| Finn: | Hi, and welcome to The English We Speak. I'm Finn. |
| Feifei: | And I'm Feifei. This is the programme in which we teach English slang, idioms and new language in general. |
| (Buzzing sound) |
| Feifei: | What was that? |
| Finn: | Oh sorry, I was going to mention I brought along some sound effects today from the BBC sound effects cupboard. |
| (Buzzing sound) |
| Finn: | That one there, was a ... well how would you describe it, Feifei? |
| Feifei: | A buzz? |
| Finn: | Yes, a buzz, very good. Now another one, much lighter this time ... |
| (Tinkle sounds) |
| Feifei: | Yes—I'd call that sound a kind of tinkling sound. |
| Finn: | A tinkle. OK, we've had a buzz and a tinkle, now listen to this ... |
| (Bell sound) |
| Feifei: | Well, that's easy—it's a bell. |
| Finn: | Absolutely right. A buzz, a tinkle and a bell ... |
| Feifei: | OK—I'm hoping you're going to explain the connection with English slang? |
| Finn: | Well, it's about this ... |
| (Phone ringing sound) |
| Finn: | ... phones. All three words can be used instead of the word 'call' in this sentence ... |
| I'll give you a call later tonight. |
| Feifei: | I'll give you a call. Right—we could say: |
| I'll give you a buzz later tonight. |
Finn: Or:
- I'll give you a tinkle later tonight.
Finn: Or, yes, you guessed it:
- I'll give you a bell later tonight.
Finn: That's it, easy. Right; so you now have three new ways to talk about making phone calls. But what about the word for phone itself?
| (Dog barking sound) |
| Feifei: | OK—well, that was the sound of a dog! |
| Finn: | That was my dog, Frankie. Shhh, Frankie! Believe it or not, 'dog' is a slang word for 'phone'—it comes from a special kind of London slang called Cockney rhyming slang ... |
| Feifei: | Yes—this is a good one. Dogs like bones, and the phrase 'dog and bone' rhymes with 'phone' ... Dog and bone, phone! |
| Finn: | It does, in some parts of the UK you'll hear it used in the same way as the phrase: 'on the phone' ... So, you'll hear: 'on the dog'. |
| Finn: | Be quiet, Frankie! On the dog. Great, so we've heard buzzes, tinkles and bells—even a dog, and now—one more: listen very carefully ... |
| (Finn blows on microphone) |
| Feifei: | Finn, you're blowing onto the microphone ... |
| Finn: | I am indeed. Another word for 'phone', used in the same way as 'dog', is 'blower' ... |
| Feifei: | As in, you're on the blower ... |
| Finn: | On the blower. Perfect. |
| Marc's been on the blower for three hours! |
| Philip loves to talk on the phone. He's always on the blower. |
Finn: Great—I hope we've learned some useful expressions today! And hope the lovely BBC sound effects can help you remember them ...
| Feifei: | Actually, I have one sound effect for you: |
| (Lion roaring) |
| Finn: | A lion?! |
| Feifei: | Indeed ... |
| Finn: | Oh, I don't know this slang expression, Feifei. It must be very new! So, can we say: 'I'm on the lion'? |
| Feifei: | No ... |
| Finn: | Or, maybe: 'Give me a lion'? |
| Feifei: | No, again, I'm afraid ... |
| Finn: | Or: 'That's the lion ringing'? |
| Feifei: | No. It has nothing to do with phone slang, I just like the sound of lions roaring! |
| (Lion roaring) |
| Finn: | (sighs) Join us again for more The English We Speak. |
| Feifei: | Bye. |
| Finn: | Bye. |
