What are “biffles,” “throuples” and “party hands”? The English language is constantly changing, and public-radio host Grant Barrett is helping to make sense of new words and phrases.
Barrett, a lexicographer and co-host of the syndicated show “A Way With Words,” said he’s constantly on the look-out for new additions to the way we use the English language.
Barrett said regional differences can make interesting words and phrases stand out.
"Person A is from Wisconsin, person B is from, say, Los Angeles, they meet at the same place at the same time, and they’re not speaking the same language," he said.
One phrase came to the United States from across the Atlantic: “party hands,” which was originally a British term.
“Party hands are, how should we say this, groping hands, roaming hands, particularly after a little bit of alcohol,” Barrett said
He said “The Simpsons” and “South Park” have been great sources of new words and catchphrases that have moved into popular usage.
Barrett also shared the following words and phrases:
- "Put someone on blast": to be embarrassed or to have attention drawn to something you said or did.
- "Biffle" or "BFFL": best friends for life
- "Cis": Born to the gender one feels most comfortable in, as in "cis woman," meaning "born as a woman and feeling like one," as opposed to being a transgendered person.
- "Vampire student": One that takes up way too much of a professor's time. Always has questions. Always comes to office hours. Always wants waivers and exceptions.
- "Boston arm": An arm hanging out a car window signaling for a turn.
- "Clown" or "clown on": to mock or jeer at; from African-American slang.
- "Throuple": three-person couple
- "On the reg": regularly
- "Potato quality": images that have been recompressed so many times the image quality is lumpy and unclear.
