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Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Downton Abbey floozies

An interesting article about linguistic anachronisms in Downton Abbey. Click here.
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2 comments:

  1. Stephanie ConnFebruary 24, 2012 at 7:02 AM

    Ha! I wondered about some of those ('get in touch', especially).

    Another this article didn't mention: Carson called Lavinia "that blonde piece" which struck me as rather Dashiel Hammett-esque.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Katherine BarberFebruary 24, 2012 at 7:12 AM

      Well, here's the amazing thing, Stephanie. According to the OED, "piece" has been used of women since... 1400! Originally quite positive in connotation but already by the 1600s beginning to be derogatory, as in this quotation: 1621 R. Burton Anat. Melancholy i. ii. iv. i. 191 A waspish cholerick slut, a crased peece. Cool, eh?

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About Me

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Canada's Word Lady, Katherine Barber is an expert on the English language and a frequent guest on radio and television. She was Editor-in-Chief of the Canadian Oxford Dictionary. Her witty and informative talks on the stories behind our words are very popular. Contact her at wordlady.barber@gmail.com to book her for speaking engagements; she can tailor her talks to almost any subject. She is also available as an expert witness for lawsuits.