17 December 2014, The Tablet

Christmas puzzles: The language game / set by John Morrish


 
There is no stopping coinages: new words and phrases appear with dazzling regularity. So how have you fared this year when it comes to keeping abreast of the changing English language? Our annual quiz will tell you whether you’re wordly wise. Words of the year. What do they mean? 1. Overshare? a. To have more than you deserve. b. In cricket, change bowler halfway through an over. c. To reveal more about yourself than is wise or appropriate.2. Bingewatch? a. A wrist-worn device that monitors one’s calorific input. b. To observe the food queue at a fast-food restaurant.c. Watch a whole TV series on DVD in one continuous session.3.Contactless? a. Lacking a professional network. b. Preferring spectacles. c. A credit or debit card that doesn’t need to be put into a reader.4.
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