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Articles Tagged ‘slang’
Talk Like a Local: Obscure Exercise Around the World
September 2, 2009 | Talk Like a Local | Read More
The term “jogging” was introduced to the English-speaking world in 1593 in William Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew. The idea of running as exercise didn’t really take hold until the 1600s, during which a small, eccentric portion of the population continued to practice it, until...
Talk Like a Local: Family Slang
August 25, 2009 | Talk Like a Local | Read More
Every culture has its own version of slang, whether it’s expletives, cheers or words that allude to an unsavory topic. Something we all know, but probably haven’t thought much about, is the slang that develops within a family. Author Paul Dickinson has written an entire book on the phenomenon,...
Talk Like a Local: Shakespeare’s Slang
August 12, 2009 | Talk Like a Local | Read More
Slang has been around as long as human language has existed. Surprisingly, one of slang’s most fruitful time periods was the Elizabethan age. During that time, England’s prolific Shakespeare, Christopher Marlowe, John Donne and even Queen Elizabeth herself created some of the most revered...
Talk Like a Local: Le Tour de France
July 22, 2009 | Talk Like a Local | Read More
Europeans are known for their creative use of language. When I was 8 and visiting Germany with my mother, her cousin Barbara drove us to Berlin for some sightseeing. Someone cut her off, and she yelled something explosive.
“What’d she say?” I asked my mom.
“She called him a toilet...
Talk Like a Local: Mountain Man Edition
July 15, 2009 | Talk Like a Local | Read More
National Parks draw the most rugged of tourists: the hardcore backpackers, climbers, hikers and extreme outdoor enthusiasts. They show up with plans to not just see Half Dome, but to get to the top. Not to take a picture of the Papagayp River Canyon, but to raft that sucker. These are people who know...
Talk Like a Local: Reggae Slang
July 8, 2009 | Talk Like a Local | Read More
Every musical genre develops its own set of slang terms (see Boogie Man, Clinker and Freak Lip for jazz). Some of the richest musical slang is associated with reggae and many of the terms are now synonymous with current musical styles (see Dub, D.J.). Should you find yourself in Jamaica - or, y’know,...
Talk Like a Local: Patriotism in the United States
July 1, 2009 | Talk Like a Local | Read More
As America gets ready to celebrate the 4th of July with its traditional fireworks, barbecues and sometimes-over-the-top displays of the American Flag, we’ve gathered for you a collection of terms associated with American Patriotism, and their often-interesting histories.
Uncle Sam: A personification...
Talk like a Local: “He said, She said” in Australian
June 24, 2009 | Talk Like a Local | Read More
Today’s local slang comes to us from the great continent of Australia and the letter “B”. In line with this week’s theme, we’ve included some examples of common Australian slang for both sexes. Read on, and try to work these phrases into your next trip to Australia. Or,...
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