Not a Dorm, but "Coliving": 5 Everyday Terms Replaced with Trendy Buzzwords (6 photos)

Synthetic leather used to be called cheap vinyl, and a hostel was just a budget hotel. Let’s take a look back at those simpler times and discover a few other old-school terms that have been swapped for fashionable buzzwords.





Sales Manager = Shop Clerk



From time immemorial, store clerks were simply store clerks. But over the last decade, companies began aggressively renaming them "sales managers." If you look under the hood, there is technically a subtle distinction: a clerk sells products directly to customers, whereas a true sales manager is supposed to oversee strategy and hit performance targets to grow the business.

Today, however, those lines have completely blurred, and almost every frontline retail employee now wears a badge reading "Sales Manager." Walk into any electronics store, and you'll run into more "sales managers" on the floor than you would at an executive business summit.

Faux Leather = Pleather





If you look up "pleather" or traditional artificial leather, you'll find it's a synthetic material made from fabric coated with nitrocellulose or PVC. It was widely used in the Soviet era to upholster furniture, doors, book covers, and more. While the material is still used today, no one calls it pleather anymore—now it's marketed as sleek "faux leather" or "eco-leather."

Of course, modern artificial leathers are much higher quality, more stylish, and far more durable. But even when a product is made from low-grade synthetic material, rest assured no seller will admit it. "Faux leather" simply sounds much more appealing. Besides, old terms like "pleather" became a bit of a joke—people used to poke fun at cheap knockoffs by calling them "genuine imitation skin."

Hostel = Cheap Inn or Boarding House



The word "hostel" shares its roots with hospitality and dormitories, making it both amusing and a bit sad when it's used to put a shiny spin on rather unglamorous lodgings. Originally, hostels were popular abroad as an inexpensive option for budget travelers looking to crash in a shared room.

Over time, hostels flooded post-Soviet countries as well. Adopting the English word "hostel" sounded much chicer than calling a place a one-star motel or a run-down rooming house. Yet the reality remains unchanged: it's still basic, bare-bones accommodation where guests are offered little more than a bunk bed in a small room and a communal bathroom.

Coliving = Student Dorm or Communal Flat



This is one of the latest lifestyle trends to gain traction in recent years. "Coliving" is pitched as a modern community housing concept where like-minded people live together under one roof. In reality, it's a student-style communal setup with shared bathrooms, kitchens, and social spaces. Naturally, coliving hubs often boast a "coworking" area (yet another buzzword that simply means "office").

Technically, three students sharing a three-bedroom apartment are already "coliving." However, purpose-built coliving spaces have popped up everywhere, featuring trendy kitchens, workspaces, and modern amenities. Strip away the fluff, though, and it’s still shared housing—where the only real difference between coliving and a student dorm is the steep price tag.

Sharing = Renting



Carsharing, bikesharing, scooter-sharing, foodsharing… All these slick terms mask a very simple, traditional concept: renting something. Carsharing is renting a car; bikesharing is renting a bike. The word comes directly from "to share," and marketers love adding this trendy suffix to practically anything to make standard rentals sound progressive.

The list of "sharing" services grows every single day, covering everything from power tools and furniture to books and toys. But while traditional companies offer basic "rentals" at fair prices, startups pitch "sharing services" as cutting-edge technology. The main difference? The price—because the quality of the service is often exactly the same.