Slang and idioms are with us all the time but easy to overlook, if you know the language.
Lynn and I took Spanish lessons last year. One day, our teacher said she was going to devote the lesson to how to say "yes". I immediately thought that was a silly focus, something so easy. But then she started pointing out phrases we use like "You bet" or "Couldn't agree more" or "I can't argue with that" or "Sure thing" or even "No shit, Sherlock". All of these can express agreement or a positive answer but involve words a non-native might not expect or understand.
Because of an email from PBS, I learned of the book "I'm Not Hanging Noodles on Your Ears". The title refers to a Russian idiom to express what we mean when we say "I'm not pulling your leg", another idiom that might require a little help in decoding.
It seems the author speaks English English, American English and the English used in India. His name is Jag Bhalla and the book is published by the National Geographic Society. There have got to be some interesting stories there.
