SIDEWAYS LOOK By Captain Karen Speight, Log Board member The meaning of life Even our language has been changed by the pandemic D uring lockdown number three, I agonised between a selection of meaningful and fulfilling activities: clearing out the kitchen cupboards (again); going through my sock drawer to throw out the ones with holes; watching paint dry; and so on. Then an exciting advertisement caught my eye proofreader required for a dictionary. I leapt at the opportunity. The shiny copy of the new book arrived, or rather was lobbed at my doorstep by a courier who rang my doorbell then ran off. Smirking, as I was reminded of the antics of my younger self and my sister tormenting the old lady on the corner, I carefully sanitised the sticky tape then ripped it off to get my hands on the bounty. An insert read: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it has been necessary to bring some new terms and updated meanings into the English dictionary and eliminate some words that have no further use in the language. Well, this was exciting! How often does one get the chance to be at the forefront of the evolution of language? I got down to work. My sneak preview means that I can now give you an inside scoop of the changes and you can impress all your friends with your bang up-to-date linguistic prowess. Examination licences for Air Trafc Controllers (ATCO s). Weekly House, Padbury Oaks 583 Bath Road, Longford, UB7 OEH our own car-parking facilities. www.heathrowmedical.com Medicals to meet EASA and CAA requirements as well as Initial, Renewal & Revalidation European Class 3 Medical Personal service with a quick turnaround for Initial, Excellent availability of appointments. Adjacent to Heathrow Airport, we have the standards of the major International civil aviation authorities including CASA, Canada, and GACA. Renewal & Revalidation Class 1 and Class 2 applications. NEW TERMS ENTERING THE DICTIONARY FOR THIS EDITION COVID cough any slight clearing of the throat Flattening the curve a post-lockdown diet and exercise plan Social distancing a good excuse not to hug people who make one feel uneasy Zoom a great word for online Scrabble, especially if you can get your z on a triple word square Zoom jumper clothing too tatty for in-person meetings, but that just about looks OK on video conferencing CHANGED MEANINGS Dont get caught out! Some words and phrases now have different definitions Asymptomatic faking the symptoms of illness to get out of a simulator check Beach-ready describes pre-packaged food that you can easily transport to a seaside resort when there are no pubs or fish and chip shops open. Related term: Oven-ready Circuit breaker closure of the gym and local fitness classes because of lockdown Contactless a way of living that maintains a distance of at least two metres from every other human being Kerbside pick-up a first date arranged by organising to meet someone for a socially distanced walk achieved by one person walking along the path and the other a short distance into the roadway Delivery slot a reason to stay up past midnight at the weekend Incubation stuck in the same perfectly square room for 10 days Internet virus a communicable disease that can be contracted through FaceTime calls as well as in person Lockdown a technique used by supermarkets to prevent sale of non-essential items Open house a building with all the windows and doors open in order to promote airflow and reduce viral load Remote working stranded in a foreign country because of quarantine requirements, but still able to use ones laptop Screening carefully selecting the background for a video conversation to hide the mess in your house State of emergency the supermarket has run out of caviar Super-spreader one who comfort-eats excessive amounts of peanut butter Working from home actually working from home Working from home pretending to work while at home while actually supervising home tuition for ones children Zoonotic an amazing word for online Scrabble to get all your seven letters out and score a 50-point bonus, requiring the missing eighth letter from the word to be suitably positioned on the board already ARCHAIC TERMS REMOVED FROM THE DICTIONARY Airplane mode Face to face Globetrotting Party Pub Hairdressers Dining out Email: medicals@heathrowmedical.com Tel: 020 8528 2633