Dictionary

Queen's English en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /kwinz‿ˈɪŋ(ɡ)lɪʃ/ (General-American)
• (Southern-England) audio
• (Southern-England) audio
• /kwiːnz‿ˈɪŋ(ɡ)lɪʃ/ (Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

From Queen + -’s + English, possibly modelled after King’s English which is attested slightly earlier.

Meanings

1. (England, uncountable) Often preceded by the: spoken or written English regarded as used and safeguarded by the Queen of England; standard English characterized by correct grammar and what is thought of as proper usage of words and expressions, and (when spoken) formal British pronunciation.
   • Picking up the different points of land was often the source of a joke, for our master was not blessed with the most perfect command of the Queen's English, and I overheard one morning the following nautical dialogue: "Look out, ahoy!" - speaking to the man in the foretop. 1887, Harriet W. Daly, Digging, Squatting, and Pioneering Life in the Northern Territory of South Australia, page 33:
   • They've obviously never met before, but are getting on like a house on fire. Both are well-spoken and versed in the Queen's English. [this was possibly written before Queen Elizabeth II died] 2022 November 16, Paul Bigland, “From rural branches to high-speed arteries”, in RAIL, number 970, page 52:
   • He murdered the Queen's English every time he spoke. 1913, E. Phillips Oppenheim, chapter 22, in The Double Life Of Mr. Alfred Burton:
   • But I am not so timid, and can speak the Queen's English plainly. 1882, Robert Louis Stevenson, “The Story of the Young Man with the Cream Tarts”, in New Arabian Nights:
   • In the movies, bankable Brits fall into one of two categories: those who live in stately homes and possess a firm grasp of the Queen's English, and those who live in cottages or tenements and possess accents thick enough to caulk boats. 2006 April 7, Jeanette Catsoulis, “Movie Review: On a Clear Day (2005)”, in New York Times, retrieved 15 Aug 2010:

Forms

Coordinates

King's English

Translations (2)

hu helyes/hibátlan/kifogástalan angolság (spoken or written English regarded as used and safeguarded by the Queen of England) · fi kuningattaren englanti (spoken or written English regarded as used and safeguarded by the Queen of England)