Countdown star Susie Dent champions new word & calls for it to be added to dictionary

LINGUIST Susie Dent is championing the word ‘meekend’ – in the hope that one day it might enter the dictionary. ‘Meekend’ means having a whole weekend of free time to yourself, doing what you want, when you want – a luxury we all need once in a while, according to 80 per cent of adults. Linguist Susie Dent is calling for the word ‘meekend’ to be added to the dictionary Credit: Will Ireland/PinPep It means dedicating a weekend to your own interests and hobbies Credit: Will Ireland/PinPep Lexicographer Susie feels that the portmanteau neatly encapsulates a modern lifestyle phenomenon, in the same way that terms such as ‘staycation’ and ‘brunch’ have entered mainstream language. It follows research of 2,000 adults, from hub by Premier Inn, which revealed the formula for the perfect meekend. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! With almost half (49 per cent) hoping for a meekend at least monthly and one in 10 (11 per cent) wishing that every weekend could include some alone time. Almost a third (32 per cent) would like to spend time alone outdoors and exploring nature, a third (32 per cent) would enjoy a lie in, while one in five would like to go so far as to stay in bed all day, without any disturbances. Almost half of Brits hope for a ‘meekend’ at least once a month Credit: Will Ireland/PinPep Susie says word mash-ups have become increasingly common over the years Credit: Will Ireland/PinPep And 55 per cent would enjoy travelling solo to a city for a weekend break – with London and Edinburgh the most popular urban destinations for this. A further 22 per cent have already booked themselves a hotel alone to relax and recharge – which left 73 per cent of those feeling refreshed. Susie, who is working with hub, which has 19 hotels in London and Edinburgh city centre, said: “Choosing to have time for oneself can feel very important in our everyday lives, so it makes sense to have a term that specifically encapsulates a solo weekend. “Portmanteaux – mash-ups of existing words – have become increasingly popular over recent years, driven by social media and online culture. Once they take off, they often have a life of their own. Most read in The Sun “My favourite portmanteau has to be chortle, a blend of ‘chuckle’ and ’snort’ and invented by Lewis Carroll. “Far more recent inventions include ’snaccident’ – the inadvertent eating of an entire packet of biscuits – and ‘binfluencer’, the neighbour who always puts their bins out first and promptly reminds the rest of us. “But ‘meekend’ deserves its own rightful spot in the dictionary to encourage more people to take time to themselves – and there’s not currently a word that fully encapsulates this.” The research went on to find 82 per cent believe it’s important to have regular alone time for their general wellbeing. However, 56 per cent wished they had more time to themselves to do exactly what they want, when they want. And 76 per cent had never heard of the term ‘meekend’ but when they were made aware of the meaning, 73 per cent find the idea appealing. With 61 per cent considering a meekend good for the soul, according to the OnePoll.com figures. While a quarter (23 per cent) think they’ll use the portmanteau in their own vocabulary – with Gen Z being the most likely to bring it into the mainstream, as 46 per cent say they will be likely to use it. Other portmanteau words commonly used are ‘brunch’ (32 per cent), ‘staycation’ (24 per cent) and ‘hangry’ (18 per cent). Creating such word blends has become the most common way of coining new vocabulary, according to Susie. Yasmin Mukhida-Olushola, a spokesperson from hub, said: “The nation has spoken, overwhelmingly agreeing that time alone is a luxury we all need once in a while and we’ve loved working with Susie in a bid to make the meekend portmanteau as popular as it deserves to be. “We hope everyone tries a taking a meekend in a city – hub could be a perfect base for solo travellers to explore the sights, whilst knowing there’s a cosy space to come back and recharge in.” Comment now