From COVID to curbside, 2020 changed our vocabulary too Area residents Terry Hanna, left, her husband, Mike, and Melanie Cervi practice social distancing near Fisherman’s Wharf in Monterey, Calif., in April. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) Dec. 28, 2020 5 AM PT The global pandemic has changed every aspect of our lives — how we work, how we socialize, how we dress. And without us even noticing, it also has changed how we talk. As 2020 comes to a close, many of us find ourselves fluent in a new language that would have been nearly indecipherable just one year ago. If we mention having a “socially distanced” picnic with friends, we can safely assume the listener knows we all stayed at least six feet apart and did not share food or drinks.