Example. "Got a new motor" is a well understood phrase in the UK. It refers to a car. I think you are more likely to hear it in the greater London area. It could be classified as part of "Estuary" English the "dialect" that some people still refer to as cockney.

"Got a new motor" >>

should be proceeded by the phrase "'ere, John"

as in "ere, John, go 'a new mo'a ?" the t being replaced by a glottal stop.

more like mockney, than cockney.

annhig -- I thought that might be in the NEXT lesson, along with the pork=pie hat.

Someone might start a thread on archaic vehicular terms in spoken English

My g'mother (b.1889) when I visited her used to ask me if I came on my "wheel" (IE my bicycle}

...and referred to a fire engine as "the fire reels".

Another arcane factoid

A friend told me that she was taught never to call a taxi a cab, nor to address the driver as "Cabbie".

Cabbies drove horse drawn hansom cabs. The drivers of the new fangled taxi cabs wanted to be addressed as Driver and their vehicle was a taxi, not a cab.

This was Toronto, circa 1914.

A few thoughts for you....we are photographers and travel each year to France yet we never get enough .We like Burgundy...we always fly into Paris... Rent our car from US and pick up at Orly....we also like the backroads, but do use the autoroutes to get to the backroads. We stay close to Avallon in Montreal and explore the Burgundy canal area and the wonderful little villages. We always stay at the maison creme anglaise. We also love Provence...stay in Isle sur la Sorgue and drive the backroads. This past fall we drove down to Collioure which was neat and we drove into Spain and also the Pyrenees.Then we took a wonderful way back to Paris which took several weeks..of backroads. someone here mentioned the Millau bridge.....this area is so lovely .we spent time in the Aveyron and would really recommend it. stayed in Sauveterre de Rouergue close to Rodez and Belcastel. these are both on the prettiest villages of France list.Lovely, lovely drives. Then we drove up to Iguarande...really tiny.to the Colline du Collumbier. Stayed on the cadoles...incredible views.The Colline du Collumbier is the country place owned by Michel Troigros. they have 3houses called cadoles overlooking the countryside...much walking and biking. stayed in a cadole for 2 nights..a bit if a splurge, but rural France heaven. drove more countryside to St. julien de civry..stayed at the Chateau Vaulx...our favorite...and back to Paris...Orly. Nice for relaxing drives.

We have been relying on "France on Backroads," for years. But, I just realized our copy is from 1987 and the newest edition is 2001. You might want to check on "Backroads in France" by Eyewitness Travel Guides. I will be leafing through it at my next visit to the travel books store.

Jeff - you reminded me of one of our best buys - Through France on minor roads by Peter Brereton. it cost £2.50 in 1980, and talks about rooms costing between £3-7 per night for a double, and main meals being from £2.50 upwards.

we haven't used it for years, but i suspect that if we did, we'd find things little changed on those minor roads - except, perhaps, the prices.

You also might look into "Lazy Days Out in the Dordogne and Lot," one of the Cadogan books.