Cunning linguists
The language of the Corona Virus
Taytocrisps · 15/05/2020 19:27
Anyone else interested in the words and phrases we're using at the moment? Not new words but words that have taken on an added significance and, for me, will always be synonymous with Covid-19.
Lockdown
Social distancing
Cocooning
Pandemic
Epidemiologist
I'm sure there's lots more.
marmitepasta · 18/05/2020 21:24
Yes it's also interesting from an international point of view. I'm in France and the lockdown is called 'confinement' Ã nd the easing of lockdown is the 'deconfinement'. I like that they have a word for it.
They're also using quite a lot of English words to describe things. They're talking about ´clusters' of cases which is never a word they have used before.
PineappleUpsideDownCake · 18/05/2020 21:27
Bubbles
Daily exercise. (Going for my "daily exercise " / "on my daily exercise " was not the way we used to speak.)
lonelySam · 18/05/2020 21:28
Brilliant thread as I was telling a friend of mine there is a PhD thesis waiting on someone about different rethoric in different countries.
I'm in the NL but watch UK and Polish news too.
In the NL we do not 'fight' the virus but we 'get it under control' and the message is 'together against corona' and 'stronger together'. We have 'intelligent lockdown'.
OutwiththeOutCrowd · 18/05/2020 21:42
Flattening the curve
Viral Load
Clap for Carers
NHS heroes
I'm jealous of the Irish getting to cocoon. It sounds nicer than self-isolating.
camelfinger · 18/05/2020 21:44
Nightingales
The clap
Socially distanced (as an adjective e.g. socially distanced deliveries)
Zooming
Home schooling
Visors
Wuhan (had never heard of it before)
Aerosols
PPE (had not really encountered this acronym before)
NHS charities (I don’t recall any people referring to the NHS as a charity before)
Frontline
Great thread!
LadyLooLaa · 18/05/2020 21:45
I like the variations too, I went back to check your name OP cos the term ‘cocooning’ made me think you must be Irish (tayto gives it away). In the UK we tend to use shielding rather than cocooning. I think cocooning is much softer, whilst shielding fits in with the ‘fighting’ rhetoric that we have here.
CascadingCrochet · 18/05/2020 21:46
Stay at home
Save the NHS
Stay safe
Video chat
Hand washing
Zoom party
Home learning
WFH
Shielding
Keeping a safe distance
Key worker
camelfinger · 18/05/2020 21:47
You’re so right LadyLooLaa, I would love to cocoon or to hibernate but shielding sounds awful!
CascadingCrochet · 18/05/2020 21:51
Stockpiling
Nightingale ward
Please do not come to the surgery
winterisstillcoming · 18/05/2020 21:56
'The science'
SAGE
'Straining every sinew'
New word today: anosmia
JoyceTempleSavage · 18/05/2020 21:59
Social distancing sounds like an oxymoron to me. So counterintuitive I’m amazed it’s the best we could come up with.
Ajollygoodwrap · 18/05/2020 21:59
Due to Covid/Coronavirus/recent pandemic/ Covid-19....
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