The most enduring idea from George Orwell's 1984 is that even as we design and produce language, we are shaped in turn by the language we use--words are crucial in explaining complex ideas and in the process of meaning-making. The dynamic and fast-evolving world of technology, innovation, politics, and security sees the equally frenetic adoption of catchphrases. 'Cyber sovereignty,' 'geotech,' 'ethics washing' and more are fast becoming common lexicons, deployed differentially and differently. Sometimes used with care and thought, and on most occasions with an incomplete understanding of the distinct contexts that shape their use. 'New normal' was one such phrase that captured a collective experience, marking an apparent inflection point in our relationship with technology.