May 09, 2021
The Straits Times
SINGAPORE - Since the word was used at a press conference on Thursday (May 6), few would have missed encountering it. It was the top searched term on Google in Singapore that day, with over 200,000 looking it up.
"Umbrage", uttered by Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) chief executive Ng Yat Chung at a press conference on the media company's restructuring, has trended on social media platforms, sparked numerous memes and merchandise, and influenced marketing efforts by popular brands.
Observers say the word is uncommon yet catchy enough to pique curiosity and thus be shared widely, fuelled by a hunger for social currency online.