Has 'Bangalore envy' gripped you yet?

New Delhi: India’s IT capital Bangalore may have shunned its more popular and much-envied name in favour of the more localised Bengaluru, but it still remains to inspire awe among the Americans.

First it was the neologism 'Bangalored' that made the word 'layoff' redundant while referring to outsourcing, and now trend-spotters have come up with a new phrase which they claim would shape people's lives in the US in 2007.

‘Bangalore Envy’, is being described by many as a "now" expression that refers to the systematic movement of much of the “world's smart money to where many of the world's smart people are.”

It’s also become one of the 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, credited with turning the term 'Metrosexual' into a global phenomenon.

The duo says that a new Silicon Valley is rising in India and with biggies like Google setting up shop here, must to the angst of the people in the US, this trend is only likely to go up.

Other interesting 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 and refers to corporations securing grand-scale sponsorship deals with churches with worshippers serving as word-of-mouth promoters.

Another term that has made it to the list is '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 say, "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.