This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for December 6–December 12, 2025

Archaeologists found the remains of an ancient Egyptian pleasure boat that matches a description by a first-century Greek historian. The European Institute for Underwater Archaeology excavated the submerged vessel off the coast of Alexandria, Egypt. The discovery was thrilling for historians and archaeologists, as it's the first-ever recovery of a luxury barge known by ancient Egyptians as a thalamagos, built in the first century BCE.

A ban on feeding pigeons has caused dissension in Mumbai, India, where many believe it's their religious duty to feed them. There is ongoing conflict between residents who say pigeons spread germs and others who are the birds' fierce protectors. Debate has been particularly heated between Jains, who value kindness to animals, and people who argue that pigeon droppings cause lung disease. Dissension is from the Latin dissentire, "disagree."

Thieves stole over $100,000 worth of escargot from a farm in the small French village of Bouzy. The little mollusks are an important part of Christmas and New Year's menus for many in France, and the theft occurred just before the busiest time of year in snail farming. L'Escargot Des Grands Crus, which raises and sells about 350,000 snails every year, had its entire holiday supply stolen — 990 pounds in all. In French, escargot means "edible snail."

A study found that people whose internet connections are glitchy during video calls tend to be perceived as less trustworthy. Inferior internet technologies can cause disruptions in the audiovisual connection, distorting or freezing faces and causing audio to lag. Those on the receiving end associated the unreliable connections with the users themselves — which can disadvantage people in interviews and meetings, especially in rural areas, where internet connections may be less reliable.

A new FIFA policy adds three-minute water breaks to each half of every match at next year's World Cup, rather than just at those played in hot weather. Regardless of temperature, the referees will halt the match at 22 minutes and allow players to hydrate. The change was made after this year's unusually hot conditions at the World Cup, when some players felt there weren't enough opportunities to drink water. Hydrate comes from the Greek root hydro, "water."

As Japan's birthrate falls, some people who don't have kids are marking an ancient children's festival by celebrating their dogs instead. Shichi-Go-San, or 7-5-3, traditionally celebrates ages considered milestones in Japanese culture. Those without offspring can instead dress their pups in kimonos and have them blessed by a priest. At some shrines on 7-5-3 day, the dogs in traditional robes far outnumber the children. In Japanese, kimono means "a thing put on."

The discovery of a new species of extinct rhinoceros has caused a metamorphosis in scientific theories about ancient animal migration. The rhino, which lived 23 million years ago, has transformed timelines of exactly when and how various species moved. The new evidence shows that rhinos used the North Atlantic Land Bridge to travel between Europe and North America for 20 million years longer than previously thought. The Greek root of metamorphosis means "to transform."

A day after 16 produce containers fell off a ship near England's southern coast, sodden bananas covered the beaches of Selsey, while avocados bobbed in the water. The cargo tumbled into the Solent, a strait between the Isle of Wight and the mainland. Strong tides immediately washed thousands of waterlogged bananas ashore. Unfortunately, the bananas were so saturated with salt water that they had turned black and inedible. The original meaning of sodden was "boiled in water."

The architect Frank Gehry died at the age of 96. Known for his strikingly original style, Gehry designed such unconventional structures as the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao in Spain, with its joyful, metal-clad curves and swirls, and Seattle's Museum of Pop Culture, modeled on a smashed electric guitar. Gehry's buildings were instantly recognizable, offbeat, and widely celebrated, and he described his work as rebelling against the dominant styles of contemporary architecture.

Economists say consumers with the highest incomes are spending freely at upscale stores, boosting overall retail sales. Sales at Bloomingdale's, which carries more luxury brands than its parent company, Macy's, were up 9 percent in the last quarter. While lower-income Americans are spending less on extras to save money for necessities, wealthy consumers aren't cutting back. The disparity has led many stores to offer more upscale items in the hopes of attracting affluent customers.