English in Madrid

Image created by Chat GPT Losing your mind looking at memes ? The dictionary has a word for that Are you spending hours scroll ing mindlessly on Instagram reels and TikTok? If so, you might be suffering from brain rot , which Oxford University Press has named its phrase or word of the year. It is a term that captures concerns about the impact of consuming excessive amounts of low-quality online content, especially on social media. The usage saw an increase of 230% in its frequency from 2023 to 2024. Psychologist and Oxford University Professor Andrew Przybylski says the popularity of the word is a "symptom of the time we're living in". Brain rot beat five other phrases or words on the dictionary publisher's shortlist , including demure, Romantasy and dynamic pricing. What is brain rot? Brain rot is defined as the supposed deterioration of a person's mental or intellectual state, especially viewed as the result of overconsumption of material considered to ...

Muhammad overtakes Noah as most popular boy's name Muhammad was the top choice for parents naming their baby boys in England and Wales in 2023, with more than 4,600 children registered with the name. It has been among the top 10 names for baby boys since 2016, but has now overtaken the previous favourite, Noah, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). There is , however , a level of regional variation with Muhammad not appearing in the top 10 for three regions of England. Other spellings of the name Mohammed and Mohammad also made the top 100 list for England and Wales. The ONS considers each spelling as a separate name, with different variations of Muhammad proving popular in previous years. Olivia remains the most popular choice for baby girls, followed by Amelia and Isla. These top three have remained unchanged since 2022. Hyphenated names jumped in popularity for girls last year, standing at more than 19,140 names, up from around 12,330 the year before. ...

Image source:  Brandee Taylor en Unsplash The Andy Warhol painting that put him at odds with Donald Trump has a new owner   In 1981, the tycoon commissioned the artist to do a series of works inspired by Trump Tower, but he did not like the result and did not pay for it. Four decades later, ‘New York Skyscrapers ’ has been auctioned for almost $1 million  In 1981, six years before his death, Andy Warhol devoted the spring to a limited series of paintings commissioned by Donald Trump. The American tycoon, then 34 years old, asked the artist for paintings inspired by Trump Tower, which was still under construction, to adorn the atrium of his first architectural project, located at 725 Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. “New York Skyscrapers stands as a testament to Warhol’s ability to encapsulate the spirit of an era characterised by excess, and it remains a powerful commentary on the pursuit of the American Dream as seen through the lens of one of the 20th century’s most ic...

Image generated by Chat GPT Here are some more commonly heard expressions that Chat GPT came up with . See the previous post on in-expressions . Click on words in red - some have listening practice. 11. Mansplaining  - a man explaining something to someone, typically a woman, in a condescending or patronising manner. e.g. She found it frustrating when her male colleague kept mansplaining basic concepts to her. e.g. Mansplaining can undermine professional confidence in meetings. 12. Doomscrolling  - the act of spending an excessive amount of time reading negative news online. e.g. He stayed up until 2 a.m. doomscrolling through updates on the crisis. e.g. Doomscrolling can exacerbate anxiety and stress. 13. Clout Chasing  - seeking attention or fame by associating with popular trends or people. e.g. Critics accused the influencer of clout chasing by aligning with the latest viral cause. e.g. Clout chasing can lead to shallow interactions and short-lived fame. 14...

Image generated by Chat GPT Duct-taped banana artwork sells for $6.2m in NYC Maurizio Cattelan's provocative artwork of a banana duct-taped to a wall has fetched $6.2m (£4.9m) at Sotheby's in New York - four times higher than pre-sale estimates. The auction house says Chinese cryptocurrency entrepreneur Justin Sun outbid six other rivals to get the "Comedian" installation of the Italian visual artist on Wednesday. " In the coming days , I will personally eat the banana as part of this unique artistic experience," Mr Sun was quoted as saying. The taped banana - now perhaps one of the most expensive fruits ever sold - was actually bought earlier in the day for a mere $0.35, according to the New York Times. "Comedian" was first unveiled to the public in 2019, instantly becoming a viral sensation and also provoking heated debates about what art is. The installation - which has travelled around the world - comes with instructions on how to rep...

Image generated by Chat GPT Elon Musk mocks   new Jaguar for new advert that doesn’t feature any cars The video, which was posted on the company's social media channels, shows a group of models modelling bright and flamboyant clothing across a series of equally vibrant sets - and prompted a pile on line. Elon Musk has ripped into British carmaker Jaguar after the company's bizarre new promotional video prompted ridicule online. The manufacturer is undergoing a major rebrand and revealed its new logo on Tuesday morning in a cryptic advert. Jaguar is set to launch three new electric cars in 2026 as it relaunches to being an electric-only brand. But the bold new commercial sparked a pile on when it was posted to X, with viewers noting that one important element of most car adverts was conspicuously absent - any actual reference to cars. The video shows a group of models modelling bright and flamboyant clothing across a series of equally vibrant sets. It begins with th...

Image generated by Chat GPT Today in class the expression echo chamber came up . It's a term that you can come across quite often nowadays. I asked Chat GPT for other expressions that may come in handy . 1. Echo Chamber - an environment where a person only encounters information or opinions that reflect and reinforce their own. e.g. Social media algorithms often create echo chambers that limit exposure to diverse viewpoints. e.g. Living in an echo chamber can make people more resistant to opposing ideas. 2. Gaslighting - manipulating someone to question their reality. e.g. He was gaslighting her by denying events she clearly remembered. e.g. The politician was accused of gaslighting the public to cover up the scandal . 3. Virtue Signalling - demonstrating one's moral values to gain approval. e.g. Critics argued that the celebrity's tweet was mere virtue signalling. ¡e.g. There's a fine line between genuine advocacy and virtue signalling." 4. Cancel Cultur...

Image created by Chat GPT Australia plans social media ban for under-16s Australia's government says it will introduce " world-leading " legislation to ban children under 16 from social media. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the proposed laws, to be tabled in parliament next week, were aimed at mitigating the " harm " social media was inflicting on Australian children. "This one is for the mums and dads... They, like me, are worried sick about the safety of our kids online. I want Australian families to know that the government has your back ," he said. While many of the details are yet to be debated, the government said the ban would apply to young people already on social media. There will be no exemptions on the age limit for children who have consent from their parents. The government says that the onus would be on social media platforms to show they are taking reasonable steps to prevent access. Albanese said there would be no p...

Image created by Chat GPT The following words all have the same vowel sound as u p / ʌ p/ : B u s /bʌs/ rhymes with pl u s /pl ʌ s/ but the -u in b u siness /ˈb ɪ znɪs/ has a different sound.  L o ve /l ʌ v/ rhymes with gl o ve /ɡl ʌ v/ and d o ve /d ʌ v/ (as in a pigeon), though the past of dive /daɪv/ can be dived /daɪvd/ or d o ve /d əʊ v/. S u n /s ʌ n/ and s o n /s ʌ n/ are homophones (different words but same pronunciation) and rhyme with r u n /r ʌ n/ and o ne / w ʌ n/. J ust  /dʒ ʌst / rhymes with m ust /mʌst/. J us tin /ʤ ʌs tɪn/ (the boy's name) is different to j uice  /dʒ uːs /. L u cky /ˈl ʌ ki/ does not rhyme with c oo kie /ˈk ʊ ki/. The - um in  u m brella / ʌm ˈbrɛlə/ rhymes with c ome /k ʌm / and th umb  /θ ʌm /. S ome   /s ʌm / and s um /s ʌm / are homophones. They rhyme with d umb /d ʌm / but not d ome /d əʊm /. Y oung  /j ʌŋ / rhymes with t ongue /t ʌŋ...