New answers tagged british-english
0
votes
What is the meaning of "can I help this"?
As the recovering Dick Swiveller eats his first breakfast, 'The Marchioness' varies between laughing with joy and weeping with emotion; she looks at the visitors as if to say, "I can't help being ...
- 18.8k
1
vote
Whatever tickles their fancy in the US?
Today I happen to use the the phrase that you had brought up and coincidentally after reading several other websites and a brisk Google search along with definition...I had concluded, I must be one ...
- 11
1
vote
Should "lecturer" be capitalised?
If it is a job title, then yes.
Please report any misprints to either Professor Jones or Lecturer Smith.
If it is a generic noun, then no.
Our department employs six lecturers but only one janitor.
- 22.4k
1
vote
What is the meaning of call for quarter?
Wikipedia has a nice article on the phrase "no quarter" which means that "during military conflict [...] combatants would not be taken prisoner, but killed."
Wikipedia gives 3 ...
- 152
2
votes
Accepted
Is 'gonna' anachronistic in Sweeney Todd?
Sweeney Todd's usage of gonna is likely anachronistic. As your second source says, gonna dates to the 19th century, and initially appears in Scottish texts. Note the Oxford English Dictionary's first ...
- 33.8k
0
votes
Is there a different understanding of "rubber" in British and American English?
In general, lots of words have multiple meanings. Sometimes it's obvious which meaning is meant by the context, sometimes it's not and the sentence is confusing. Lots of words have different meanings ...
- 35.3k
-1
votes
Why is The Mall (Westminster, London) pronounced like mawl?
Pall Mall is a shortening of the Italian phrase Paglio Maglio (pronounced in English 'Pahlio Mahlio'), which is Italian for a game similar to croquet, which was played on that area. Hence, the area ...
0
votes
Dialectal variation in subtleties of usage of the word "sore"
In Ireland sore is also a synonym for painful, one may hear sentences such as the following “Yeah it was a rough match I’m fairly sore”. Or “yeah my biceps are rather sore after the gym”.
- 57
1
vote
Dialectal variation in subtleties of usage of the word "sore"
Sore started life as a noun and very quickly became an adjective.
OED
sore, n.1
Etymology: Old English sár strong neuter, = Old Frisian sêr (West Frisian sear , North Frisian siar ),
In the 9th ...
- 29.8k
1
vote
What is the meaning of "unpopular opinion"?
An unpopular opinion in popular culture is a viewpoint or statement that most people are likely to disagree with and which is likely to prove controversial. It's not just a matter of being unpopular ...
- 5,542
0
votes
Em dash in British English
It depends on the style guide you are using – some will require use of spaces, others will not. If you are not following a style guide, then it depends on the particular font you are using, the ...
- 387
0
votes
What is the name of the era under King Charles?
No era named has been decided yet, and given how era names tend to be used the most in the field of history, there may not even be an era name this century.
- 679
0
votes
What is the name of the era under King Charles?
One possibility would be Carolingian, which currently refers to the dynasty of Charlemagne (Charles I in French).
Calling it post-Elizabethan would be a little rude.
- 5,417
0
votes
In Britain, which is more common — the em dash or the en dash?
many companies and people in the UK do use em dashes.
Have you got any examples? I don't have any hard data, but as a British designer with 30 years' experience, I would judge that it is a minority ...
- 387
6
votes
What is the name of the era under King Charles?
We are yet to see. The 'Caroline era' or the 'Carolean era' (or something similar) may be used once again (the former is used to refer to King Charles I's reign and the latter to King Charles II's).
...
- 543
20
votes
Accepted
What is the name of the era under King Charles?
There are precedents. He is King Charles III. The era of King Charles I was called Caroline, whereas the reign of King Charles II was referred to as Carolean.
It may be that a third term will have to ...
- 18.9k
10
votes
What is the name of the era under King Charles?
In a speech in the House of Commons, the UK's new Prime Minister Liz Truss said We will all support him in this House as he leads our country to a new era of hope and progress. Our new Carolian era. ...
- 4,703
Top 50 recent answers are included