How our language changes!

There was a happy time in my life when the word pod conveyed an image of fresh green peas or, a few years later perhaps, of dolphins or whales swimming together.

Fast forward a few years and pod has come to mean a parking spot where a car-sharing company parks its vehicles (www.goget.com.au), enough coffee to make a delightful cup of the steaming brew in a flavour of your choice (www.nespresso.com) and, most eye-popping of all, a group of family or friends who you are allowed to meet during these dark days of Covid-19.

Those examples only hint at the evolution of language.  The original meaning of pod still remains valid but it has been extended to reflect more modern circumstances.  Although positive these days, the word nice is often criticised for being too weak and watery – a far cry from its original meaning of of stupid or ignorant.   We’d better all think about that the next time we call someone nice or use it in a password!