But language is an ever-evolving thing and as new words and sayings are born, others inevitably fall out of fashion.
We’ve put together a list of words and phrases you don’t hear as often as you once did - some of which are at risk of dying out.
They may be the victims of developing technology and changing lifestyles, or perhaps they’ve been superseded by their US equivalents.
There are some fantastically colourful turns of phrase among them, which it would be a shame if we lost for good.
But if you find yourself uttering any of these words and sayings on a regular basis then you’re probably showing your age.
How many of these do you use, are there any you don’t recognise, and what other sayings do you not hear as often today as you once did?
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9. I'm going to spend a penny
We love a euphemism in the UK and there are all manner of ways to politely excuse yourself when you need the loo. Some people still say they're off to spend a penny, but it's not a phrase you hear as much as you once did. It dates back to the days when it actually did cost a penny to use a public lavatory, but inflation means it's much more costly to relieve yourself these days. | Evening Standard/Getty Images Photo: Evening Standard/Getty Images
10. French stick
Sacré bleu! The use of the term 'French stick' to refer to a baguette, or usually a poor British approximation of one, dates back to the days when we were much less cosmopolitan on these isles. It wasn't until around the 1990s that more genuine baguettes, which the French wouldn't turn their noses up at, became readily available in the UK and started to be known over here by their proper name. | Michael Hardy/Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images Photo: Michael Hardy/Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
11. Take a dekko
You'll have to search much harder these days to find people taking a 'dekko', meaning to have a quick look. It dates back to the 19th century and comes from the Hindi word 'dekho', meaning look. While the word 'dekko' is still used in the UK, it is considered quite archaic these days. | Fox Photos/Getty Images Photo: Fox Photos/Getty Images
12. Not enough space to swing a cat
Cats everywhere must be rejoicing at the slow death of this bizarre saying, describing a cramped room, which a 2022 survey found fewer than half of those questioned had ever used. Quite how it came about is unclear. A popular theory is that it originates from the cat o' nine tails whip used in the navy but this seems unlikely as the earliest known use of 'swing a cat' is understood to predate the first use of 'cat o' nine tails'. For the avoidance of doubt, the swinging of cats is never acceptable, however much room you might have. | Richard Chowen/Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty Images Photo: Richard Chowen/Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty Images