(polite form)
91my — possessive determiner 1》 belonging to or associated with the speaker. ↘used with forms of address in affectionate, sympathetic, humorous, or patronizing contexts. 2》 used in various expressions of surprise. Phrases My Lady (or Lord) a polite… …
92gentleman — /ˈdʒɛntlmən / (say jentlmuhn) noun (plural gentlemen) 1. a man of good breeding, education, and manners. 2. (as a polite form of speech) any man. 3. a male personal servant, or valet, especially of a man of social position: a gentleman s… …
93madam — ► NOUN 1) a polite form of address for a woman. 2) Brit. informal a conceited or precocious girl. 3) a female brothel keeper. ORIGIN French ma dame my lady …
94first name, Sir — The polite form of address to a British baronet or a knight. The baronet’s title is a hereditary one, the knight’s isn’t, Kingfishers Catch Fire, by Rumer Godden, has: ‘I never called him Uncle William, always Sir William, she thought. That… …
95Last name, Lord — The polite form of address to a marquess, earl, viscount, baron, and life peer …
96Mayor, Mr — In Britain and America a mayor is the nominal head of a city or borough. When the official is a man the normal polite form of address is ‘Mr Mayor’. A British example of this usage occurs in Bless me, Father, by Neil Boyd. In Garson Kanin’s… …
97what’s-your-name — ‘Here, you sir, what’s your name, walk in, will you?’ This is Mr Perker, attorney to Mr Pickwick, unceremoniously telling a man to come into his room. Similarly, in Hard Times, Mr Bounderby says in his typically blunt way: ‘Here, what’s… …
98dear — [dir] adj. [ME dere < OE deore, precious, costly, beloved, akin to Du duur, Ger teuer] 1. much loved; beloved 2. much valued; highly thought of; esteemed: used with a title or name as a polite form of address, as in writing letters [Dear Sir]… …
99darned·est — /ˈdɑɚndəst/ adj chiefly US informal used as a more polite form of damnedest It was the darnedest thing I ever saw. Kids do and say the darnedest things. darnedest noun [noncount] He was doing/trying his darnedest …
100formal — form|al1 W2S2 [ˈfo:məl US ˈfo:r ] adj ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ 1¦(official)¦ 2¦(behaviour)¦ 3¦(language)¦ 4¦(event/occasion)¦ 5¦(clothes)¦ 6 formal education/training/qualifications 7¦(organized)¦ 8¦(garden/park)¦ ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ [Date: 1300 1400; : Latin; …
