The linguistics of a pandemic - sort of lighthearted

[BrexpatInSwitzerland]

I've always been fascinated by language - and I'm absolutely intrigued by how the current situation is impacting our use of it.

The beginnings were relatively subtle: people started to sign off emails with "stay safe" or "stay healthy". Recently, some have graduated to "stay home".

I've also come to notice that - as always - obscenenities adapt at lightning speed. Today as I went for my weekly shop, I came across a group of youths (who, no, shouldn't have been there, but that's not the point) who were obviously embroiled in a bit of an arguments. As I pass by, one yells at the other "you fucking little viral shedder" (translating; see username, I'm not in the UK at present).

Work colleague described a situation in an ongoing project last week using the words "it's like someone coughing on a bus". Everyone instantly understood what he meant.

Does anyone else have examples?

Well, according to Sky news, newborn twins have been named Corona and Covid. So, there's that..

When my older child starts to beat up my younger child the youngest shouts "oi, social distancing". He's 9.

When my older child starts to beat up my younger child the youngest shouts "oi, social distancing". He's 9.

After watching the samual Jackson “stay the fuck at home” storytelling I am unable to convince my brain that Quentin Quarantino is not his correct name.

😂

Wrong thread...that'll mean much more on craicnet

There has been a huge increase in the use of the word sobering.

When someone has been/ is unwell there's an immediate need to clarify it wasn't covid.

Eg 'I was ill' has become 'I was ill but not with that just a migraine'

Teen dc appear to be using references as lighthearted insults. Eg I overheard dsd tell dd to keep her diseased hands off her hair dye, and dd later saying dsd had better not be infecting (wearing) her jeans. Dp was having his daily losing argument about the volume of music and it was suggested to him he needed to return his plagued self to Eyam. I should point out none of us have any symptoms or reasons to think we have it, they've just become the insult of choice.