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Pen slide 883 Posted 8 years ago
Grammar

Bun in the oven

Hi teachers.

I am wondering if 'bun in the oven' is as common as 'have a baby on the way, be having a baby, or be expecting.'

I am not a native English speaker and I have never heard of the expression.

One dictionary said it's old fashioned.

Would you also let me know if there are more common expressions for being pregnant besides the three expressions above?

Thank you~~

  

Top answer

"Bun in the oven" is well known and universally understood, but I think that dictionary is right. Even more old-fashioned are "with child" and "in a family way". You have to be careful with slang about pregnancy.

— Anonymous

  • "Bun in the oven" is well known and universally understood, but I think that dictionary is right.
  • Even more old-fashioned are "with child" and "in a family way".
  • You have to be careful with slang about pregnancy.
  • Many people take the matter very seriously, and it is intensely personal for the woman however blatantly it eventually advertises itself.
  • A vulgar expression is "knocked up", normally meaning pregnant out of wedlock, but sometimes used in a coarsely jocular fashion to mean simply pregnant ( I suspect that it's American).
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2 Answers
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"Bun in the oven" is well known and universally understood, but I think that dictionary is right. Even more old-fashioned are "with child" and "in a family way". You have to be careful with slang about pregnancy. Many people take the matter very seriously, and it is intensely personal for the woman however blatantly it eventually advertises itself. A vulgar expression is "knocked up", normally

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In the UK, the expression "have a bun in the oven" is well-known, though it probably couldn't be called "common". It is informal and, while not outright rude, it is not very respectful. When you are talking to a customer at a polite meeting, don't say "I hear your wife has a bun in the oven".

Other colloquial expressions used in the UK are "up the duff" (coarse), "knocked up" (coarse),

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