Another Way of Doing Things

by Margaret Watson

I have several collections of slang – in English and in French. Even as a native speaker, I find things in the English collection that are new to me – mainly because I speak northern British English and am of a 'certain' age. After all people in other parts of the country and in a different age group say things in a different way. A Cornishman will use very different English to someone from The Orkneys. But this applies too to Australian English, Indian English and all the rest. And when it comes to French slang it is a whole new ocean in which I have as yet only dipped a toe or two.