'Cuffing season' and 'Corbynmania' are named Words of the Year by Collins Dictionary

When the nights are drawing in and the temperature drops, it’s time to get cuffing.

If the phrase means nothing to you, consult the Collins Dictionary, which has added ‘cuffing season’ to its Words of the Year list. The ‘cuffing’ is short for ‘handcuffing’ and defined as ‘the period of autumn and winter, when single people are considered likely to seek settled relationships rather than engage in casual affairs’.

The trend originated in the US, where the New York Times reported that “going outside becomes a hassle and having someone to cuddle with becomes a priority” when winter approaches.

Handily, it provides a partner for Christmas and Valentine’s Day, dates that singletons can dread. When spring arrives, simply cast off your cuffing partner and play the field once more.

Collins’ 2017 list features a dozen terms that have significantly increased in usage over the past 12 months.

Entries include ‘fidget spinner’, the handheld toy that became 2016’s playground craze; and ‘Insta’, a shortening of Instagram; 'gender-fluid', 'gig economy' and 'echo chamber'.

The ultimate ‘Word of the Year’, according to Collins, is ‘fake news’, a phrase regularly deployed by Donald Trump. It is ‘false, often sensational, information disseminated under the guise of news reporting”.

One uniquely British word on the list is ‘Corbynmania’, a ‘fervent enthusiasm for Jeremy Corbyn’, illustrated by thousands chanting his name at this summer’s Glastonbury festival.

Helen Newstead, head of language content at Collins, said: “Much of this year’s list is politically charged, but with a new president in the US and a snap election in the UK it is perhaps no  surprise that politics continues to electrify the language.

“‘Fake news’, either as a statement of fact or as an accusation, has been inescapable this year, contributing to the undermining of society’s trust in news reporting.”

Another entry, ‘unicorn’, is included for two reasons, Collins said: “First, the ubiquity of cartoonish representations of the mythical creature in advertising, merchandise such as inflatable pool toys, and even as a type of Frapuccino; and, second, the use of the world to describe a new business valued at over one billion dollars.”