This is the fourth Words of the Year. Instead of focusing on a single word each month, this year the focus is on phrases, that have attracted my attention, in some way. Some of these came about listening to a music video, or reading a book when a phrase jumped out at me, and demanded my attention. Then again, some come from the usual sources…
Brain rot
Oxford’s expression of the year, Brain rot = the supposed deterioration of a person’s mental or intellectual state, especially viewed as the result of overconsumption of material (now particularly online content) considered to be trivial or unchallenging. The term gained prominence in 2024, capturing concerns about consuming low-quality online content, especially in excess and on social media. Its first recorded use was in American naturalist, essayist, poet, and philosopher Henry David Thoreau’s (1817 – 1862) Walden (1854), a reflection upon simple living in natural surroundings, and his essay Civil Disobedience = Resistance to Civil Government (original title).
Casper Grathwohl, Oxford Languages president, said: “Brain rot speaks to one of the perceived dangers of virtual life, and how we are using our free time. It feels like a rightful next chapter in the cultural conversation about humanity and technology.”
The five unsuccessful shortlisted words were: demure = reserved or responsible behaviour; dynamic pricing = a situation where the price of a product or service varies to reflect demand; lore = a body of facts and background information related to someone or something; romantasy = a fiction genre combining romance and fantasy; and slop = low-quality artificial intelligence generated online content.
The Power and the Glory
The Power and the Glory alludes to the doxology often recited at the end of the Lord’s Prayer: “For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, forever and ever, amen.” is one example of many.
Graham Greene (1904 – 1991) has used this phrase as the title of a 1941 novel about a renegade Catholic ‘whisky priest’ living in Tabasco, Mexico in the 1930s, when the Mexican government was attempting to suppress the Catholic Church. It was initially published in the United States under the title The Labyrinthine Ways. A Wikipedia article about the novel explains the plot, and other details.
Whisky priest not only refers to Graham Greene’s unnamed protagonist, more generally it refers to a person or fictional character who shows clear signs of moral weakness while preaching to a higher standard. That preaching does not have to take place in a church.
Greene was part of the Catholic literary revival. It is a term that has been applied to a movement towards explicitly Catholic allegiance and themes among leading literary figures. These are generally converts to Catholicism. The other writers belonging to this movement that I have read extensively are G. K. Chesterton (1874 – 1936) and Norwegian Sigrid Undset (1882–1949) who translated Chesterton’s work, but also gave the world her best-known work, Kristin Lavransdatter, (a trilogy, 1920 – 1922) about medieval life in Norway from a woman’s perspective. Other prominent Norwegian writers who have also converted include 2023 Nobel literature prize winner Jon Fosse (1959 – ) and Karl Ove Knausgård (1968 – ).
Armed and Dangerous
Sometimes phrases are humorous while at other times they are deadly serious. Here is one example, looking at the not-so serious aspects first.
Armed and Dangerous might refer to Armed and Dangerous (original title: Вооружён и очень опасен = Vooruzhyon i ochen opasen, = Armed and Very Dangerous) the 1977 Soviet-Czech-Romanian western, based on the novel Gabriel Conroy (1875/ revised 1882) by Bret Harte (1836 – 1902). This movie was filmed completely in Russian, yet most of main characters were played by non-Russian speaking actors (Lithuanian, Romanian and Czech), who were dubbed by Soviet voice actors.
In 1986 another film appeared with the same title, minus Very. John Candy (1950 – 1984) had a major role in it. It opened to poor reviews and low ticket sales. After 38 years, I have still not found that this film has any redeeming qualities. In particular, it is not especially funny. My favourite John Candy film, watched many times over the years, often in classrooms, is Canadian Bacon (1995), where he portrays American Sheriff Bud Boomer, enthusiastically wanting to go to war against Canada. Candy was Canadian! These days, I think American President-elect Donald Tariff, must have been secretly watching the film, and Bud’s role, especially.
On from John Candy to Carl Canedy, producer of the Antrax thrash metal song Armed and Dangerous, released at the beginning of 1987. This is not the track I would recommend to get your mother to love thrash metal. At best it is mediocre. The defining song of that genre is Holy Wars … Punishment Due (1990) by Megadeth, with its intricate rhythm, memorable leads, bass and the meaning of its lyrics. Written in Northern Ireland, during the troubles. Some regard this the best thrash metal song ever! Unfortunately, there is no mention of Armed and Dangerous in it.
Wikipedia reminds us that philosophically, thrash metal developed as a backlash against both the conservatism of the Reagan era and the much more moderate, pop-influenced, and widely accessible heavy metal sub-genre of glam metal which also developed concurrently in the 1980s. Derived genres include crossover thrash, a fusion of thrash metal and hardcore punk.
The more serious side involves fungi, where the armed part is their ability to mutate. These are an ever present and real armed threat to humanity. There are many examples including: potato blight = Phytophthora infestans, infecting potatoes and tomatoes; black sigatoka = Mycosphaerella fijiensis, infecting bananas and plantain; witchweed = Striga hermonthica, infecting many species including corn, millet and grasses; rice blast = Magnaporthe oryzae, infecting grasses; Asian soybean rot = Phakopsora pachyrhizi, infecting soybeans and other legumes.
In the 1960s, stem rust led to the resistant wheat varieties that fueled a green revolution. Many farmers believed they were finished with the rust fungus Puccinia graminis. But in 1998, a dangerous new strain, Ug99, emerged in Uganda. By 2004, its spread prompted Norman Borlaug (1914 – 2009) an American agronomist and winner of the Nobel peace prize, to investigate it further. His research contributions led, indirectly, to extensive increases in agricultural production (the green revolution). Ug99 threatens wheat crops throughout the Africa, the Middle East and Asia. It has been found in Europe from Spain to Siberia. It’s presence increases the risk of famine in Pakistan, India and other locations where small farmers can’t afford fungicides.
Tarted up
Here is a phrase from the Free Dictionary, using tarted up: We tarted up the apartment with a pink shag carpet. The dancers tarted themselves up in feathers and sequins. I live with a greenish shag carpet. Pink was used extensively in my childhood living room, but not with a shag carpet. In yet another Guardian article it was pointed out that fashion brands mislabeled real feathers as faux. Wikipedia could tell me that sequins made with nautilus shell were found dating back 12 000 years in Indonesia. While not having any clothing that use feathers or sequins, I use pink extensively, and most recently ordered two more phone cases in the same pink I have used for the past two years. This is to ensure my Asus Zenfone 9 purchased in 2022, will last until I turn 80, in 2028. Currently (2024) there is a Zenfone 11. Zenfone 13 is a delightful designation, that I expect to emerge in 2026. By 2028, it should be sufficiently dated to attract a sizable price discount.
John Camden Hotten (1832 – 1873) in Dictionary of modern slang, cant, and vulgar words (1864) has this to say about tart: a term of approval applied by the London lower orders to a young woman for whom some affection is felt. The expression is not generally employed by the young men, unless the female is in ‘her best,’ with a coloured gown, red or blue shawl, and plenty of ribbons in her bonnet—in fact, made pretty all over, like the jam tarts in the swell bakers’ shops.
Pascal Tréguer (? – ) adds: The word [tart] therefore was originally a term of endearment, and what most probably happened was an ordinary semantic extension of tart, from the literal sense of a small open pastry case containing a sweet filling to the figurative sense of pastry case containing a sweet filling a sweet woman.
Loud Budgeting
For me, loud budgeting was always known, but nameless, before it received a name from Pass Notes Shops and Shopping in the Guardian newspaper. The term emerged in a viral post by TikToker Lukas Battle (1997 – ). My wife, Trish, does not follow anyone on TikTok. She tells me that when we spend money on almost anything, it is our scarcity brain taking control. Her focus now is on hoarding avoidance. This has not always been the case. Our goal during our first year (1980-1981) in high priced Norway was to be able to buy enough food. At the end of that first year, we had saved enough to buy a radio that also played tape cassettes, a luxury.
As an accountant, Trish was well aware that budgets have to be loud. Quiet budgets just encourage excessive spending. We have always been open about our economic situation, especially with our children. When one lives in relative poverty, indulging in quiet luxury is immoral. One is thankful one has a coat and a backpack. I am not sure either of us would recognize a Hermès Kelly bag (mentioned here, only because it was part of the Guardian article). For over forty years, we have rejected aspirational consumerism and have embraced thriftiness. Please do not ask about our VW ID.Buzz.
While the Hermès Kelly bag was popularized by Grace Kelly (1929 – 1982), it was just a simple, practical design. Kelly allegedly used it to hide her pregnancy in 1956. Yet, the bag was created in 1935 by Robert Dumas and called the Sac à Dépêches = dispatch bag, which in itself took design elements from the older Haut à Courroies (HAC) bag = top with belts bag, which was designed in the 1850s. There are website posts that explain details about this bag’s design, that allow/ encourage anyone to make their own DIY version. When doing so, please avoid using animal products.
Battle claims loud budgeting is being like rich people. They hate spending money. He encourages people to broadcast spending limits, and to be financially upfront with friends.
Then there are things I don’t understand, like putting deactivation stickers on credit cards. I only use a credit card to provide additional security when making some types of purchases, such as hotel accommodation in foreign countries. It had gone four years since a credit card was used! Except, before this text was revised, my bank sent me an email claiming that they would not renew my credit card, unless I used it. So, I used it for a purchase, then (for good measure) made a couple of other random purchases with it, while visiting Newfoundland.
Trish told me about one Norwegian woman who claimed that she was now leading a life of luxury. She was now able to eat nutritious meals every day! She was so rich that she could allow her children to make choices about what they wanted to do in their free time. I agree, that is what life should be, but I hope it becomes regarded as normal, rather than luxurious.
Battle is living in a vastly different world from the one I populate. In his world, people receive costly social invitations, that should be turned down, with honest reasons about why. He is following luxury brands on social media, that should be unfollowed. He is proudly packing his own lunch, and eating it in public. He claims that his actions are not communist, but contain the secret ingredient of capitalism: being mean. Being mean isn’t new, but it could be a novelty for Gen Z or Gen α. He wonders if they can survive financial catastrophe, by bringing their own coffee from home.
Coffee
My son, Alasdair, tells me that the greatest quality reduction in coffee from farm field to sipping/ drinking/ gulping the final product, comes in the grinding of its beans. He claims that one has only 15 minutes from grinding to filtering to produce coffee at its best. Thus, he is contemplating the purchase of a grinder. I might too, but the operative word here is might, because I have engaged in a purchasing habit that has lasted for 35+ years: The replacement of Coop Red = filtermalt, mørk og kraftig = filter ground, dark and strong coffee with unground coffee beans. I even know where the red coffee is located in our local store, but have no idea where coffee beans can be found.
Fortunately, I am better at comparison shopping online. I announced my finding of an Andersson CEG 1.0 grinder from Net on Net that uses 200 W to produce up to 70 g of coffee. It has a 3.7 (of five) star rating and costs NOK 200 now and during Black week (delivered). Normal price appears to be about NOK 120 – 140, so I suggested we wait until the sales start in the new year before purchasing it. I could also tell Alasdair that the most popular grinder with variable grain size settings, is a Wilfa WSCG2 with a 160 W motor that can produce 130 g of coffee. It costs NOK 740 and has a rating of 3.8. To obtain a higher rating (4.2) the price increases to NOK 4 000.
Unfortunately, my son knows I waste money buying inappropriate tools, then regret my decisions and buy something more appropriate. He suggested that I should watch some coffee grinder reviews on YouTube, that might explain the price difference. I watched three short, but informative, reviews before admitting that I would reconsider my choice. Conclusion: I will live without a coffee grinder, and continue to use Coop red coffee.
Overnight Sensations
Despite resolve to focus on phrases, it is sometimes necessary to understand some new words that are entering a language, are influencing these phrases. These typically come from younger generations, even beyond that of one’s children. Now that I have retired from teaching, I have very little input from anyone described as Gen Z or Gen α.
Anna Spanish‘s founder, Anna Latorra, provides some contemporary slang, noting its “power to turn phrases into overnight sensations.” Some of the more recent terms, with their urban dictionary meanings are listed below.
| Term | Meaning |
| Pookie | A nickname you call your best friend or someone you really love |
| Gyat | Short term for god damn |
| Simp | It is when a man is overly submissive to a woman and gains nothing from it. Example: “Guys simp in her Instagram replies and she doesn’t even notice them.” |
| Rizz | “Rizz” comes from the word “charisma.” In southern Baltimore they’ve started shortening it, using “rizzma” (the noun replacing “charisma”) and to “rizz” (the action of showing charisma) |
| Coquette | “Coquette” is mainly an aesthetic based on reclaiming girlhood and embracing a fun-loving, bubbly personality |
| Preppy | A “preppy” girl is a girl who wears the “preppy aesthetic” style, this includes wearing Roller Rabbit, Love Shack Fancy, Sassy Shortcake, American Eagle, etc. |
| Yeet | To violently throw an object that you deem to be worthless, inferior or just plain garbage |
| NPC | Short for non-playable character, it means the opposite of a main character. This person is usually a background character in your life that doesn’t have significant importance |
| Moots | Short for “mutuals.” It’s when you follow someone on social media and they follow you back |
| No cap/capping | The use of the phrase “no cap” is meant to convey authenticity and truth. Example: “No cap, ‘Barbie’ is the movie of the year.” |
| Ick | Something someone does that is an instant turn-off for you, making you instantly hate the idea of being with them romantically. Example: “His cargo shorts gave me the ick.” |
| GRWM | A “GRWM” video is a vlog where you film everything that you do in your morning, night, ECT routine. Acronym for “Get Ready With Me.” |
| Delulu | A delusional fan girl/boy who believes they can/will end up with their favourite idol or celebrity and invest an unhealthy amount of time and energy into said idol |
| Cheugy | The opposite of trendy |
| Bussin | What you would say if something was really good |
| Opps | Anyone in competition or against you. Enemies |
| Sus | Giving the impression that something is questionable or dishonest, short for suspicious |
| PFP | Short for profile picture |
| OOMF | Short for “one of my followers”, usually used on X and TikTok to talk about one of your followers without mentioning their name |
| Beige flag | Something that’s neither good nor bad but makes you pause for a minute when you notice it and then you just continue on, something odd. Similar to “red flag” (a bad sign) and “green flag” (a good sign) |
| Sheesh | A word used as a substitute to “Daaaamn!” |
| OK Boomer | A slang term used as a response to someone from the Baby Boomer generation. Example: Boomer: “When I was your age I already owned a home.” Gen Z: “OK Boomer. Houses cost like $12,000 back then.” |
| Heather | When someone says that you’re “Heather,” they mean that everybody can’t help but like you |
| Mid | Used to insult or degrade something you don’t like, labeling it as average or poor quality. Example: “Personally, I thought ‘Barbie’ was mid.” |
I discovered Argentinian Caro(lina) Kowanz, currently living in Germany, on YouTube, where she provides short videos explaining English. She portrays different roles in the same video. In one, for example, she was a passenger on an aircraft who faced assorted problems, including a seat that would not recline, and an air vent that couldn’t be closed. She was also the flight attendant, acknowledged these problems, but unable to resolve them.
On another video, she tried to help viewers understand these English idioms. I have not used any of these idioms.
Ghosting = an abrupt cessation of communication with another person. Often involving dating.
Throw shade = indirect criticism of someone.
On fleek = something looks perfect! Yes, this is positive.
Spill the tea = tell the gossip, especially with all the drama that goes with it.
Low-key = something that you don’t want to make an issue about, in contrast to high-key where one feels very strongly about an issue.
Binge-watch = watching many episodes of a series without taking a break.
Lit = something is amazing or very exciting.
Slide into someone’s dms = send a direct message to someone on social media.
No cap = honestly.
Bet = Right or correct.
That fit goes hard = That is a very nice outfit you are wearing.
Then on Christmas Eve, 2024-12-24, in a Guardian newspaper article, I came across three Chinese neologisms about China’s current predicament – slowing economic growth, a falling birthrate, a meagre social safety net, and increasing isolation.
躺平 = Tangping = lying flat, a term used to describe the young generation of Chinese who are choosing to chill out rather than hustle in China’s high-pressure economy.
润学 ? =Runxue = run philosophy, which refers to the determination of large numbers of people to emigrate.
对合 = Neijuan = rolling inwards = involution, a term used to describe the feeling of diminishing returns in China’s social contract. This is a concept from sociology that refers to a society that can no longer evolve, no matter how hard it tries. Applied to the individual, it means that no matter how hard someone works, progress is impossible.