I’ve never really paid attention to how we use our language in the UK. Differences in accents are obvious and instantly noticeable, but the way in which we use words or phrases to covey our meaning, well we tend to do without much thought. We all use slang of some form or other acquired from the places we've lived (regional expressions) and other people spend a lot of time with.
As I was growing up, I picked up a lot of unusual words as I moved around the country. Many I’ve stopped using after moving out of an area—mainly because no one else understands what you’re saying and it isn’t being reinforced through hearing it spoken by other people.
“Chow” is one such word. In certain areas of north-east England, it means to shout at, tell off. To pretty much everywhere else it means food! My favourite is “moither” which means to fuss, bother, pester, and although it’s rare it’s still very much part of my vocabulary.
I hadn't appreciated how many idioms we use in everyday English—phrases that can only be understood if you have same cultural references. How confusing it must be to everyone else... about as clear as mud!
On a side note, this American writer seems to think that "Briticisms have passed their sell-by date" [American Idioms Have Gone Missing]. Er, not if you're British they haven't!
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