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category-the-english-language tag-48041 tag-english-language tag-vocabulary tag-words-of-the-year"> <div class="entry-wrapper"> <header class="entry-header"> <h1 class="entry-title">The People’s Words of 2015</h1> <div class="entry-meta"> <span class="posted-on">On <a href="https://dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/2015/12/09/the-peoples-words-of-2015/" rel="bookmark"><time class="entry-date published updated" datetime="2015-12-09T14:06:07+00:00">December 9, 2015</time></a></span><span class="byline"> By <span class="author vcard"><a class="url fn n" href="https://dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/author/cambridgewords/">Cambridge Words</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><a>by </a><a href="http://dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/alastair-horne/" target="_blank">Alastair Horne</a><br /> <img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="5816" data-permalink="https://dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/2015/12/09/the-peoples-words-of-2015/austerity/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/austerity.jpg?fit=200%2C200&ssl=1" data-orig-size="200,200" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="austerity" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/austerity.jpg?fit=200%2C200&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/austerity.jpg?fit=200%2C200&ssl=1" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-5816" src="https://i0.wp.com/dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/austerity.jpg?resize=200%2C200" alt="austerity" width="200" height="200" />Here at Cambridge, we’ve been busy looking at actual searches in our online dictionaries to find the people’s Words of the Year. We’re committed to reflecting real-world corpus evidence in our dictionary entries. That’s why we’ve been looking for the words that have been searched for far more than expected – words whose searches have ‘spiked’.</p> <p>So, which words spiked most often – and most sharply – in 2015? Which words did our dictionary users around the world search for far more than expected? And which of these words have we chosen as the People’s Word of the Year?</p> <p>As we looked through the data for 2015, it became clear that there could only be one possible option. No other word was searched for as often, and as regularly, as this one. On five separate occasions this year, one word topped our weekly list of searched-for words; for the year as a whole, one word was way out in front for searches. And that word was ‘<a href="http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/austerity" target="_blank">austerity</a>’.</p> <p><a href="http://view.ceros.com/cambridge/dictionaries-word-of-the-year-2015">See what other words made the People’s Words of 2015</a><br /> <a href="http://view.ceros.com/cambridge/dictionaries-word-of-the-year-2015" rel="attachment wp-att-5890"><img data-recalc-dims="1" fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="5890" data-permalink="https://dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/2015/12/09/the-peoples-words-of-2015/screen-shot-2015-12-09-at-12-32-01/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/screen-shot-2015-12-09-at-12-32-01.png?fit=575%2C421&ssl=1" data-orig-size="575,421" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Screen Shot 2015-12-09 at 12.32.01" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/screen-shot-2015-12-09-at-12-32-01.png?fit=300%2C220&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/screen-shot-2015-12-09-at-12-32-01.png?fit=575%2C421&ssl=1" src="https://i0.wp.com/dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/screen-shot-2015-12-09-at-12-32-01.png?resize=350%2C229&ssl=1" alt="Peoples_word_of_2015" width="350" height="229" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-5890" /></a></p> <p>Seven years on from the global crash that did so much damage to the world economy, ‘austerity’ is still the word our dictionary users keep searching for. With elections across Europe all focusing on tough economic decisions, searches for ‘austerity’ saw a small initial spike in January, during the Greek elections, before much larger peaks in May, June, and July during and after the elections in Britain. A further, smaller, spike came in September, around the time of the Portuguese elections, and searches remained higher than usual for the rest of the year.</p> <p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="5829" data-permalink="https://dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/2015/12/09/the-peoples-words-of-2015/austeritypageviews/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/austeritypageviews1.jpg?fit=450%2C318&ssl=1" data-orig-size="450,318" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="austeritypageviews" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/austeritypageviews1.jpg?fit=300%2C212&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/austeritypageviews1.jpg?fit=450%2C318&ssl=1" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-5829" src="https://i0.wp.com/dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/austeritypageviews1.jpg?resize=450%2C318&ssl=1" alt="austeritypageviews" width="450" height="318" /></p> <p>Austerity wasn’t the only instance of politics influencing the words that people searched for. When British Prime Minister David Cameron controversially referred to migrants in Calais, France as a ‘<a href="http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/swarm" target="_blank">swarm</a>,’ his choice of vocabulary attracted not only criticism from refugee groups, but also a great many searches for the word on Cambridge Dictionaries Online.</p> <p>Similarly, when searches for ‘<a href="http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/horse-trading" target="_blank">horse-trading</a>’ peaked in March, the cause was another election, this time in India, when one party accused another of ‘horse-trading’ – making agreements to benefit both sides – after a vote had failed to deliver any party a majority.</p> <p>All of our words of the year have stories behind them, and one of the most unexpected spikes of 2015 was also a little embarrassing. When a coding error on Cambridge Dictionaries Online mistakenly mixed up the audio recording of the word ‘Pennsylvania’ with the definition for ‘<a href="http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/parmesan" target="_blank">Parmesan</a>’, we suddenly found ourselves going viral, as sites like Reddit and Buzzfeed attracted the attention of Pennsylvanian residents and Italian cheese lovers alike. We swiftly fixed the error, and searches for ‘Parmesan’ are now back to normal levels after their brief moment in the spotlight.</p> <p>Sport and popular culture also continue to be a major influence on searches. When Brazilian footballer Neymar was accused of ‘<a href="http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/showboating" target="_blank">showboating</a>’ in the final of the Spanish Copa del Rey in May, annoying opponents by showing off his skills, football fans turned to Cambridge Dictionaries Online to learn the meaning of that term. And searches for ‘<a href="http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/compos-mentis" target="_blank">compos mentis</a>’ surged earlier in the year when Madonna reassured fans around the world that she had received the all-clear from medical staff following her embarrassing and painful tumble at a music awards ceremony.</p> <p>So, what do we learn from this? We’ve learned once more that you’re inquisitive types, you users of Cambridge Dictionaries Online – you’ve got a keen desire to understand the world about you, and to improve your English while you’re doing so. And we’ll be happy to be here for you again in 2016. We wish you all the best over the holiday period, and if you’d like to find out more about the words of this particular season, we’ve got a special treat for you <a href="http://seasonsgreetings.cambridge.org/" target="_blank">here</a>.</p> <div class="sharedaddy sd-sharing-enabled"><div class="robots-nocontent sd-block sd-social sd-social-icon sd-sharing"><h3 class="sd-title">Share this:</h3><div class="sd-content"><ul><li class="share-facebook"><a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" data-shared="sharing-facebook-5811" class="share-facebook sd-button share-icon no-text" href="https://dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/2015/12/09/the-peoples-words-of-2015/?share=facebook" target="_blank" title="Click to share on Facebook" ><span></span><span class="sharing-screen-reader-text">Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)</span></a></li><li class="share-twitter"><a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" data-shared="sharing-twitter-5811" class="share-twitter sd-button share-icon no-text" href="https://dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/2015/12/09/the-peoples-words-of-2015/?share=twitter" target="_blank" title="Click to share on Twitter" ><span></span><span class="sharing-screen-reader-text">Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)</span></a></li><li class="share-reddit"><a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" data-shared="" class="share-reddit sd-button share-icon no-text" href="https://dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/2015/12/09/the-peoples-words-of-2015/?share=reddit" target="_blank" title="Click to share on Reddit" ><span></span><span class="sharing-screen-reader-text">Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)</span></a></li><li class="share-email"><a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" data-shared="" class="share-email sd-button share-icon no-text" href="mailto:?subject=%5BShared%20Post%5D%20The%20People%27s%20Words%20of%202015&body=https%3A%2F%2Fdictionaryblog.cambridge.org%2F2015%2F12%2F09%2Fthe-peoples-words-of-2015%2F&share=email" target="_blank" title="Click to email a link to a friend" data-email-share-error-title="Do you have email set up?" data-email-share-error-text="If you're having problems sharing via email, you might not have email set up for your browser. 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Thanks for this great blog. It’s a really treasure.<br /> Leandro from Brazil.</p> <div class='jetpack-comment-likes-widget-wrapper jetpack-likes-widget-unloaded' id='like-comment-wrapper-18458032-49341-6743a12c9ecb9' data-src='https://widgets.wp.com/likes/#blog_id=18458032&comment_id=49341&origin=dictionaryblog.cambridge.org&obj_id=18458032-49341-6743a12c9ecb9' data-name='like-comment-frame-18458032-49341-6743a12c9ecb9'> <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/2015/12/09/the-peoples-words-of-2015/#comment-49341"> <time datetime="2015-12-11T16:00:48+00:00"> December 11, 2015 at 4:00 pm </time> </a> <span class="reply"><a rel="nofollow" class="comment-reply-link" href="#comment-49341" data-commentid="49341" data-postid="5811" data-belowelement="div-comment-49341" data-respondelement="respond" data-replyto="Reply to Leandro Leite" aria-label="Reply to Leandro Leite">Reply</a></span> </div> </article> </li> <li id="comment-49354" class="comment odd alt thread-odd thread-alt depth-1"> <article id="div-comment-49354" class="comment-body"> <footer class="comment-meta"> <div class="comment-author vcard"> <img alt='' src='https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/a137ab9917aa92af5cb29500bed171bc?s=60&d=identicon&r=g' srcset='https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/a137ab9917aa92af5cb29500bed171bc?s=120&d=identicon&r=g 2x' class='avatar avatar-60 photo' height='60' width='60' loading='lazy' decoding='async'/> <b class="fn"><a href="http://asha_pnair@yahoo.co.in" class="url" rel="ugc external nofollow">asha.p.nair</a></b> </div> </footer> <div class="comment-content"> <p>this blog is quite interesting!to get a lot of synonyms within seconds is really awesome!!!</p> <div class='jetpack-comment-likes-widget-wrapper jetpack-likes-widget-unloaded' id='like-comment-wrapper-18458032-49354-6743a12c9f405' data-src='https://widgets.wp.com/likes/#blog_id=18458032&comment_id=49354&origin=dictionaryblog.cambridge.org&obj_id=18458032-49354-6743a12c9f405' data-name='like-comment-frame-18458032-49354-6743a12c9f405'> <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/2015/12/09/the-peoples-words-of-2015/#comment-49354"> <time datetime="2015-12-11T20:49:53+00:00"> December 11, 2015 at 8:49 pm </time> </a> <span class="reply"><a rel="nofollow" class="comment-reply-link" href="#comment-49354" data-commentid="49354" data-postid="5811" data-belowelement="div-comment-49354" data-respondelement="respond" data-replyto="Reply to asha.p.nair" aria-label="Reply to asha.p.nair">Reply</a></span> </div> </article> </li> <li class="pingback even thread-even depth-1" id="comment-49498"> <p>Pingback: <a href="http://vb.tafsir.net/tafsir45733/#post249442" class="url" rel="ugc external nofollow">أكثر كلمة انجليزية بحث عنها الناس في 2015</a> </p> </li> <li class="pingback odd alt thread-odd thread-alt depth-1" id="comment-49582"> <p>Pingback: <a href="http://englishmoreformal.com/2015/12/15/the-peoples-words-of-2015/" class="url" rel="ugc external nofollow">The People’s Words of 2015 | englishmoreformal</a> </p> </li> <li id="comment-49737" class="comment even thread-even depth-1"> <article id="div-comment-49737" class="comment-body"> <footer class="comment-meta"> <div class="comment-author vcard"> <img alt='' src='https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/57fb9f49934e657d4e7ac7b34a71b13c?s=60&d=identicon&r=g' srcset='https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/57fb9f49934e657d4e7ac7b34a71b13c?s=120&d=identicon&r=g 2x' class='avatar avatar-60 photo' height='60' width='60' loading='lazy' decoding='async'/> <b class="fn">ابراهيم ابوالنيل</b> </div> </footer> <div class="comment-content"> <p>FABULOUS,indeed.</p> <div class='jetpack-comment-likes-widget-wrapper jetpack-likes-widget-unloaded' id='like-comment-wrapper-18458032-49737-6743a12c9fbf8' data-src='https://widgets.wp.com/likes/#blog_id=18458032&comment_id=49737&origin=dictionaryblog.cambridge.org&obj_id=18458032-49737-6743a12c9fbf8' data-name='like-comment-frame-18458032-49737-6743a12c9fbf8'> <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/2015/12/09/the-peoples-words-of-2015/#comment-49737"> <time datetime="2015-12-19T08:52:11+00:00"> December 19, 2015 at 8:52 am </time> </a> <span class="reply"><a rel="nofollow" class="comment-reply-link" href="#comment-49737" data-commentid="49737" data-postid="5811" data-belowelement="div-comment-49737" data-respondelement="respond" data-replyto="Reply to ابراهيم ابوالنيل" aria-label="Reply to ابراهيم ابوالنيل">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="/2015/12/09/the-peoples-words-of-2015/#respond" style="display:none;">Cancel reply</a></small></h3> <form id="commentform" class="comment-form"> <iframe title="Comment Form" 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class="widget widget_search"><form role="search" method="get" class="search-form" action="https://dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/"> <label> <span class="screen-reader-text">Search for:</span> <input type="search" class="search-field" placeholder="Search …" value="" name="s" title="Search for:" /> </label> <button type="submit" class="search-submit"> <span class="genericon genericon-search"> <span class="screen-reader-text">Search</span> </span> </button> </form></aside><aside id="top-posts-3" class="widget widget_top-posts"><h1 class="widget-title">Top posts</h1><div class='widgets-grid-layout no-grav'> <div class="widget-grid-view-image"><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" 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/2024/11/About-Words-blog-image-4050-x-2700-px.jpg?resize=200%2C200&ssl=1" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/About-Words-blog-image-4050-x-2700-px.jpg?resize=200%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https://i0.wp.com/dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/About-Words-blog-image-4050-x-2700-px.jpg?resize=300%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https://i0.wp.com/dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/About-Words-blog-image-4050-x-2700-px.jpg?resize=400%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https://i0.wp.com/dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/About-Words-blog-image-4050-x-2700-px.jpg?resize=600%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https://i0.wp.com/dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/About-Words-blog-image-4050-x-2700-px.jpg?resize=800%2C800&ssl=1 4x" alt="Cambridge Dictionary's Word of the Year 2024" data-pin-nopin="true"/></a></div><div class="widget-grid-view-image"><a 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/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/2015/12/09/the-peoples-words-of-2015/" title="The People's Words of 2015" class="bump-view" data-bump-view="tp" aria-current="page"><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/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" aria-current="page">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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