Previous Words of the Week
Lite
Although the names of products and companies are often spelt in new ways to make people remember them, the use of the spelling 'lite' has taken on new meanings.
Used in Mag Lite it is simply an alternative spelling of 'light', from 'flashlight' (the American word for a torch). It is used differently in the names of Miller Lite beer and Lite Legs tights, suggesting that these products are pleasantly light-tasting or light-weight.
Another way of using this new spelling is for referring to software that is available in a trial version and a full version, for example Winfax Lite and Winfax Pro.
Then there are lite yoghurts and lite-meat burgers, which have less fat or sugar and fewer calories than standard products. However, foods that have a lower than usual amount of sugar or fat are sometimes criticised for being less tasty or less satisfying.
Because of this, adding the word 'lite' to something can suggest that although it might be popular it is also less demanding or less interesting. Music critics who dislike the way that someone plays a particular style might refer to it as 'jazz lite', 'goth lite', 'R&B lite' or 'reggae lite'. Food that is simplified for a mass market is, for example, 'China lite, a dumbed-down, smoothed out version of Chinese food'.
In the media, this is taken a step further by criticising films or TV programmes that fail to inform people properly or make them think as 'news lite', 'culture lite' or 'history lite', and referring to coverage of war that avoids unpleasant issues as 'battle lite, war without risks, war without tears'.
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