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Tesco Mobile Unveils 'Essential Words of the Year' With Tom Daley to Champion Classic British Phrases

A poll of 2,000 adults finds strong appetite to revive time‑honoured expressions through modern twists.

Overview

  • The campaign, created with Tom Daley and Gyles Brandreth, supports Tesco Mobile’s Essentials pay‑as‑you‑go tariff.
  • Survey results show 81% of respondents want to bring back classic terms, while only 6% regularly say “balderdash.”
  • Flabbergasted, chuffed and gobsmacked top a 20‑word list that also includes bamboozled, codswallop and kerfuffle.
  • Forty‑two percent think updating spellings or abbreviations could help the words return, and 31% say this would bridge generational gaps.
  • Sixty‑two percent consider older expressions clearer than modern alternatives, and 73% think reviving them would make conversations more interesting.