A new poll of 2,000 adults has revealed that classic British words such as 'flabbergasted', 'chuffed', and 'gobsmacked' are among the time-honoured phrases the public would love to see make a regular comeback. The research, commissioned by Tesco Mobile, found a wave of nostalgia for lingo like 'bamboozled', 'codswallop', and 'kerfuffle', which are now rarely or never used.
Only 6% of those polled admitted to regularly using the word 'balderdash', meaning nonsense, yet 81% believe there are wonderful words that deserve to be dusted off. The study found a strong appetite for reintroducing lost lingo, with 42% of respondents reckoning the words could make a comeback if given a modern twist, such as abbreviating 'codswallop' to simply 'cods'.
A third of respondents also felt that adapting words in this way would help bridge the generational gap in communication. Despite their playful and often flamboyant nature, 62% of those polled agreed that these older words are clearer than their modern-day counterparts.
The vast majority of respondents (73%), rising to 81% for 25-to-34-year-olds, agreed that reviving these phrases would make conversations more interesting. Olympic diver and broadcaster Tom Daley, who partnered with Tesco Mobile and Gyles Brandreth to release the 'Essential Words of the Year', said: 'There is real power when using new, or sometimes time-old phrases. They're a great way to make conversations more interesting.'
Writer and broadcaster Gyles Brandreth added: 'We should celebrate these lost phrases and keep them alive.'
