Living abroad can be difficult, especially for expatriates who need to learn a new language. Over 25% of Britons living overseas have few or no friends other than other British expats, according to a survey from relocation company Robinsons.
Five questions about the origins of words
This month: Barrels, cats and devils – a quick look at naval slang and some of the surprising ways in which it’s affected the English language.
“If, like me, you are a seasoned expat, you will have heard that unique brand of local English, Manglish, many times. You will probably feel you can understand it, at least most of the time. You may even be cocky enough to use it on occasion.” Seasoned expat Gordon Reid looks at why many Malaysians speak English a little, erm, differently from how Britons do…
“This is about death and sex really… When I heard this week that someone had been astrally harvested, my first reaction was to laugh. Consider others’ feelings, by all means, but isn’t that one just a little OTT?” Phil wonders why supposed adults are so scared of certain words – and why the word “adult” itself has been misappropriated.
“When you know nothing of the person with whom you are communicating and they know nothing about you it’s easy to misinterpret things: does ‘Where do you live?’ mean ‘So I can murder you in your sleep’ or ‘I would like to have a physical relationship with you’ or ‘I have fun reading your messages, I like you, and I’m curious to know more about you’?” Phil reflects that what you say isn’t necessarily what the other person hears…