Neologisms

Neologisms are words and word-combinations created to denote new concepts of political, scientific or word-use character. They are frequently found in print media as newspapers are very quick to react to any new development in the life of society, in science and technology, thereby initiating creation of new words.

Within this class of lexical units one can distinguish two groups of neologisms. The first group lists lexical units that designate new concepts.

ASBOs (anti-social behaviour orders) – постановления, которые выносятся органами правосудия с 2000 г. в Великобритании в отношении нарушителей общественного по­рядка. С 2011 г. изменены в control orders.

Skymarshal (airmarshal) – undercover armed police officer travelling on American or British passenger flights to prevent terrorist highjackings.

Cloning; genome; cyber space; e-fit image (фоторобот); e-com­merce; e-trade; GM food / plant; surrogate mother (father / baby); hacking; hacker; millennium bug, super highway; top-up fees, foundation hospitals, a walk-up cen­tre.

Another group of neologisms lists those which are created according to word-formation models of the language (composition, affixation, conversion, reduction, change of meaning, borrowings from other languages).

C o m p o s i t i o n: stay-in; apply-in; Britain-friendly; child-friendly; Euro-friendly; family-friendly, media-friendly; welfare-friendly; pc-friendlу; kiss-in, weigh-in (competitions); skyver (compare: diver), deskfast (desk + breakfast);

In 2 weeks Mr Landy will truly be a penniless artist. He’ll also be clotheless, carless and everything-elseless;

A f f i x a t i o n: Blairite (сторонник политики Т. Блэра); spin-doctoring (отражение деятельности правительства СМИ в выгодном для него свете); cronism (продвижение к высшим государственным постам нужных людей).

R e d u c t i o n: SMP(s) – Member(s) of Scottish Parliament; EMP – Member of the European Parliament; GM food – genetically modified food; PR – public relations.

C o n v e r s i o n: to bus; a pull-out; to breast-feed.

Idioms

to give a cold shoulder	оказать холодный прием кому-либо
to have a leverage	иметь мужество (сделать) что-либо
red herring	отвлекающий маневр
to keep sth at bay	держать на расстоянии
to hold water	выдерживать критику (о теории)
to be out of the wood	выпутаться из затруднения, быть вне опасности

Colloquial words

watchdog – superwiser: nuclear watchdog; rail watchdog; TV and radio watch­dog

to botch (to do sth badly) – a botched attempt

to down (to force to the ground)

frantic (hurried)

glitch (small fault in operation), «глюк»

jitters (anxiety), jittery

to have guts (courage, will to do sth)

a hike / hiking up (to increase suddenly)

kids (children)

to sack / to boot out (to fire somebody)

to swap / swap (to exchange / an exchange)

think tank (a committee of people, experienced in a particular subject,

to de­velop ideas and advice on matters related to the subject)

tsar (a high-ranking official responsible for sth (like drug / homeless / foot and mouth tsar)

U-turn (complete revision of one’s previous views or ideas)

to whistle-blow (to raise alarm by attracting public attention to some prob­lems); whistle-blowing, a whistle-blower

Colloquial phrasal verbs

to dream up	придумать
to cash in	нажиться, обогатиться
to sink in	осознать, понять
to sort out	решить проблему
to stick around	слоняться без дела
to spell out	означать / разъяснить
to team up	объединить усилия