Coldplayed is now a word, and it has got drama written all over it!
Astronomer CEO Andy Byron and HR head Kristin Cabot’s candid kiss-cam moment at a Coldplay concert in Massachusetts last week led to the inception of this new modern-day jargon.
For the unversed, when the kiss cam zoomed in on the two, Byron ducked out of view, while Cabot buried her face in her hands and turned her back to the camera.
The moment was so screenshot-worthy that it soon snowballed into a full-blown meme-a-thon, and a new word was born — coldplayed.
It means getting caught red-handed (or red-faced) doing something so spectacularly shady that it has the potential to turn into an accidental soap opera. In a nutshell, Byron and Cabot got coldplayed by the camera crew.
But coldplayed isn’t the only word that is currently popular among the Gen-Z crowd. Here are five fresh modern-day jargons that you may or may not have heard of.
Pookie (noun)
Pookie is a term of endearment used to shower love on someone adorable — be it your partner, your BFF, a baby with squishy cheeks or a furry playmate.
Example: My best friend surprises me with flowers every time I feel low. She’s such a pookie!
Paglu (noun)
Paglu is a term used to refer to a person who is head-over-heels for something or someone.
Example: He’s a total chai paglu. Even if it’s scorching hot outside, he will prefer tea over lemonade.
Soft girl era (noun phrase)
Think sheet masks over spreadsheets, journaling over juggling five side hustles, peppermint tea in a pastel cup over presentations. The ‘soft girl era’ is a lifestyle trend popular among young women in the age of social media. The trend focusses on self-care and serenity and calls for a total rejection of burnout and the grind culture.
Example: It’s really difficult to slay your soft girl era when the universe is constantly pushing your buttons.
Zaddy (noun)
Zaddy is not your regular daddy! He is a man with rizz, swagger and just the right amount of salt-and-pepper charm to sweep you off your feet. Want a reference? Think Pedro Pascal from Materialists, Gong Yoo from Goblin or Michele Morrone from 365 Days. IYKYK!
Example: When he walked in wearing a white shirt, I could not take my eyes off him. Literal zaddy alert!
Matcha feminist (noun)
Put simply, a matcha feminist is a feisty woman with unyielding opinions on gender equality and fitness. She is someone who will talk of pay gaps and your gut health in the same breath. She is all about empowerment and sipping her iced matcha latte while debunking patriarchy.
Example: She corrected her date’s sexist joke and recommended him some of Woolf’s most iconic works. If this is not classic matcha feminist energy, I don’t know what is.
