‘The ick’ and ‘chef’s kiss’ are two of over 3,200 new words and phrases added to the Cambridge Dictionary this year by language experts.
Hundreds of new entries are made in the dictionary each year to reflect how language is used and keep up with the ever-changing lexicon of Britain.
And 2024 is no different.
Wendalyn Nichols, Cambridge Dictionary publishing manager, explained: “Language is dynamic, changing right along with technology and culture. It’s fascinating, and a privilege, to monitor this change and to capture not just new words, but also new uses of existing words, in our monthly updates. Some new terms are added very quickly and others can take some time. We try to identify words and uses that have proven staying power, rather than adding ones that might be short-lived.”
She added: "Lexicographers use the Cambridge English Corpus, a collection of more than two billion written and spoken English words, to gather evidence for how a new word is used by different people and in a variety of situations. We also collect evidence of new words that have only appeared in English very recently."
Here are 11 of the new entries.
1. Chef's kiss
"a movement in which you put your fingers and thumb together, kiss them, then pull your hand away from your lips as a way of showing that you think that something or someone is perfect or excellent." | Canva/Getty Images
2. Go over to the dark side
"To start to behave in a way that is evil or harmful." | Hans Lucas/AFP via Getty Images
3. Porch piracy
"The act of stealing parcels that have been left outside people’s houses for them." | Canva/Getty Images
4. Speedrun
"To complete a computer game, or part of a computer game, as quickly as possible, especially by taking advantage of any glitches." | Canva/Getty Images