First of all, life has ups and downs, things and people we can’t control (imagine that!), and we need a sense of humor to let off steam and recharge. It’s not about being flippant, but about managing for the long-term. There’s even science behind the importance of stress-relief — multiple conditions are linked to stressful living – heart disease, gastrointestinal issues, depression and anxiety, etc, as well as reduced immunity to whatever bug is going around. So, forgive the pun, but humor is pretty seriously important.
When we are stressed, adrenaline flows through our blood, preparing us for the fight-or-flight moment. The adrenaline signals air passages to dilate to provide muscles the oxygen needed to flee, and the blood vessels to constrict to redirect blood to the major muscle groups, again to flight or flee. The adrenaline also floods our brains, eventually shutting down our prefrontal cortex (the thinking and creativity part of the brain) and directing resources to the amygdala (the reptile or instinct brain). To get back to our thinking, understanding brains, we have to interrupt the stress — and that can be done with exercise, meditation, anything fun, etc and humor.
So, I think we would agree that 2020 has proven to be pretty stressful. But you can’t flight or fight a pandemic; we have to manage the stress (and we have a few posts on this). Enter humor and creativity… and some funny terms for this era! He who laughs, lasts.
I can’t take credit for inventing these terms. However, I will take credit for spreading them, far and wide — on several WhatsApp family, friends and colleagues chat groups 🙂 . Enjoy! And use with a smile!
Coronacoaster – The ups and downs of your mood during the pandemic. You’re loving lockdown one minute but suddenly weepy with anxiety the next. It truly is “an emotional coronacoaster”.
Quarantinis – Experimental cocktails mixed from whatever random ingredients you have left in the house. The boozy equivalent of a store cupboard supper. Southern Comfort and Ribena quarantini with a glacé cherry garnish, anyone? These are sipped at “locktail hour”, ie. wine o’clock during lockdown, which seems to be creeping earlier with each passing week.
Blue Skype thinking – A work brainstorming session which takes place over a videoconferencing app. Such meetings might also be termed a “Zoomposium”. Naturally, they are to be avoided if at all possible.
Le Creuset wrist – It’s the new “avocado hand” – an aching arm after taking one’s best saucepan outside to bang during the weekly ‘Clap For Carers.’ It might be heavy but you’re keen to impress the neighbours with your high-quality kitchenware.
Coronials – As opposed to millennials, this refers to the future generation of babies conceived or born during coronavirus quarantine. They might also become known as “Generation C” or, more spookily, “Children of the Quarn”.
Furlough Merlot – Wine consumed in an attempt to relieve the frustration of not working. Also known as “bored-eaux” or “cabernet tedium”.
Coronadose – An overdose of bad news from consuming too much media during a time of crisis. Can result in a panicdemic.
The elephant in the Zoom – The glaring issue during a videoconferencing call that nobody feels able to mention. E.g. one participant has dramatically put on weight, suddenly sprouted terrible facial hair or has a worryingly messy house visible in the background.
Quentin Quarantino – An attention-seeker using their time in lockdown to make amateur films which they’re convinced are funnier and cleverer than they actually are.
Covidiot or Wuhan-ker – One who ignores public health advice or behaves with reckless disregard for the safety of others can be said to display “covidiocy” or be “covidiotic”. Also called a “lockclown” or even a “Wuhan-ker”.
Goutbreak – The sudden fear that you’ve consumed so much wine, cheese, home-made cake and Easter chocolate in lockdown that your ankles are swelling up like a medieval king’s.
Antisocial distancing – Using health precautions as an excuse for snubbing neighbours and generally ignoring people you find irritating.
Coughin’ dodger – Someone so alarmed by an innocuous splutter or throat-clear that they back away in terror.
Mask-ara – Extra make-up applied to “make one’s eyes pop” before venturing out in public wearing a face mask.
Covid-10 -The 10lbs in weight that we’re all gaining from comfort-eating and comfort-drinking. Also known as “fattening the curve”.
…and finally, finally: One sentence to sum up 2020, so far: At one point this week, 1 loo roll was worth more than a barrel of crude oil!
