the queen's english

1 definition found

the queen's english - Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :

  English \Eng"lish\, n.
     1. Collectively, the people of England; English people or
        persons.
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     2. The language of England or of the English nation, and of
        their descendants in America, India, and other countries.
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     Note: The English language has been variously divided into
           periods by different writers. In the division most
           commonly recognized, the first period dates from about
           450 to 1150. This is the period of full inflection, and
           is called Anglo-Saxon, or, by many recent writers, Old
           English. The second period dates from about 1150 to
           1550 (or, if four periods be recognized, from about
           1150 to 1350), and is called Early English, Middle
           English, or more commonly (as in the usage of this
           book), Old English. During this period most of the
           inflections were dropped, and there was a great
           addition of French words to the language. The third
           period extends from about 1350 to 1550, and is Middle
           English. During this period orthography became
           comparatively fixed. The last period, from about 1550,
           is called Modern English.
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     3. A kind of printing type, in size between Pica and Great
        Primer. See Type.
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     Note: The type called English.
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     4. (Billiards) A twist or spinning motion given to a ball in
        striking it that influences the direction it will take
        after touching a cushion or another ball.
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     The King's English or The Queen's English. See under
        King.
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