Don’t put idiomatic English in the doghouse

That the British are increasingly outnumbered and outflanked in their own language goes without saying. The only thing that supposedly distinguishes so-called “native speakers” from many of those who learnt it as a second language is their use of idiomatic English.

Indians are in the happy position of being in both camps, with many using English with greater dexterity and wit than those spouting it in Old Blighty, and others using non-idiomatic English with equal aplomb. However, the Indian example has not stopped the British from beating themselves over the head for apparently being obtuse and incomprehensible to “non-native” speakers thanks to their use of idiomatic English.

French President Emmanuel Macron may not have cottoned onto the meaning of “bucking the trend” and a British TV anchor’s use of the word “swimmingly” instead of “well” when enquiring about how an Italian opera singer’s tour shaped up was unfortunate but such examples are not reason enough to conclude that idiomatic English is a hindrance to communication in general.


Just because many “non-native” English speakers communicate with each other in that language in a cut-and-dried literal way does not mean that idiomatic English should be in the doghouse. Why give a dog a bad name and hang him? Idiomatically speaking, of course.