WORD WATCHER

New words from the Covid-19 crisis coronnial

Sometimes written “coronial”, this is the generation of babies expected to be born starting in December 2020: “Coronnials may grow up in a very different kind of world from our own.”

covidiot

A person who disobeys socialdistancing rules or generally acts like a nincompoop during the pandemic: “That covidiot went to the park to take pictures of people disobeying the rules by going to the park.”

doomscrolling

Obsessively checking the latest news about the pandemic: “I can’t stop doomscrolling. It’s all so surreal.”

quarantini

A portmanteau combining the words “quarantine” and “martini”. A “quarantini” is any alcoholic drink consumed to ease the stayathome blues: “Pour yourself a quarantini and join our video chat for happy hour.”