Would you receive a ‘char and a wad’ with a grateful smile? If asked to take a ‘dekko’, would you be offended?

And if spotted reading the ‘yellow press’, would you be embarrassed?

The meaning of these and many other intriguing phrases are defined, and their loss lamented, in this wonderfully nostalgic look at how language has changed over the past few decades.

CHRIS ROBERTS has written for a variety of international publications and websites, including Classic Rock, The Guardian, Melody Maker, NME, Sounds, Elle, Ikon, The Daily Telegraph, Empire and Emusic. He has also written books about Lou Reed, Michael Jackson, Abba, Scarlett Johansson,Heath Ledger and Talk Talk. He lives in West London.

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John Telfer is best known for playing the character of Willy Pettit in five seasons of "Bergerac". He has appeared many times in various television dramas, while his parallel theatrical career has involved him in leading roles at the Bristol Old Vic, the Royal National Theatre, the Old Vic in London, and many regional theaters. He has made hundreds of radio broadcasts, and he plays the part of Alan, the vicar, in "The Archers".

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