Tuesday, December 7, 2010

British Word of the Day


peckish [ˈpɛkɪʃ] adj
Informal
chiefly Brit feeling slightly hungry; having an appetite

He said nothing, only opened a cupboard in the wall, took out a packet of sandwiches and laid them on the table beside her. Araminta ate two of them, for she was peckish...

I'm a little split on whether this sounds like a well-bred way to say you're starving to death or if it's odiously common...I'm leaning towards high-brow. My lipnus test, naturally, is whether or not I can imagine Queen Elizabeth leaning over to her long-suffering consort, elbowing him in the ribs and whispering 'I'm feeling peckish. Ring for some fairy cakes...'

3 comments:

  1. My mother used the word often (PA Dutch all the way) so it seems odd to me to even call it a "British" word.

    Also - I think you mean "litmus test," perhaps?

    me<><

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  2. According to Betty Ross, it's neutral -- neither "U" or "non-U." ("U" is shorthand for upper class. But be warned: "U" is more than a bit pejorative. And Betty's English protagonists are all "non-U." More specifically, they're all middle class.)

    The source for all things "U" and "non-U" is Nancy Mitford's book, Noblesse Oblige. But here's the link to the Wiki article on the subject.

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  3. Dang it and I even googled it because it didn't look right. But google steered me wrong. Lashings with a noodle and let's keep it there to warn others of hubris...

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