News from January 10–January 16, 2026
Each week, we scan the latest headlines to spot words in action. From major news stories to pop culture buzz, this feature highlights language as it’s unfolding. Stories about rattling fish, desert landscapes, and a huge upset all contributed to the vocabulary from this week’s news.
accountability
noun: responsibility to someone or for some activity
From the headlines: Demonstrators around the country this week called for ICE to take accountability for the death of Renee Good, which occurred on January 7 in Minneapolis. While federal officials say the agent acted in self-defense to avoid being run over, others challenge that account and argue that ICE holds full responsibility for Good’s death. These contrasting perspectives have deepened an ongoing national controversy over immigration enforcement.
feeble
adjective: lacking strength or vigor; weak
From the headlines: According to economists, December was another anemic month for hiring, ending the weakest year for the labor market since 2020. Despite the busy shopping season, retailers cut positions, resulting in feeble job growth numbers. Employers hired 584,000 people in 2025, compared to two million new jobs in 2024. Unemployment remains low, but workers report feeling anxious about job security.
jubilant
adjective: full of high-spirited delight
From the headlines: Supporters of sixth-tier non-league club Macclesfield FC were jubilant after an extraordinary FA Cup upset. The team stunned Crystal Palace, last year’s champions, with a 2–1 victory. The win sent shockwaves through English soccer, marking the first time in 117 years that a club outside the national leagues defeated the reigning titleholders. The unlikely triumph sparked an elated celebration among fans.
maraca
noun: a rattle-like instrument that is shaken to make noise
From the headlines: New research suggests that a small fish uses a mysterious hole in the middle of its head like a maraca to create sound. A biologist examined the tiny rockhead poacher with a micro-CT scanner and determined that the fish’s ribs vibrate against the deep cavity in its head, producing a rattling sound similar to beans inside a hollow gourd. Scientists believe the poachers deliberately make this percussive sound to communicate with each other.
mullet
noun: a hairstyle that is long in the back but short on the top
From the headlines: Pennsylvania’s Allentown Fair held its first-ever mullet contest. About 150 people sporting the distinctive short-in-the-front, long-in-the-back hairstyle vied for the top prize. The winner was ten-year-old Drew Fleschut, whose coiffure was a mop of a mullet, layered on top and flowing down his shoulders.
Fun fact: Though the style was popular in the 1980s, the word “mullet” isn’t known to have appeared in print until the Beastie Boys released their 1994 song “Mullet Head.”
nonpareil
adjective: model of excellence; peerless
From the headlines: Figure skating experts say the current U.S. team is the strongest they’ve witnessed in years. Experts believe the women’s squad, in particular, has an excellent chance to win gold for the first time in two decades, calling it the most dominant lineup in recent history. Fans will get to watch these nonpareil skaters take the ice at next month’s Winter Olympics in Italy.
proficiency
noun: the quality of having great facility and competence
From the headlines: Mississippi now places among the top ten states in national rankings of fourth-grade reading proficiency, a dramatic rise from its position at 49th just 13 years ago. Educators nationwide are examining how the state achieved such a turnaround in its schools. Teachers in Mississippi credit a combination of higher academic expectations, stricter accountability for meeting benchmarks, and expanded state investment in pre-K programs for boosting reading proficiency among younger students.
simian
adjective: relating to or resembling an ape or a monkey
From the headlines: Four vervet monkeys were seen running loose in a St. Louis neighborhood, and days later they remained at large. The city’s animal control department is leading the search for the mysterious simian runaways. It’s against the law to own exotic animals, including monkeys, but the St. Louis Health Department will waive all fines and penalties for anyone who turns the animals over to authorities.
traverse
verb: journey across or pass over
From the headlines: Set to open in early 2026, the Gordie Howe International Bridge will be the only crossing between Michigan and Canada that pedestrians and cyclists can traverse. Work on the project began in 2018, marking the first time in decades that a new international bridge has been built between the United States and Canada.
vista
noun: a view of a region
From the headlines: A new conservation initiative in New Mexico aims to preserve the desert landscapes that inspired artist Georgia O’Keeffe. The protected area features sweeping vistas of grassland and arid terrain, punctuated by sandstone bluffs and the Cerro Pedernal mesa. The renowned 20th-century painter immortalized these vistas in many of her works, including My Front Yard, Summer, 1941.
