Dog Latin

[Carol]

Geoff:
> I took Latin to GCE O level about the equivalent of OWLs. Like you I switched to Maths in the Sixth but I have always been glad I took it because it gives you such an insight into the meanings of words in other languages and also, if you can cope with six cases in Latin, four in German are a doddle! <snip>

Carol responds:

A doddle? Another lovely Briticism, this time one that I can figure out from the context (though I checked an online dictionary of British slang to make sure that I was right--the definition given was "something very easy"). An American would probably say "a snap," and, no, I didn't look up the etymology of that expression. My guess is that it means something like "as easy as snapping your fingers." What a doddle could relate to I have no idea.

BTW, Geoff, did I define "dog Latin" correctly upthread?

Carol, who lost her bookmarks some time ago and now needs to go searching for more British-to-American sites, preferably humorous ones