Day 22 - June 6, 2010 - Mind the Gap and All that Jazz...

“Slang is a language that rolls up its sleeves, spits on its hands, and goes to work”
~Carl Sandburg

Watch your step isn't exactly a phrase you will hear walking around the subways of London. Oh, and it's not the subway, it's the tube. You never call the restroom the bathroom. It's the toilet... and if your name is Randy, you're in trouble. Slang terms differ greatly from language to language. While learning Spanish, it has been interesting to pick up on certain slang phrases. I suppose the most obvious slang differences exist within our native tongue. I never knew the British thought lemonade was sprite until I asked for one at a restaurant, and you won't find any trashcans... just litter bins. The best thing about learning the slang of another region is that it reflects the culture. I am much more aware of the slang terms I use on a daily basis as a result. There are so many! We take for granted that the person we are conversing with knows what the term means. "Mind the gap" and "litter bin" can be interpreted easily, but other phrases aren't so easy.