Quite a few new words and phrases have entered the Chambers Dictionary this year. Here are some of the more interesting ones:-
Blue-on-blue - fire from one's own side or allied forces, as opposed to fire coming from enemy forces, sometimes called friendly fire.
Blu-ray - a blue laser used to read and write discs.
Carbon footprint - the measure of the impact human activities on the environment.
Comfort food - Food that one eats to feel comfort or alleviate stress rather than to receive nutrition.
Credit crunch - a sudden reduction in the availability of loans (or "credit") or a sudden increase in the cost of obtaining a loan from the banks.
Dashi - A type of soup or cooking stock, often made from kelp.
Eco-village - small ecologically-sustainable communities.
Electrosmog - the electromagnetic fields emitted by computers and mobile phones.
Extraordinary rendition - a controversial detention method where a person is moved from one state to another.
Fashion forward - used to describe someone who is supposedly hip, slick and cool.
Food miles - the distance food travels from the time of its production until it reaches the consumer or end-user.
Green tax - a policy that introduces taxes intended to promote ecologically sustainable activities via economic incentives.
HIP - Short for 'home information pack' which is a set of documents about a property. Consisting of Home Information Pack Index, Energy Performance Certificate, Sale statement, Standard searches and Evidence of title.
IED - short for improvised explosive device, an unconventional or amateur explosive weapon made from nonmilitary components, especially one used by guerillas, commandos or terrorists.
Metamaterial - any material that obtains its electromagnetic properties from its structure rather than from its chemical composition.
Nail bar - A beauty salon dedicated to nail care e.g. manicures and pedicures.
Pad thai - a Thai dish of stir-fried noodles with egg, tamarind etc garnished with peanuts etc.
Postcode lottery - The unequal availability of services in different parts of the country; especially those services provided by the state.
Quantum computer - a computer that makes use of quantum mechanics.
Social networking - The interaction between a group of people who share a common interest.
WAGS - an acronym used particularly (but not exclusively) by the British tabloid press to describe the Wives And Girlfriends of the England national football team.
Wardrobe malfunction - an accidental instance of indecent exposure caused by a fault in someone's clothing (especially that of a performer) or by an error made while changing this costume.
Watch list - a list of people being monitored for suspicious activity.