Quarantini? Moronavirus? COVID-10? Wordplay Brings Humor to These Times

 

Did you hear about the town that was fattening² the curve so much that the mayor had to take away everyone's quarantinis?

Until recently, those words would not have made sense. But now, many people can probably relate to them on some level.

The coronavirus crisis has changed the way we behave — and speak — adding a number of new words and expressions to our language. Some words are serious, like pandemic and quarantine. But others are much, much less serious.

In these trying times, we have the chance to laugh — not at our struggles, but at how we think and act as a result.

So today, we explore words that have been born in the time of coronavirus and the social distancing we have — or have not — been doing.

Don't stand so close

Let's start with a word we hoped we would never need: covidiot.

Some of us probably know at least one covidiot, a person who ignores health and social distancing rules for preventing the spread of the virus. The word "covidiot" combines COVID-19 and idiot, which is a stupid or foolish person. It is meant as an insult.

Moronavirus has a similar meaning to covidiot. It combines the word "coronavirus" with the word "moron," another insulting word.

Help fatten¹ the curve

Now let's talk about people who are following the rules: washing hands often, wearing a facial covering, keeping a safe distance from others and staying home as much as they can.

Those people may be safer from the virus, but there is one thing they are not safe from: the refrigerator.

For many, being at home might mean eating more and getting less physical exercise. In a crisis situation, people often choose foods that help them feel at ease. But those foods are not always the healthiest.

This situation can lead to the COVID-10, COVID-15 or Quarantine 15. All three words describe the weight in pounds that some people are gaining from eating too much during quarantine.

Another expression for this weight gain is "fattening the curve." For example: "Oh no. I've gained six pounds since the middle of March. I'm fattening the curve!"

"Fattening the curve" sounds like "flattening³ the curve." These words mean taking steps to slow the spread of disease to ease the pressure on hospitals and health workers.

Shake it like a quarantini

While some people's COVID-10 may be the result of heavy eating, other people may have had one too many quarantinis.

A quarantini is an alcoholic⁴ drink made at home with whatever alcohol and ingredients one has around.

Quarantini is a play on the words "quarantine" and "martini," which is a very strong alcoholic drink.

Other people may want a coronita, another kind of mixed drink. "Coronita" borrows words from two alcoholic drinks: margaritas and a Mexican beer.

If the pandemic has caused some people to temporarily lose their jobs, however, they might want a furlough merlot instead. That is wine for someone who is worried about not working.

Though losing work is not a laughing matter, funny words - and wine - might help bring smiles to people's faces.

Let's have a coronababy!

Another thing that might put a smile on someone's face is a baby, and coronababies are the most special of all! They are the babies who are conceived or born during long periods at home because of stay-at-home orders.

Another word that the quarantine has produced sounds like "quarantine" but ends with the letters e-e-n instead. Some people are calling teenagers "quaranteens." On a normal day, teenagers can be, well, trying. But during a quarantine, they can become easily bored or restless. They are quaranteens, a play on words between "teenager" and "quarantine."

Well, that's all for now. Join us again soon to learn more terms that might help make light of a heavy situation.

I'm Alice Bryant.

Words in This Story

curve –n. a smooth, rounded line, shape or path

relate –v. to understand and like or have sympathy for someone or something

refrigerator –n. a device or room that is used to keep things food and drinks cold

pound –n. a unit of weight that is equal to 16 ounces or 0.4536 kilograms

ingredient –n. one of the things that are used to make a food, drink or product

conceive –v. to become pregnant

teenagers –n. someone who is between the ages of 13 and 19 years old

bored –v. feeling tired or annoyed by being uninteresting or too much the same

1 fatten   

v.使肥，变肥

参考例句：

• The new feed can fatten the chicken up quickly enough for market.新饲料能使鸡长得更快，以适应市场需求。
• We keep animals in pens to fatten them.我们把动物关在围栏里把它们养肥。

2 fattening   

adj.（食物）要使人发胖的v.喂肥( fatten的现在分词 )；养肥（牲畜）；使（钱）增多；使（公司）升值

参考例句：

• The doctor has advised him to keep off fattening food. 医生已建议他不要吃致肥食物。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• We substitute margarine for cream because cream is fattening. 我们用人造黄油代替奶油，因为奶油会使人发胖。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 flattening   

n. 修平 动词flatten的现在分词

参考例句：

• Flattening of the right atrial border is also seen in constrictive pericarditis. 右心房缘变平亦见于缩窄性心包炎。
• He busied his fingers with flattening the leaves of the book. 他手指忙着抚平书页。

4 alcoholic   

adj.（含）酒精的，由酒精引起的；n.酗酒者

参考例句：

• The alcoholic strength of brandy far exceeds that of wine.白兰地的酒精浓度远远超过葡萄酒。
• Alcoholic drinks act as a poison to a child.酒精饮料对小孩犹如毒药。