Whatever you think of the British monarchy, there is no escape from the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations! So here are some “queenly” expressions, 1 – 10, for you to match with their meanings a – j. You will find the answers at the end of the post.
1. Queen bee2. The Queen’s Speech*3. To turn Queen’s evidence*4. Pearly Queen [also “King”]5. Queen of Puddings6. Drama queen7. Homecoming Queen [and sometimes “King”]8. Queen Anne [used as an adjective]9. The Queen’s English*10. To queen it
Expressions marked with an asterisk [*] change to “King’s” when the British monarch is a king
a. A style of furniture or architecture
b. A person who dramatises an uncomplicated situation.c. To domineer or to behave in a domineering way [slang].d. A desserte. The fertile female in a hivef. To testify against one’s criminal accomplice[s] in court. [In countries where there is no monarch the term “turn state’s evidence” is used.]g. The accent of standard English [about which there is much debate].h. Member of a traditional charitable organisation in London. Pearly kings and queens wear costumes decorated with pearl buttons.i. The words of the Prime Minister, read by the Queen at the State Opening of the British Parliament.j. In the USA, a girl chosen to lead the celebrations of students returning to a school or a football team returning from its longest trip
To see the answers, highlight the space below:
1e, 2i, 3f, 4h, 5d, 6b, 7j, 8a, 9g, 10c
Pat Eggleton
http://englishmatterspat.blogspot.it/
