We’ve learned a lot in recent months. We’ve discovered that we’ll never take hairdressers for granted, that teachers should probably be paid more than top-tier athletes and that we’ll never bake our own bread again now that shops are open. We’ve also discovered that humor is healing. From ‘coronacoaster’ (to describe the ups and downs of your mood during the pandemic) to ‘fattening the curve’ (eating too much during lockdown), neologisms are arriving faster than DMs from colleagues during a company-wide presentation.
Now that travelers are taking to the skies again, is it time for some new terms? Here are seven words for modern times.
Flying the Internest
The feeling of excitement as you leave your lockdown cocoon of slippers and superfast broadband for your first offline meeting with a real-life person.
Shackleton
The first of your colleagues to go on a business trip, who then insists on reporting back every detail from the brave new world including hotel sanitation stations and the layout of the airport. Just like the Arctic explorer, he’s also Earnest.
Quaranteam reunion
This will be no ordinary meet-up. Seeing old colleagues for the first time after lockdown will be emotional, and not just because you’ll be required to wear shoes and a button-down shirt.
The awkward pand-shake
The little dance you do with a client you haven’t seen since the start of the pandemic. Do you wave with glee, bump elbows, pretend to hug the air? Or all three?
Peppy-demiologist
The optimistic colleague who cites declining R rates in relation to making travel plans for the fourth quarter of the year.
Lingo Bingo
‘The new normal,’ ‘pivot,’ ‘unprecedented’: Note the terms that keep popping up in meetings and score accordingly.
Flyperventilate
To book a flight and then fret about restrictions changing.
Avoid flyperventilating on the way to your quaranteam reunion. Listen to our latest series of podcasts from Business Travel: On the Fly and use our business travel tools to make informed decisions. before you travel.