IDIOMATICS

I am back in Greece, this time "for the duration". Summer holiday guide-book lingo no longer suffices.

What better inspiration to delve deeper into the language than Mr Karagiorgos' brilliant idiom dictionary?

Better still, Professor K lives here on the island, is a favoured guest at my mother's table, and is looking forward to meeting me to discuss matters litteraire.

Nay - there is even talk of my lending my slight expertise and PR hackery to this year's Durrell convention."

Devoted readers will know I'm all into lingo and lite on the serioso stuff.

Panos' handbook is a God-send, and I intend to be fluent in no time at all in all and any flash-bastard short-hand necessary to show off and attract women of a certain age.

Say what? (soon to be delivered in fluent Greek), can't you just see me oiling around with tan and guitar, family sportscar and Seattle dentistry, gibbering away with the likes of:

• And how!
• To make an ass of oneself
• At a loose end
• Attaboy!
• Buzz off!
• No comment
• Cool it!
• To have a crush on someone (Essential for when/if la Gazelle comes out and I need to introduce her)
• Hands off
• Damn it!
• Easy does it
• Fat chance!
• To lose one's way (v useful)
• Out of pocket (also useful)
• Pearls before swine
• No wonder!
• Rain check
• Run up a bill
• Hit the sack
• Shove off
• Within a stone's throw ("Can I drive you home? I live but a stone's throw from your hotel.")

And so on and so forth.