Say what you will about the ills of modern culture, it does come up with some delightful new names for things. The internet takes something that your grandmother would recognize as part of her life, and turns it into something that appears to be a whole new idea, just by attaching a catchy name to it; such as, “girl dinner,” and “house burping.”
What’s the purpose of these rebrands?
Same Idea With A New Twist
There does seem to be an added weight to the rebrand that includes how we experience the world today. For example, “girl dinner” is simply making a plate of easy-to-grab-foods from the fridge and the cupboard, that do not require preparation or cooking. It’s a simple meal at the end of a busy day. The idea of eating snacks for dinner is not new. But, in the past it was not celebrated as an option. Instead, it was looked down upon as a sad situation that someone who doesn’t know how to cook might resort to. The telling part of “girl dinner” is the “girl” part. It’s the freedom for women to allow themselves to not cook and to eat a snack plate for dinner without guilt. That’s new.
Your Grandmother Did This
Modern life also informs the age-old custom of airing out your home. For as long as I can remember, my mother and her mother before her, opened the windows every morning to let some fresh air into the house. It didn’t matter if it was the middle of winter, and freezing outside.
The rebrand of this activity is “house burping.”* At first, it just seems like a bit of humour. However, consider the toxic fumes that build up in our homes from furnishings, floorings, heating, and mould. Add to that the germs that swirl around from everyone living there. Then, opening the windows is a lot like burping: it releases the bad air. Calling it “house burping” reminds us of why airing the house out is a good idea. Plus, it’s funnier than ventilating.
It Feels Fresh And Fun
When old Ideas are presented as novel, they’re more interesting. There’s no denying that using a catchy phrase makes it fun to put into practice. It also injects an old concept with modern relevance. Everything old is new again, as Anne Murray once sang (see below). I’m off to burp the house.
What other catchy phrases for old ideas have you come across lately? Comment below.
*https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/29/realestate/what-is-house-burping-luften.html
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