The Australian National Dictionary Centre recently announced ‘iso’ as the word of the year for 2020.
And hasn’t it been quite a year? Yet despite all the downright annoying, draining, challenging times we’ve been through, we have come up with some pretty cool words to take the heaviness off the situation. Not to make light of it, but to lighten us up.
There are plenty you would have already heard of like iso-baking, Corona-cut, Cov-exit, Coronacoaster, Covid-normal, but with every day that passes it seems that more pop into the language. Here’s my take on some of the ones you already know, and some of the ones that I’ve found popping out of my mouth.
Lockdown – we all know what it is, but in 2020 this has effectively replaced the ‘small talk’ we used to reserve for the weather. During that awkward part at the start of a call when you’re waiting for everyone to join, “What’s your lockdown rules at the moment?” has replaced, “How’s the weather there?”
Cov-onomy – this is the Covid economy, which is screwed, obviously, except if you own Zoom, or manufacture facemasks etc.
Cov-innovation – that’s the people who are taking advantage of the Cov-onomy by thinking up cool new ideas to leverage it and make money.
Pandemic-panic – generally this refers to panic during Covid times – either at bulk buying toilet paper (I still don’t get that), worrying you’ve got Covid or rushing out to get another haircut just in case the hairdressers close again.
Cov-olidays – these are the brief holidays that some of us managed to actually take during Covid times (generally through the brief summer months where the Covid-calms predicted it was all over), which makes you either brave or stupid depending on when and where you went.
Cov-renovations – that’s referring to the often extreme amount of home renovations you undertook in Covid times, since you were essentially housebound.
Cluster – pretty simple this one: a clusterf**k of Covid cases caused by a bunch of Cov-idiots who just had to have their party.
Cov-exercise – this involves partaking in multiple online exercise classes, or starting up a new form of exercise purely because that’s all you’re allowed to do (and if you’re like me, overdoing it and hurting yourself).
Cov-ordering – that’s the over-the-top online ordering you’re doing, in part to stave off the boredom, in part for the Cov-excitement you get when a package arrives – who knows… you might actually get to converse with the postman!
Cov-olitude –that sinking feeling that follows you around because you never see anyone or have any physical interaction (except with the postman when your online orders arrive).
Cov-envy – that’s the uncontrollable jealousy you feel when you hear another country coming out of lockdown, or easing restrictions, when you’re still locked up with a Covid-cut in your iso-bubble.
Got any more that you’ve thought of or heard of that you’d like to share? I’d love to hear them!
an aussie in austria 
You’ve used Covidiots, so that one is gone. I can’t think of any more. I know I was dubious about the “lockdown” word being used when the various nations hibernated for a time. It always struck me as being a word used in prison where bad behaviour had occurred. The majority of people followed the request to back off from one another and to wear a mask. I always preferred quarantine as a description. However, lately as the V word has become more prevalent, the possibility of lockdown for those who party, socialise and basically spread the virus becomes ever larger and more apparent.
You’re right, Dexter, lockdown is not really a fun word to use at all… in fact I like your word – hibernation – so I’m going to be hibernating over Xmas… which is fine since it’s cold! 😉 Stay safe Dexter!
I will stay safe. We are trying to be as sensible as possible. Live like hermits.
Good to hear! Lucky for you walking and sniffing are generally safe activities!