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Secret Family Words - Ysenda Maxtone Graham

Article | By Ysenda Maxtone Graham


Lots of families have private words and expressions, going back generations. Ysenda Maxtone Graham picks her favourites

Alongside the official vocabulary in the Oxford English Dictionary, there exists a hidden parallel vocabulary.

It consists of the invented words and phrases that live entirely within families.

Over this long summer of 2020, when we’ve been ensconced within our family bubbles, these expressions have had a chance to take deeper root than ever.


This story was from November 2020 issue. Subscribe Now