Friday 27 August 2010

Mark my words

When the kids were smaller we used to smile every time they said something that didn't quite come out correctly. Some of these words became quite endearing and ended up being part of our daily dictionary, like the following examples;

Toggler - small child
Ude a boon - use a spoon
Babbie - muslin square
Sheshun - medicine
Cowpull - a type of children's sheshun
Filou bilou - small children's yoghurt
Chicken jam - gravy
Salt & vanilleger - unusual crisp flavour.

Now they are older I find myself stuck in the middle, deciding whether to correct their attempts ( and thus confiine any mis- pronunciations to the archives) or allowing them to continue with their errors to keep us contented (thus risking eternal embarrassment should they say such things in front of their teachers or mates).

I know what the kids would prefer us to do, but it always feels like the end of an era when a favourite word or expression no longer enters the conversation.

Perhaps, for the sake of it, I will keep on using these favourite expressions until they catch on everywhere. After all 'wicked' and 'bling' started off somewhere.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

5 comments:

  1. Not forgetting
    • tug of wool - 2 teams of heavies pulling a rope
    • "Mummy can I have .......", "what's the magic word?", "Erm.....chocolate???"
    • kangafoof - australian marsupial

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  2. We're in the same spot. I mourn the demise of the hoppygrassers and will never again travel in a roveylander! The world is not richer. xxxx

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  3. just remembered

    Buttler mooti - a bottle of milk
    blampit - woollen coverlet
    oppositting - to be seated facing anyone
    treesaw - bouncing on a fallen tree


    ps 2 words from a 40 something playing pictionary whilst drunk
    ant sniffer - ant eater
    honey house - bee hive
    (it seems you never lose the ability to create a new vocabulary) Thanks Mr Twelftree!

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  4. I'm impressed with you remembering those gems! Personaly, I use one of your lovely French linen covered notebook to keep a record of the kids' neologisms. Martin suggested that I turn it the other way to also keep a record of my franglais beauties :
    a hedge dog squashed on the road, a mental piece above the fireplace, a humper for the picnic, and a flock of bagpipes in the sky...

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