Nigel Farage and Tommy Robinson attacks see 'milkshaking' added to 'Brexicon'
Collins Dictionary has also revealed its word of the year is climate strike, recognising the movement started by Greta Thunberg.
Thursday 7 November 2019 10:29, UK
Collins Dictionary has released a list of words which have come into use since the EU referendum of 2016.
The aptly-titled act of "milkshaking" has earned itself a place on a Brexit-themed list of vocabulary, thanks to several notable incidents in which public figures were targeted.
Brexit Party leader Mr Farage was covered in a salted caramel and banana shake from burger chain Five Guys as he carried out a campaign walkabout in Newcastle in May.
The attack, which saw the drink-thrower Paul Crowther ordered to pay Mr Farage compensation, came just weeks after far-right figure Robinson was pelted with a similarly sticky drink from McDonald's.
The English Defence League founder, real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, was out campaigning in the EU elections, which would later see him receive just 2.2% of the vote in the North West.
Other words and phrases that made it into the so-called Brexicon include:
This is the full list:
Brexiteer - noun - a supporter or architect of the withdrawal of Britain from
the European Union
Brexiety - noun - a state of heightened anxiety triggered by concerns about
the imminent withdrawal of Britain from the European Union
Cakeism - noun - a wish to enjoy two desirable but incompatible alternatives
Flextension - noun - An informal agreement to extend the time allowed for
payment of a debt or completion of a contract, setting a new date that can be
altered depending on future events
Milkshake - verb - to throw a milkshake or similar drink over a public figure
to humiliate him or her
No-deal - adjective - denoting a situation in which two parties fail to reach
an agreement about how to proceed
Project Fear - noun - a name given to any political campaign that seeks to
arouse public alarm about proposed changes to the status quo
Prorogue - verb - to discontinue the meetings of (a legislative body) without
dissolving it
Stockpiling - noun - the activity of acquiring and storing large quantities
of goods
Remainer - noun - a person who believes Britain should remain in the European
Union
The Brexicon comes after Collins named Brexit as its word of the year for 2016.
Its pick for 2017 and 2018 were the Donald Trump catchphrase "fake news" and "single-use" respectively, and it has continued the eco-friendly theme this year.
"Climate strike" is the 2019 pick after several mass demonstrations across the world, including Extinction Rebellion protests that have caused chaos across London.
The official Collins description is "a form of protest that took off just over one year ago with the actions of Swedish schoolgirl Greta Thunberg and which has grown to become a worldwide movement".
Collins said the term was used on average 100 times more in 2019 than in 2018, having first been recognised by its legion of lexicographers in November 2015 after the first UN Climate Change Conference in Paris.
Notable additions this year include the digital imaging technique of "deepfakes" and "non-binary".
The latter was added in recognition of "changes in how people relate to each other and define themselves".
People who identify as non-binary do not define themselves exclusively as masculine or feminine and generally prefer they/them pronouns, rather than he/she.
Earlier this year, singer Sam Smith announced they wanted to be referred to as "they" rather than "he", six months after revealing they did not identify as male or female.
All the words of the year can be found on CollinsDictionary.com, and will be considered for future print editions.