We heard it over and over again: 2020 was an unprecedented year. (Although 2021 is certainly doing its best to pick up where 2020 left off …) Our users agreed, choosing the word unprecedented as the People’s Choice Word of the Year. 2020 was, without a doubt, an extraordinary year—and it set off an extraordinary year for language, too, including compelling us to name the …
You probably don’t need any data to know that 2020 has been like no other year in recent history—and it’s only half over. But, for those of us fortunate enough to have the opportunity to reflect, some data can help us take stock at this midyear mark on just how transformative 2020 has been. All around the world, COVID-19 has changed our health, jobs, relationships, …
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, so too does the repetitive language people are using to talk about it. After a while, it gets exhausting hearing the same words over and over again in every article, tweet, and news broadcast. A few weeks ago, we rounded up the overused pandemic words and phrases our Twitter followers told us they were absolutely tired of hearing. The list …
If video conferencing and Zoom happy hours are our new reality, then backgrounds and filters are our new currency. Zoom backgrounds help you hide the dirty laundry you forgot was piled up behind you, and they give you a pass on having to share the details of your living space with your boss, your teacher, or 35 nosy coworkers. We’ve all seen coworkers rocking backgrounds …