‘Permacrisis’ revealed as word of the year

And other stories from the stranger side of life

Liz Truss
(Image credit: Daniel Leal/AFP/Getty Images)

“Splooting” is one of the most influential words of 2022, according to dictionary publisher HarperCollins. The popularity of the term, which refers to when a dog or cat lies flat on its stomach with its hind legs stretched out behind it, may be due to animals being observed stretching out in a “sploot” during the heatwaves of 2022, said The Telegraph. The publisher of the Collins Dictionary named “permacrisis” as the word of the year. A spokesperson said the word “sums up quite succinctly just how truly awful 2022 has been for many people”.

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