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I've always loved words. As a teenager I used to write out passages of writing that particularly caught my eye. What progress! I can now cut and paste the same into My Clippings on my beloved Kindle. I guess I was destined to do copywriting!
But I collect verbal expressions too. Some new expressions are as irresistible to me as a shiny object is to a magpie...
A great friend of mine never says "left, right and centre" but "left, right and Chelsea". I love that - and yes, you'll hear me saying it.
Marrying into a family from Yorkshire has also given me a whole new box of verbal delights. From giving me the chance to irritatingly parody speech pattern - "t'internet" - to re-examining everyday objects in a new guise. For example windowsill being window bottom.
In fact a whole new world of expressions opened up to me. Wonderful ones like "Anyway, big shifts, little shifts..." instead of "Anyway, to cut a long story short..." And the wonderful "Have a word with yourself" - which needs no explanation.
Over the years words from other areas have crept into my vocabulary. Is there anything more descriptive than the Scottish word "drecht" pronounced "dreecht" with a gutteral germanic ending? This is grey, drizzly, miserable weather. And what about the Irish word "craic" (pronounced crack) which, used in the sense, "Great craic" refers to good times/scandal/gossip/drinking/fun/enjoyment all rolled into one - sounds like the perfect evening!
And then, of course, there are words from the " Land of Yoof". You will find a plethora of these talking to your adult children and their friends on Facebook of course, If you want to further explore, however, you will find no better source than www.theurbandictionary.com (but be ready for many no holds barred definitions!)
My current favourite is the simple "meh" which wittily (and pithily) describes disillusion or disappointment. "Found my choccies and found half of them eaten - meh" This can also be used for feeling under the weather. How you feeling? Meh..."
Have you adopted someone else's phrase as your own?
Do you know of any regional words that we should all know about?
Are there any "yoof" words you sneakily admire?
By the way if you enjoyed this post, you might also enjoy the previous one on "verbal tics"
