Queen's English

English

Alternative forms

• queen's English

Noun

Queen's English (uncountable)

1. (often preceded by the) Especially in England, spoken or written English which is standard, characterised by grammatical correctness, proper usage of words and expressions, and (when spoken) formal British pronunciation.
   • 1882, Robert Louis Stevenson, “The Story of the Young Man with the Cream Tarts”, in New Arabian Nights:

     But I am not so timid, and can speak the Queen's English plainly.

   • 1887, Harriet W. Daly, Digging, Squatting, and Pioneering Life in the Northern Territory of South Australia, page 33:

     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.

   • 1913, E. Phillips Oppenheim, chapter 22, in The Double Life Of Mr. Alfred Burton:

     He murdered the Queen's English every time he spoke.

   • 2006 April 7, Jeanette Catsoulis, “Movie Review: On a Clear Day (2005)”, in New York Times, retrieved 15 Aug. 2010:

     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.

   • 2022 November 16, Paul Bigland, “From rural branches to high-speed arteries”, in RAIL, number 970, page 52:

     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]

Usage notes

• King's English is used when the reigning monarch is male. When the monarch is female, Queen's English is commonly used instead.

See also

• King's English
• Received Pronunciation