Oxford English (Noun)
Meaning
The dialect of English spoken at Oxford University and regarded by many as affected and pretentious.
Classification
Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents.
Examples
- He spoke with an over-the-top Oxford English accent, pronouncing his vowels with exaggerated care.
- Her Oxford English was so thick it was almost unintelligible to anyone who hadn't attended a posh boarding school.
- As a result of watching too many Merchant Ivory films, he adopted an Oxford English tone that his friends found hilarious.
- At the dinner party, the guests tried to outdo each other with their Oxford English, using words like "ennui" and "gauche".
- The comedian loved to parody the Oxford English of the university's stuffiest professors, exaggerating their mannerisms for comedic effect.