'Bangalore Envy' - new phrase of 2007

Not long ago, the neologism 'Bangalored' made the word 'layoff' redundant and now trend-spotters have come up with a new phrase 'Bangalore Envy' which they claim would shape people's lives in the US in 2007.

Bangalore Envy, a "now" expression referring to movement of much of the world's smart money to where many of the world's smart people are, is one of the 10 new phrases that find place in Next Now - a book compiled by marketing guru Ira Matathia and trend-spotter Marian Salzman.

A new Silicon Valley is rising in India as companies like Google set up shop in that country and beyond, they said.

However, the authors feel the phrase would add to the anxiety of people back in the US, as they grow increasingly scared for their jobs and their future.

The book's co-author Marian Salzman is credited with turning the term 'Metrosexual' into a global phenomenon.

Other phrases in the list include 'Brand Sluts' - a term used in the blogosphere meaning an obsession with consumerism.

However, the author uses it to define consumers who flirt from one brand to the next with no sense of fidelity to anyone.

While the connotation is negative, brand sluts are in fact savvy consumers, the author believes.

'Churchonomics' - business of religion - is another entry to watch for and refers to corporations securing grand-scale sponsorship deals with churches with worshippers serving as word-of-mouth promoters and a built-in distribution channel.

'Cougars' is another term that redefines romance as we know it, with Sadie Frost and Demi Moore dating men 16 years younger than them. For men, the attraction would lie in the emotional and financial maturity of older women, Salzman says.

The authors expect another term "She-E-Os" to hold the centre-stage for women carrying two Blackberries, or a mobile phone and a PDA so she can manage her personal life with the same attention to detail with which she manages her work life.

She has a personal trainer and an executive mentor, along with a house cleaner and a pet sitter. They are the "friends and family" who ensure that her career stays in tip-top shape -- firm body, sharp mind, savvy people skills.

'Gastroporn' is another expression that refers to transformation of the mundane chores of preparing, cooking, tasting and eating food into voyeuristic pleasures, while other 'now' phrases include 'Adultescence', 'Microgeneration', 'Truth Lite' and 'Unilanthropy'.

Explaining Unilanthropy, the authors says: "Angelina Jolie has orphans, Bono has AIDS, and Al Gore has CO2. 2007 will see more of us pick a niche and pursue it vigorously" instead of skimming like a stone across the ethics pond.

The book is expected to hit the stands on February 8.

Salzman, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of the world's oldest and the largest US-based advertising agency JWT Worldwide, said: "As time becomes increasingly valuable in our busy lives, we rely more heavily on catch-phrases to quickly express new ideas and concepts."

The 10 'now' phrases serve as snapshots of our near future," she added.

Salzman is also credited for popularising words like wigger, singleton and most recently, metro-sexual.