Steven Poole's word of the week
Each week, language enthusiast Steven Poole dissects the origins and meaning of the words of the moment.
Malfeasance: Biden decried it in Afghanistan – but what does it mean?
Entering English from French, ‘malfeasance’ tends to describe misdeeds in public office – such as those by US presidents
‘Hycean’: a portmanteau of hydrogen and ocean that’s not so far, far away
This new class of planet hoped by scientists to harbour alien life is a hot waterworld. Let’s stop Earth turning into one
‘Chipageddon’: how a global tech crisis came to sound quite tasty
First chickens, and now a worldwide shortage of microprocessors … the word ‘chip’ is the latest word to gain an Armageddon flavour
From Aristotle to Ariana Grande: the expanding meaning of ‘metaverse’
Fortnite virtual concerts are the latest sign of how the world is enjoying a ‘meta’ moment – one that has its origins in ancient Greek
Could ‘antigenic drift’ and ‘antigenic sin’ set back the fight against Covid?
The government scientific advisory group Sage has warned that both processes would complicate how we handle the virus
‘Podiuming’: it may look wrong, but it is a word
In ancient Rome it referred to a raised platform; since the 1940s it has also been used as a verb. So is it OK now to podium?
A brief history of ‘ping’, from gun fights to the NHS Covid-19 app
The word ‘pingdemic’ is spreading as fast as the pandemic. But the meanings of ping stretch from the wild west to showjumping
Sugar-tax goes sour: why does the word ‘nanny’ terrify Tories?
The response to the National Food Strategy included a fresh round of rightwing ‘nanny state’ denunciations. So what’s behind the phrase?
We still need to take ‘precautions’ during the pandemic – so how will those differ from restrictions?
Once denoting wariness, then a euphemism for birth control, extra ‘precautions’ are now on Boris Johnson’s agenda. What does the word mean?
Sex, squalor and Soho: how the word ‘sleaze’ gained its meaning
Matt Hancock’s scandal may have made the news, but there has never been a shortage of sleaze in Westminster. Where does the word come from?
From Napoleon to Matt Hancock: a short history of the aide
Once a military helpmeet, now more of a sous-chef to the big cheese … the meaning of aide has changed down the years
Brexit porkies: the etymology of ‘sausage’, star of the latest trade row
As a correspondent, Boris Johnson cooked up stories about European food regulation; as the PM, he is battling to avoid a trade war over sausages
‘Zoonotic’: the Covid-19 origins theory that is not that batty
A ‘zoonotic’ disease is one that has jumped from another animal to flourish in humans – it all comes down to nosology
‘Delta’: why Greek names for Covid variants are taking flight
Instead of using complex strings of code, or demonising innocent geographical areas, the Greek alphabet offers neutral names for ‘variants of concern’
First we were told to stay alert to Covid-19 – how is being ‘vigilant’ different?
If you are ‘vigilant’ you are awake, concentrating – and just a vowel away from becoming a vigilante
Was Diana ‘inveigled’ into the BBC Panorama interview?
This week, minister Robert Buckland used the word to describe Martin Bashir’s interview – and the royal family do have a long history of being ‘blinded’ by others
Are we living in ‘Orwellian’ times? No we’re not
The Manic Street Preachers think we are - but poor George Orwell was not recommending we live in the dystopia of Nineteen Eighty-Four
From letters to vaccines: how the word ‘patent’ has changed over time
The Biden administration has announced it supports patent waiving on Covid-19 vaccines. So where does the word come from?
From God to glaciers: ‘doom’ was not always about gloom
The old Germanic-derived word ‘doom’ does not mean catastrophe but simply ‘judgment’. So why do we associate it with disaster?
From monasteries to ministers: how ‘lobbying’ got its meaning
You no longer have to stand in an actual lobby to ask a politician to change the law in your favour
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