An important person with a high rank

Question

Hello,Are the nouns  'beak'  and 'high-up' used as synonyms in British English?Thanks

Fivejedjon · Accepted Answer

No. What on earth made you think they might be?

AlpheccaStars · Answer

The beak is the hard nose / mouth of a bird.
Sometimes it is used to refer to a person's nose, it it is a very prominent nose. It is somewhat derogatory.

Nina_Nia · Answer

After reading these definitons;

Beak

3 (old-fashioned, British English, slang)a person in a position of authority, especially a judge

And

High-up

(British English, informal)

an important person with a high rank

AlpheccaStars · Answer

BEAK - Maybe used as a slang word a hundred or so years ago, but not now.
Do you want to time travel back to Victorian England?

This is from Charles Dickens Oliver Twist (1837)

'Walking for sivin days!' said the young gentleman.
'Oh, I see. Beak's order, eh? But,' he added, noticing Oliver's look of surprise, 'I suppose you don't know what a beak is, my flash com-pan-i-on.'
Oliver mildly replied, that he had always heard a bird's mouth described by the term in question. 'My eyes, how green!' exclaimed the young gentleman.
'Why, a beak's a madgst'rate; and when you walk by a beak's order, it's not straight forerd, but always agoing up, and niver a coming down agin. Was you never on the mill?'

Nina_Nia · Answer

AlpheccaStarsDo you want to time travel back to Victorian England?

Thank you, I enjoyed my trip

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An important person with a high rank

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