By: Leah Sycoff

Questions, comments, and judgments we all would never have imagined ourselves saying. Our current situation in 2020 has completely altered society’s mentality, and therefore, our vernacular has been updated. We are finding ourselves in situations that we never thought we would; situations that now cause us to say things that we never thought we would. The following are just some of the new vocabulary terms and sayings that we now use on a regular basis!

The cautious comment

Ooops, I forgot my mask! Before the coronavirus, why would we have ever needed to say this (that is unless you are a surgeon)? Honestly, this has happened to all of us! You start walking toward a store or restaurant and then realize you left your mask in your car. Walking back to my car to grab my mask is the new walk of shame!

Should I wear gloves to the supermarket? Honestly, I am still unsure of the correct answer to this question. Some people do, and some people don’t. What do you think the right thing to do is?

The anxious comment

Quick, quick, quick… get the hand sanitizer! I guess hand sanitizer was always important, but never as important as it is today! All I know is that I must always have hand sanitizer with me. It doesn’t matter if it has a delicious smell or not. All I know is that it is a mandatory addition to my pocketbook when I go out and that the second I enter my car, from a place that is not my home, I must use it!

I can see his nose… that’s not safe! Oy, I always try to hold my breath when I pass someone wearing their mask beneath their nose. Does anyone else? I always wonder if they are wearing it like that on purpose and if they know that the mask is not actually doing anything to help them when worn like that.

Is it safe to eat here? I have not been eating out often, but recently it seems as though the restaurants are seating more and more people closer and closer together.

This is weird, why is he only standing 3 feet from me? This is sad to say, but this is another situation where I hold my breath. I just do not know what to do when a stranger goes within the 6-foot radius of my bubble.

OMG, the ACT/SAT is canceled again! This one was really irritating. The ACTs and SATs were canceled way too many times.

The relief comment

Aaaaah, I can finally breathe! You know when you get into your car and can finally take off your mask? This is the best feeling ever! 

Snap Judgments

Oh, they’re not doing curbside pickup? This one might be dated by now, but I hated craving a certain restaurant’s food and then not being able to have it. I feel so sorry for all the restaurants that had to go out of business during this time.

Oooo, that’s a great mask… where did you get it? I do not know where some people get these cool masks, but I want one!

How are they going to grade us? The combination of coronavirus and school gets really confusing… pass/fail or letters or numbers!

Photo courtesy of Philadelphia Enquirer.