A New Vocabulary: Unprecedented, You’re Muted and Other Pandemic-Esque Words

The Pandemic of Covid-19 has disrupted virtually all aspects of our life. From who we meet to how we greet; everything has undergone a process of alteration. One of the biggest changes to our lifestyle has been the rapid shift in our modes of communication, from in person family gatherings to online court hearings, which has resulted in an interesting adaptation to a new linguistic sensibility. This has lead to multiple pandemic-esque phrases and words to emerge.

As the ground beneath our feet shifted and safety became the focus, the terms ‘social distancing’ and ‘self-isolation’ became a part of our shared language. It became important to know if the person you just met wasn’t an ‘asymptomatic’ ‘carrier’ of the virus. Since the pandemic affected educational institutions heavily, students across the globe became victim to an adapting learning model. Even as students protested against ‘remote learning’, they were left feeling ‘zoomed out’ and exhausted from ‘asynchronous’ lectures. Babies ‘zoom-bombing’ and professors being reminded that ‘you’re muted’ was the only bit of fun happening in an online lecture.

A Cultural Reset During the Pandemic

Covid-19, in many ways, also led to a cultural reset. Losing one’s mind in ‘quarantine’ led many to indulge in amusing past times: cutting your own hair, making ‘dalgona coffee’, hosting ‘zoom parties’, ordering food under the guise of ‘supporting local businesses’ when really you just couldn’t bear to cook one more meal for yourself, and trying to create ‘quarantine art’. People were forced to redefine fun, productivity and social interaction. Solo walks, ‘elbow bumps’ while meeting a friend, and meditation quickly became a part of our ‘new normal’. During the pandemic, it became clear that we must take life slow, appreciate the small blessings, and understand that we need to be gentle with ourselves if we feel burnt out or not at our optimal performance level.

Many people used humour as a coping mechanism during these ‘trying times’. People shared memes and jokes avidly on social media platforms.

Here are some memes to lighten your mood:

See you all on the other side of the ‘new normal’!

Note: Air quotes are used to indicate words/phrases that became a part of our vocabulary during the pandemic.

Also Read: An Open Letter on International Women’s Day

Mahrukh Murad

Mahrukh Murad is a Pakistani writer. She aspires to harness the creative streak in human nature and embody it in her work. Her poetry has previously been published in TeenInk, The Waggle magazine, The Pangolin Review, Rigorous Magazine, Pleiades Magazine. Her articles have been featured on The Nation and The Aman Project.