Words, Meanings, Language & Quotes

The Queen’s English has changed over 60 years, and much for the better, argues the 'Countdown’ word wizard Susie Dent Telegraph May 21, 2012 The notion of “Queen’s English” is usually applied to our pronunciation. Taking the term at its most literal, our monarch’s own sounds are enlightening when it comes to language change during her reign. Phoneticians have noted subtle but distinct changes in Her Majesty’s voice over the past 60 years, amounting to a more democratic style of pronunciation. Evidence from a detailed acoustic analysis of royal Christmas broadcasts suggests that Estuary English, a term coined in the Eighties to describe the apparent spread of London’s sound patterns to counties adjoining the river, might well have had an influence on Her Majesty’s vowels. If in 1952 the royal complaint may have been “I’ve lorst thet bleck het”, then today those o’s and a’s would undoubtedly be more rounded. In the same way, “orf” was left behind and “off” ushered in, “veddy” be...

Fleur Morrison Oxford Australia (blog) September 2019 noun: (esp. of a woman) the practice or habit of taking the least attractive item or option; the practice or habit of putting the needs and desires of others ahead of one’s own. Several years ago an Australian journalist described the experience of playing Monopoly with her family: ‘My brothers fought over the racing car while Mum and I angled for the boot—though she would always give it up for something else because, you know, burnt chop syndrome.’ (Northern Territory News, 27 December 2015) The writer’s use of burnt chop syndrome is likely to have puzzled some readers. It’s a reference to the mother’s practice of allowing others to have what they want, in this case the best Monopoly token, and making do with what is left. If the habit of domestic sacrifice is a universal mothering trait, burnt chop syndrome is an Australian (and New Zealand) way to describe it. It derives from the literal notion that mothers will choo...