A shorter description today but I think an interesting one. The word shibboleth is of Hebrew origin and means “stream” or (more usually) “a plant containing grain”, such as corn or wheat. The word was originally very powerful, as it was used – according to a biblical story – by one Jephthah (catchy name) who [...]

Awright me ol’ chinas, come an’ read abaht stuff like rhymin’ slang, cockney roots an’ just ge’ a bi’ a cultcha.
Phew! Just like Talk Like a Pirate Day, I can’t keep it up – although it is, in part, where some of my original accent comes from. I am not a cockney – my true [...]

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Schmeissing is a word I discovered only recently. It is pronounced ssh-my-sing and is originally derived from Yiddish. The practise was brought to the East End of London by the many Jewish [...]