Not every English speaker talks like the Queen! And some accents are harder to understand than others!
From lovely Laura Noble, here is a list of the top 5 hardest accents to understand if you are not native to the UK.
British
Kae Tempest “More Pressure”
‘Colder than a witch’s tit’ and other British phrases set to die out
A new poll has revealed a list of traditional British sayings which may become extinct despite the UK having one of the most rich and diverse languages in the world.
By Bill McLoughlin
A new poll has revealed a list of traditional British sayings which may become extinct despite the UK having one of the most rich and diverse languages in the world.
According to a study, there are 50 phrases that are in jeopardy of being lost from the English language.
Of those 2,000 people asked, 78 percent have never used the phrase “pearls before swine”.
A further 71 percent said they had never used “colder than a witch’s tit” or “nail your colours to the mast”.
In the poll, conducted by Perspectus Global, 70 percent do not wave goodbye with a “pip pip”.
A further 68 percent of Brits said they had never heard of or used the phrase “know your onions”.
Ellie Glason from Perspectus Global, said: “It’s interesting to see from our research, how language evolves and changes over the years.
“It would seem that, many of the phrases which were once commonplace in Britain, are seldom used nowadays.”
While a series of phrases may now become extinct, four out of five Brits believe the UK has the most descriptive language in the world.
The survey was based on a nationally representative sample of 2,000 adults, aged between 18 and 50.
British sayings such as “colder than a witch’s tit” and “a dog’s dinner” at risk of dying out.
BRITAIN’S ENDANGERED SAYINGS
1. Pearls before swine 78% (never use the phrase)
2. Nail your colours to the mast 71%
3. Colder than a witch’s tit 71%
4. Pip pip 70%
5. Know your onions 68%
6. A nod is as good as a wink 66%
7. A stitch in time saves nine 64%
8. Ready for the knackers yard 62%
9. I’ve dropped a clanger 60%
10. A fly in the ointment 59%
11. Keen as mustard 58%
12. A flash in the pan 57%
13. Tickety boo 57%
14. A load of codswallop 56%
15. A curtain twitcher 56%
16. Knickers in a twist 56%
17. Dead as a doornail 55%
18. A dog’s dinner 55%
19. It’s chock a block 55%
20. Storm in a teacup 55%
21. Could not organise a p*** up in a brewery 54%
22. Not enough room to swing a cat 54%
23. Flogging a dead horse 54%
24. Toe the line 54%
25. Popped her clogs 54%
26. Drop them a line 53%
27. Steal my thunder 53%
28. A few sandwiches short of a picnic 53%
29. A legend in one’s own lifetime 52%
30. Be there or be square 52%
31. Fell off the back of a lorry 52%
32. A bodge job 52%
33. Eat humble pie 52%
34. Having a chinwag 52%
35. Put a sock in it 52%
36. Mad as a Hatter 51%
37. Spend a penny 51%
38. Cool as a cucumber 51%
39. It’s gone pear shaped 51%
40. It cost a bomb 51%
41. Raining cats and dogs 51%
42. See a man about a dog 51%
43. It takes the biscuit 50%
44. He’s a good egg 50%
45. Snug as a bug in a rug 49%
46. Chuffed to bits 49%
47. Have a gander 49%
48. Selling like hot cakes 49%
49. Pardon my French 48%
50. A Turn up for the books 45%
Source: ‘Colder than a witch’s tit’ and other British phrases set to die out
‘The Dig’ and five other culture recommendations if you love ancient discoveries
If you are endlessly fascinated by ancient history, Netflix’s new movie “The Dig,” starring Carey Mulligan and Ralph Fiennes, should pique your interest.
Jacqui Palumbo, CNN
Caches of unopened sarcophagi found in Egypt. Eight miles of Ice Age rock paintings discovered in the Amazon rainforest. An intricate Roman mosaic floor excavated in northern Italy. These are just some of the major archaeological finds of the past year.
If you are endlessly fascinated by these discoveries, Netflix’s new movie “The Dig,” a historical drama starring Carey Mulligan and Ralph Fiennes, should pique your interest.
Based on a true story, “The Dig” retells the story of how a widow and a self-taught archaeologist unearthed an Anglo-Saxon burial ship on a private plot of land in Suffolk, UK, in 1939. The incredible find, which occurred as the specter of World War II loomed over Europe, became one of country’s most important treasures and helped dispel the notion that the British Isles were culturally and economically siloed during the Dark Ages.
Ralph Fiennes as Basil Brown, the self-taught archaelogist who uncovered Britain’s greatest treasure. Credit: Larry Horricks/Netflix
“The film is about time and the fragility of our existence,” said screenwriter Moira Buffini, who adapted the script from John Preston’s book of the same name, in a video interview. “It’s about the brevity of life and what endures — what we leave behind us.”
Obituary: Jan Morris, a poet of time, place and self
She was an award-winning journalist and author with more than 40 books under her belt.
Jan Morris, who has died at the age of 94, was one the finest writers the UK has produced in the post-war era.
Her life story was crammed with romance, discovery and adventure. She was a soldier, an award-winning journalist, a novelist and – as a travel writer – became a poet of time and place.
She was also known as a pioneer in her personal life, as one of the first high-profile figures to change gender. Continue reading