" aria-label="Reply to BB">Reply</a></span> </div> </article> </li> <li class="pingback even thread-even depth-1" id="comment-6272"> <p>Pingback: <a href="http://www.infotodayeurope.com/2013/01/09/hashtag-omnishambles-2012-words-of-the-year/" class="url" rel="ugc external nofollow">‘Hashtag omnishambles’ – 2012 words of the year - Information Today Europe</a> </p> </li> <li class="pingback odd alt thread-odd thread-alt depth-1" id="comment-6321"> <p>Pingback: <a href="http://dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/2013/01/16/romneyshambles-and-vatileaks-variations-on-a-theme/" class="url" rel="ugc">Romneyshambles and Vatileaks: variations on a theme « Cambridge Dictionaries Online blog</a> </p> </li> <li id="comment-60058" class="comment even thread-even depth-1"> <article id="div-comment-60058" class="comment-body"> <footer class="comment-meta"> <div class="comment-author vcard"> <img alt='' src='https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/efee44232e307d5ee10db65f8e79e334?s=60&d=identicon&r=g' srcset='https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/efee44232e307d5ee10db65f8e79e334?s=120&d=identicon&r=g 2x' class='avatar avatar-60 photo' height='60' width='60' decoding='async'/> <b class="fn">Antonio Ernesto Garin Orrego</b> </div> </footer> <div class="comment-content"> <p>Though my english shows some poverty , I’ m gas to have the oportunity to learn more and more english terms and expresions of this interesting language .</p> <div class='jetpack-comment-likes-widget-wrapper jetpack-likes-widget-unloaded' id='like-comment-wrapper-18458032-60058-67433afd50e99' data-src='https://widgets.wp.com/likes/#blog_id=18458032&comment_id=60058&origin=dictionaryblog.cambridge.org&obj_id=18458032-60058-67433afd50e99' data-name='like-comment-frame-18458032-60058-67433afd50e99'> <div class='likes-widget-placeholder comment-likes-widget-placeholder comment-likes'><span class='loading'>Loading...</span></div> <div class='comment-likes-widget jetpack-likes-widget comment-likes'><span class='comment-like-feedback'></span><span class='sd-text-color'></span><a class='sd-link-color'></a></div> </div> </div> <div class="comment-metadata"> <a href="https://dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/2012/12/18/the-words-of-2012/#comment-60058"> <time datetime="2017-04-13T01:46:05+01:00"> April 13, 2017 at 1:46 am </time> </a> <span class="reply"><a rel="nofollow" class="comment-reply-link" href="#comment-60058" data-commentid="60058" data-postid="2064" data-belowelement="div-comment-60058" data-respondelement="respond" data-replyto="Reply to Antonio Ernesto Garin Orrego" aria-label="Reply to Antonio Ernesto Garin Orrego">Reply</a></span> </div> </article> </li> <li class="pingback odd alt thread-odd thread-alt depth-1" id="comment-130421"> <p>Pingback: <a href="https://getproficiency.wordpress.com/2020/02/17/new-words-17-february-2020-about-words-cambridge-dictionaries-online-blog/" class="url" rel="ugc external nofollow">New words – 17 February 2020 – About Words – Cambridge Dictionaries Online blog – Get Proficiency in English</a> </p> </li> <li id="comment-250925" class="comment even thread-even depth-1"> <article id="div-comment-250925" class="comment-body"> <footer class="comment-meta"> <div class="comment-author vcard"> <img alt='' src='https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/d981ef9550784333d3b146c8e87f564e?s=60&d=identicon&r=g' srcset='https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/d981ef9550784333d3b146c8e87f564e?s=120&d=identicon&r=g 2x' class='avatar avatar-60 photo' height='60' width='60' decoding='async'/> <b class="fn">aa</b> </div> </footer> <div class="comment-content"> <p>🙁</p> <div class='jetpack-comment-likes-widget-wrapper jetpack-likes-widget-unloaded' id='like-comment-wrapper-18458032-250925-67433afd516fc' data-src='https://widgets.wp.com/likes/#blog_id=18458032&comment_id=250925&origin=dictionaryblog.cambridge.org&obj_id=18458032-250925-67433afd516fc' data-name='like-comment-frame-18458032-250925-67433afd516fc'> <div class='likes-widget-placeholder comment-likes-widget-placeholder comment-likes'><span class='loading'>Loading...</span></div> <div class='comment-likes-widget jetpack-likes-widget comment-likes'><span class='comment-like-feedback'></span><span class='sd-text-color'></span><a class='sd-link-color'></a></div> </div> </div> <div class="comment-metadata"> <a href="https://dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/2012/12/18/the-words-of-2012/#comment-250925"> <time datetime="2023-12-29T14:54:01+00:00"> December 29, 2023 at 2:54 pm </time> </a> <span class="reply"><a rel="nofollow" class="comment-reply-link" href="#comment-250925" data-commentid="250925" data-postid="2064" data-belowelement="div-comment-250925" data-respondelement="respond" data-replyto="Reply to aa" aria-label="Reply to aa">Reply</a></span> </div> </article> </li> </ol> <div id="respond" class="comment-respond"> <h3 id="reply-title" class="comment-reply-title">Leave a Reply<small><a rel="nofollow" id="cancel-comment-reply-link" href="/2012/12/18/the-words-of-2012/#respond" style="display:none;">Cancel reply</a></small></h3> <form id="commentform" class="comment-form"> <iframe title="Comment Form" 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href="https://dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/2024/11/18/new-words-18-november-2024/" title="New words – 18 November 2024" class="bump-view" data-bump-view="tp"><img loading="lazy" width="200" height="200" src="https://i0.wp.com/dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/dadcast.jpg?resize=200%2C200&ssl=1" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/dadcast.jpg?resize=200%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https://i0.wp.com/dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/dadcast.jpg?resize=300%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https://i0.wp.com/dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/dadcast.jpg?resize=400%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https://i0.wp.com/dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/dadcast.jpg?resize=600%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https://i0.wp.com/dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/dadcast.jpg?resize=800%2C800&ssl=1 4x" alt="New words – 18 November 2024" data-pin-nopin="true"/></a></div><div class="widget-grid-view-image"><a href="https://dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/2024/11/13/a-safe-pair-of-hands-newspaper-idioms/" title="A safe pair of hands (Newspaper idioms)" class="bump-view" data-bump-view="tp"><img loading="lazy" width="200" height="200" src="https://i0.wp.com/dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Safe-pair-of-hands_2163791452-e1728309439260.jpg?resize=200%2C200&ssl=1" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Safe-pair-of-hands_2163791452-e1728309439260.jpg?resize=200%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https://i0.wp.com/dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Safe-pair-of-hands_2163791452-e1728309439260.jpg?resize=300%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https://i0.wp.com/dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Safe-pair-of-hands_2163791452-e1728309439260.jpg?resize=400%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https://i0.wp.com/dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Safe-pair-of-hands_2163791452-e1728309439260.jpg?resize=600%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https://i0.wp.com/dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Safe-pair-of-hands_2163791452-e1728309439260.jpg?resize=800%2C800&ssl=1 4x" alt="A safe pair of hands (Newspaper idioms)" data-pin-nopin="true"/></a></div><div class="widget-grid-view-image"><a href="https://dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/2018/11/29/the-peoples-word-of-2018/" title="The People's Word of 2018" class="bump-view" data-bump-view="tp"><img loading="lazy" width="200" height="200" src="https://i0.wp.com/dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/cambridge-word-of-the-year-image-file-v2.png?resize=200%2C200&ssl=1" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/cambridge-word-of-the-year-image-file-v2.png?resize=200%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https://i0.wp.com/dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/cambridge-word-of-the-year-image-file-v2.png?resize=300%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https://i0.wp.com/dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/cambridge-word-of-the-year-image-file-v2.png?resize=400%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https://i0.wp.com/dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/cambridge-word-of-the-year-image-file-v2.png?resize=600%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https://i0.wp.com/dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/cambridge-word-of-the-year-image-file-v2.png?resize=800%2C800&ssl=1 4x" alt="The People's Word of 2018" data-pin-nopin="true"/></a></div><div class="widget-grid-view-image"><a href="https://dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/2015/12/09/the-peoples-words-of-2015/" title="The People's Words of 2015" class="bump-view" data-bump-view="tp"><img loading="lazy" width="200" height="200" src="https://i0.wp.com/dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/screen-shot-2015-12-09-at-12-32-01.png?resize=200%2C200&ssl=1" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/screen-shot-2015-12-09-at-12-32-01.png?resize=200%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https://i0.wp.com/dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/screen-shot-2015-12-09-at-12-32-01.png?resize=300%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https://i0.wp.com/dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/screen-shot-2015-12-09-at-12-32-01.png?resize=400%2C400&ssl=1 2x" alt="The People's Words of 2015" data-pin-nopin="true"/></a></div><div class="widget-grid-view-image"><a href="https://dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/2024/11/06/nobody-blames-you-phrases-for-offering-reassurance/" title="Nobody blames you: phrases for offering reassurance" class="bump-view" data-bump-view="tp"><img loading="lazy" width="200" height="200" src="https://i0.wp.com/dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Nobody-blames-you_1497595879-e1727211216513.jpg?resize=200%2C200&ssl=1" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Nobody-blames-you_1497595879-e1727211216513.jpg?resize=200%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https://i0.wp.com/dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Nobody-blames-you_1497595879-e1727211216513.jpg?resize=300%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https://i0.wp.com/dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Nobody-blames-you_1497595879-e1727211216513.jpg?resize=400%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https://i0.wp.com/dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Nobody-blames-you_1497595879-e1727211216513.jpg?resize=600%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https://i0.wp.com/dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Nobody-blames-you_1497595879-e1727211216513.jpg?resize=800%2C800&ssl=1 4x" alt="Nobody blames you: phrases for offering reassurance" data-pin-nopin="true"/></a></div><div class="widget-grid-view-image"><a href="https://dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/2019/11/04/cambridge-dictionarys-word-of-the-year-2019/" title="Cambridge Dictionary's Word of the Year 2019" class="bump-view" data-bump-view="tp"><img loading="lazy" width="200" height="200" src="https://i0.wp.com/dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/upcycling_woty.jpg?resize=200%2C200&ssl=1" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/upcycling_woty.jpg?resize=200%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https://i0.wp.com/dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/upcycling_woty.jpg?resize=300%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https://i0.wp.com/dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/upcycling_woty.jpg?resize=400%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https://i0.wp.com/dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/upcycling_woty.jpg?resize=600%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https://i0.wp.com/dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/upcycling_woty.jpg?resize=800%2C800&ssl=1 4x" alt="Cambridge Dictionary's Word of the Year 2019" data-pin-nopin="true"/></a></div><div class="widget-grid-view-image"><a href="https://dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/2020/07/08/are-idioms-that-use-black-and-white-offensive/" title="Are idioms that use ‘black’ and ‘white’ offensive?" class="bump-view" data-bump-view="tp"><img loading="lazy" width="200" height="200" src="https://i0.wp.com/dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/black-and-white-1.png?resize=200%2C200&ssl=1" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/black-and-white-1.png?resize=200%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https://i0.wp.com/dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/black-and-white-1.png?resize=300%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https://i0.wp.com/dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/black-and-white-1.png?resize=400%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https://i0.wp.com/dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/black-and-white-1.png?resize=600%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https://i0.wp.com/dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/black-and-white-1.png?resize=800%2C800&ssl=1 4x" alt="Are idioms that use ‘black’ and ‘white’ offensive?" data-pin-nopin="true"/></a></div></div> </aside><aside id="authors-2" class="widget widget_authors"><h1 class="widget-title">Authors</h1><ul><li><a href="https://dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/author/aezrac/"> <img alt='1' src='https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/26f314c4585b5bdb9d749f149ee7f10b?s=48&d=identicon&r=g' srcset='https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/26f314c4585b5bdb9d749f149ee7f10b?s=96&d=identicon&r=g 2x' class='avatar avatar-48 photo' height='48' width='48' loading='lazy' decoding='async'/> <strong>Ron Carter</strong></a><ul><li><a href="https://dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/2011/12/14/a-few-words-on-corpus-linguistics-part-2/" title="A few words on corpus linguistics part 2">A few words on corpus linguistics part 2</a></li><li><a href="https://dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/2011/12/12/a-few-words-on-corpus-linguistics/" title="A few words on corpus linguistics">A few words on corpus linguistics</a></li></ul></li><li><a href="https://dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/author/cambridgewords/"> <img alt='1' src='https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/aef1e4cb2fd31e8f50444ca18ada3b49?s=48&d=identicon&r=g' srcset='https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/aef1e4cb2fd31e8f50444ca18ada3b49?s=96&d=identicon&r=g 2x' class='avatar avatar-48 photo' height='48' width='48' loading='lazy' decoding='async'/> <strong>Cambridge Words</strong></a><ul><li><a href="https://dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/2024/11/20/cambridge-dictionary-word-of-the-year-2024/" title="Cambridge Dictionary’s Word of the Year 2024">Cambridge Dictionary’s Word of the Year 2024</a></li><li><a href="https://dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/2024/11/18/new-words-18-november-2024/" title="New words – 18 November 2024">New words – 18 November 2024</a></li></ul></li><li><a href="https://dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/author/colinjmcintosh/"> <img alt='1' src='https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/50053df1e6dad3114823d445b2ffaa08?s=48&d=identicon&r=g' srcset='https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/50053df1e6dad3114823d445b2ffaa08?s=96&d=identicon&r=g 2x' class='avatar avatar-48 photo' height='48' width='48' loading='lazy' decoding='async'/> <strong>colinjmcintosh</strong></a><ul><li><a href="https://dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/2016/08/02/a-life-beyond-fiction/" title="A life beyond fiction">A life beyond fiction</a></li><li><a href="https://dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/2016/07/26/whats-in-a-name/" title="What’s in a name?">What’s in a name?</a></li></ul></li><li><a href="https://dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/author/domcambridge/"> <img alt='1' src='https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/0f327ac6616afccb2cad6596b5597928?s=48&d=identicon&r=g' srcset='https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/0f327ac6616afccb2cad6596b5597928?s=96&d=identicon&r=g 2x' class='avatar avatar-48 photo' height='48' width='48' loading='lazy' decoding='async'/> <strong>Dom Glennon</strong></a><ul><li><a href="https://dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/2014/11/26/countability-grammar-codes/" title="Countability – grammar codes">Countability – grammar codes</a></li><li><a href="https://dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/2014/06/04/hairdryers-and-squeaky-bums-the-colourful-world-of-football-words/" title="Hairdryers and squeaky bums: the colourful world of football words">Hairdryers and squeaky bums: the colourful world of football words</a></li></ul></li><li><a href="https://dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/author/drheikek/"> <img alt='1' src='https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ca0ebdcb2fdc28a6eeaf6b28ca63a6cb?s=48&d=identicon&r=g' srcset='https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ca0ebdcb2fdc28a6eeaf6b28ca63a6cb?s=96&d=identicon&r=g 2x' class='avatar avatar-48 photo' height='48' width='48' loading='lazy' decoding='async'/> <strong>Dr Heike Krüsemann</strong></a><ul><li><a href="https://dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/2020/08/21/how-to-stay-motivated-during-the-pandemic-what-you-told-us-and-why-it-matters/" title="How to stay motivated during the pandemic: What you told us, and why it matters">How to stay motivated during the pandemic: What you told us, and why it matters</a></li></ul></li><li><a href="https://dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/author/hughrawson/"> <img alt='1' src='https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/b0b0435c3c567be5d0f6979e5d464be5?s=48&d=identicon&r=g' srcset='https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/b0b0435c3c567be5d0f6979e5d464be5?s=96&d=identicon&r=g 2x' class='avatar avatar-48 photo' height='48' width='48' loading='lazy' decoding='async'/> <strong>hughrawson</strong></a><ul><li><a href="https://dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/2013/07/01/janus-words-two-faced-english/" title="Janus Words – Two-faced English">Janus Words – Two-faced English</a></li><li><a href="https://dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/2013/06/24/yet-more-yiddish/" title="Yet More Yiddish">Yet More Yiddish</a></li></ul></li><li><a href="https://dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/author/katewoodford/"> <img alt='1' src='https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/bac5c241ed0266a1b470307bc436f58f?s=48&d=identicon&r=g' srcset='https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/bac5c241ed0266a1b470307bc436f58f?s=96&d=identicon&r=g 2x' class='avatar avatar-48 photo' height='48' width='48' loading='lazy' decoding='async'/> <strong>Kate Woodford</strong></a><ul><li><a href="https://dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/2024/11/13/a-safe-pair-of-hands-newspaper-idioms/" title="A safe pair of hands (Newspaper idioms)">A safe pair of hands (Newspaper idioms)</a></li><li><a href="https://dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/2024/10/30/making-the-most-of-it-how-we-talk-about-using-opportunities/" title="Making the most of it (How we talk about using opportunities)">Making the most of it (How we talk about using opportunities)</a></li></ul></li><li><a href="https://dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/author/lizwalter2/"> <img alt='1' src='https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/4a29a1e94375522c0920818e6d4c4249?s=48&d=identicon&r=g' srcset='https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/4a29a1e94375522c0920818e6d4c4249?s=96&d=identicon&r=g 2x' class='avatar avatar-48 photo' height='48' width='48' loading='lazy' decoding='async'/> <strong>Liz Walter</strong></a><ul><li><a href="https://dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/2024/11/06/nobody-blames-you-phrases-for-offering-reassurance/" title="Nobody blames you: phrases for offering reassurance">Nobody blames you: phrases for offering reassurance</a></li><li><a href="https://dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/2024/10/16/wise-brainy-or-astute-words-for-describing-intelligent-people/" title="Wise, brainy, or astute: words for describing intelligent people">Wise, brainy, or astute: words for describing intelligent people</a></li></ul></li><li><a href="https://dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/author/patriciaferraz/"> <img alt='1' src='https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/6cc62e6d9d2486f6f3e1d23e8ed1954c?s=48&d=identicon&r=g' srcset='https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/6cc62e6d9d2486f6f3e1d23e8ed1954c?s=96&d=identicon&r=g 2x' class='avatar avatar-48 photo' height='48' width='48' loading='lazy' decoding='async'/> <strong>Patricia Ferraz</strong></a><ul><li><a href="https://dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/2024/07/24/idioms-in-the-guernsey-literary-and-potato-peel-pie-society/" title="Putting a spanner in the works – Idioms in The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society">Putting a spanner in the works – Idioms in The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society</a></li><li><a href="https://dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/2024/07/17/idioms-in-the-thursday-murder-club/" title="In for a penny, in for a pound: Idioms in The Thursday Murder Club">In for a penny, in for a pound: Idioms in The Thursday Murder Club</a></li></ul></li><li><a href="https://dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/author/pheacock/"> <img alt='1' src='https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/4e3a803c8f45bbf76eeaa384a0210bd5?s=48&d=identicon&r=g' srcset='https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/4e3a803c8f45bbf76eeaa384a0210bd5?s=96&d=identicon&r=g 2x' class='avatar avatar-48 photo' height='48' width='48' loading='lazy' decoding='async'/> <strong>Paul Heacock</strong></a><ul><li><a href="https://dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/2013/06/12/asadfarewell/" title="A sad farewell">A sad farewell</a></li><li><a href="https://dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/2012/12/18/the-words-of-2012/" title="The words of 2012">The words of 2012</a></li></ul></li><li><a href="https://dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/author/racheledf/"> <img alt='1' src='https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/13391686972a7e5cb25e9c3e7c977088?s=48&d=identicon&r=g' srcset='https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/13391686972a7e5cb25e9c3e7c977088?s=96&d=identicon&r=g 2x' class='avatar avatar-48 photo' height='48' width='48' loading='lazy' decoding='async'/> <strong>racheledf</strong></a><ul><li><a href="https://dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/2012/01/13/what-can-we-learn-from-emails/" title="What can we learn from emails?">What can we learn from emails?</a></li></ul></li><li><a href="https://dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/author/trevorbryden/"> <img alt='1' src='https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/c1bae3f8b5386d3c4e41bef30ba924e8?s=48&d=identicon&r=g' srcset='https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/c1bae3f8b5386d3c4e41bef30ba924e8?s=96&d=identicon&r=g 2x' class='avatar avatar-48 photo' height='48' width='48' loading='lazy' decoding='async'/> <strong>Trevor Bryden</strong></a><ul><li><a href="https://dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/2012/04/17/mind-your-ps-and-qs/" title="Mind your p’s and q’s">Mind your p’s and q’s</a></li><li><a href="https://dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/2012/02/27/what-makes-a-litter/" title="What makes a litter?">What makes a litter?</a></li></ul></li></ul></aside><aside id="twitter_timeline-3" class="widget widget_twitter_timeline"><h1 class="widget-title">Latest tweets</h1><a class="twitter-timeline" data-width="220" data-height="400" data-theme="light" 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