While I can honestly say that I don’t remember my new year’s resolutions (and therefore can’t be held accountable for completing them), one thing that did improve this year was my vocabulary. Yours probably did too. Brat, demure, brain rot and slop are all words I had rarely heard, let alone used, before 2024 They have, however, all been awarded the accolade of “word of the year” by different dictionaries and publishers.

Tony Thorne, a linguist who tracks language change and slang, argues that the spirit of word of the year has been somewhat lost in these choices. Instead, he suggests, the title should go to a word already in use, but that takes on a new meaning in response to world affairs. Find out which word he picked.

Twinkling lights and sparkling diamonds – it’s no wonder the holidays are a popular time for people to get engaged. But we still expect the man in a heterosexual couple to propose, rather than the woman. Researchers interviewed women who flipped the script to pop the question themselves – and their surprising experiences might reveal why this stereotype endures.

And speaking of judgement, who’s ready for Christmas dinner with their relatives? If you have narcissists in your family, you’ll get plenty of useful advice from this piece by an expert in forensic psychology.

Over in France, one of the most horrific stories of the year has reached its end with the conviction of Dominique Pelicot and dozens of other men for the repeated rape of his former wife. Gisèle Pelicot has become a feminist hero for her brave testimony during their trial. As a non-stereotypical rape survivor, her story is likely to have positive implications for many years and victims to come. For readers of French (or users of online translation services), our colleagues in France have also looked at how the Pelicot case has sparked a debate about the place of consent in the law.