Context: My 18-year-old cousin has just moved in with hubby and I for a couple of months while she finds her feet in Jozi. Just had this exchange with her via Blackberry Messenger...
Me: Hey cuz. You home for dinner tonight?
Cuz: Going for coffee with [insert potential bf name here] at six so I'll grab a bite to eat while I'm out. But thanks for checking beauty queen [smiley face]
Me: Flattery will get you everywhere. Have fun.
Cuz: What's flaterry? (yip, spelt just like that)
Me: Please tell me you're kidding?!
Cuz: No I'm serious
Me: [once I've picked my jaw off the floor in disbelief] To flatter someone is to compliment, say something nice. Flattery is usually used as a tool by someone to get summing. And that's the end of today's English lesson.
Cuz: Thanks [smiley face] ha ha [another smiley face] no one in the office knew what it meant either
Note to the education system – just an idea, but maybe you should let the kids read actual, made of paper, and not available in a webzine format books. Just a thought.
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