Today.com, “Nappy? Pram? Deciphering Duchess Kate’s British English”

July 19, 2013

Rachel Elbaum, “Nappy? Pram? Deciphering Duchess Kate’s British English” (Today.com, July 19, 2013)

On British playgrounds, there are often snickers when American parents shout “good job” at their kids, instead of the British “well done.” Or blank looks when those same parents talk about pacifiers instead of dummies.

“If you think about terms that have to do with raising children, they are often words that are passed down in an intimate environment and may have more of a local flavor,” said Ben Zimmer, producer of Vocabulary.com and language columnist for The Wall Street Journal.

Read the rest here.

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