0
RayH Posted 17 years ago
Vocabulary
Help with a Briticism
I've been watching Torchwood on DVD and came across this Briticism. I can't find any explanation of it but I did find several uses outside the TV show.
This from the show.
'Eugene had "loser" written through him like Brighton in a stick of rock.'
Other uses:
From this blog.
When I die and they cut me open, they'll find those exquisite acoustic guitar renditions of Bill Evans's jazz piano pieces running right through me like the word BRIGHTON in a stick of rock; I suppose on that basis it doesn't matter that that's another album I no longer own.
http://www.philipardagh.com/phlog/index.cgi?page=manage&year=2008&month=9
If you were to saw off one of her legs (in a caring, loving fashion), I suspect that you’d find the initials USA written in her DNA, running though her like the word ‘Brighton’ in a stick of rock.
And this newspaper article:
So what could fit more snugly into those acres of stories about house- destroying termites and vicious razorshells than the scarcely credible tale of the 44-year-old novel-writing bus driver whose debut work has been sold for "a cool pounds 1m" and is already being developed into a movie? Surely that one has "Silly Season" running through it like the word "Brighton" in a stick of rock?
So, any help explaining this will be much appreciated.
This from the show.
'Eugene had "loser" written through him like Brighton in a stick of rock.'
Other uses:
From this blog.
When I die and they cut me open, they'll find those exquisite acoustic guitar renditions of Bill Evans's jazz piano pieces running right through me like the word BRIGHTON in a stick of rock; I suppose on that basis it doesn't matter that that's another album I no longer own.
http://www.philipardagh.com/phlog/index.cgi?page=manage&year=2008&month=9
If you were to saw off one of her legs (in a caring, loving fashion), I suspect that you’d find the initials USA written in her DNA, running though her like the word ‘Brighton’ in a stick of rock.
And this newspaper article:
So what could fit more snugly into those acres of stories about house- destroying termites and vicious razorshells than the scarcely credible tale of the 44-year-old novel-writing bus driver whose debut work has been sold for "a cool pounds 1m" and is already being developed into a movie? Surely that one has "Silly Season" running through it like the word "Brighton" in a stick of rock?
So, any help explaining this will be much appreciated.
Top answer
For all of these, I think I would send a PM to Nona - she's extremely reliable.
- For all of these, I think I would send a PM to Nona - she's extremely reliable.
Get the Weekly English Kit 📬
New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.
6 Answers
0
For all of these, I think I would send a PM to Nona - she's extremely reliable.
00
Google and Wikipedia are also helpful. Apparently "rock" is the name of a very un-rock-like type of candy -- hard candy made into a stick, with the cross-section revealing a word, often the name of a British seaside resort town, such as Brighton. (American seaside resort town names are, as far as I know, never embedded in stick candy.) So "like Brighton in a stick of rock" means that the charac
00
By the way -- isn't it "Britishism"? "Briticism" sounds either like British criticism or a British witticism. But maybe it's fine, and my mind is just playing tricks on me.
00
Thanks, khoff, your explanation certainly makes sense. I didn't find it on wikipedia because I was searching for the complete phrase instead of individual words. Oh well, live and learn.
As to "Briticism" vs. "Britishism", when I first learned of such things I discovered that either is acceptable. I guess "Briticism" just sounded better to me. Here's an amusing tidbit. I checked just now
As to "Briticism" vs. "Britishism", when I first learned of such things I discovered that either is acceptable. I guess "Briticism" just sounded better to me. Here's an amusing tidbit. I checked just now
00
RayHI checked just now on wikipedia and found this: The term "briticism" is regarded as an "americanism." How cool is that?That's really funny!
00
I am so grateful to learn this. I've come across "Brighton rock" in British novels but assumed it was rock candy sold at the seaside, in the same way that some of our beach towns sell salt water taffy. It never would have occurred to me to google it.
0
Related Questions