Blursday? Pan-demic? Looks Like We Got Some New Pandemic Lingo Going Viral!

The English language is fluid and everchanging. Ever since Shakespear started pulling words out of his “hat,” like they were pizza Pringles, our vocabularies have thickened drastically. Every time there was a need for a certain descriptor, poets, bard, and sometimes scholars came up with words that have never been used before. While most of the old words’ etymology was a mix of Latin, Greek, and Sanskrit, the modern neologisms are much easier to understand.

UrbanDictionary is a great source of these modern words. Sometimes all it takes for new definitions to appear is for millions of people to get stuck at home during a pandemic with nothing better to do than come up with funny names for things. Here you’ll find ironic neologisms and fresh idioms that appeared or acquired new meaning during the pandemic. Let’s see if you’ve heard any of them!

1. Maskhole

A person who’s not wearing a face mask properly. Most commonly under the nose, on the chin, or the back of the head.

2. Doomscrolling

Scrolling through Twitter, Facebook, and other social media and getting anxiety from all the bad stuff happening in the world.

3. Covidiot

The smartass who ignores any and all warnings regarding public health or safety during covid, such as: wearing a mask, staying at home, or washing hands properly.

4. Body mullet

Body mullet is a set of clothing exclusively for Zoom conferences. It’s usually a fancy and officious top and nothing but underwear below the waist.

5. NOVID-19

That strange phantom feeling you get when your throat starts to tickle, and you realize that you might’ve been infected after interacting too closely with a stranger without a mask.