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Mr. Tom Posted 12 years ago
Vocabulary

The use of the words "succor" and "hard-wired"

Hi

Could you please tell me how common the words "succor" and "hard-wired" are among native speakers? Would these words sound OK in everyday English? 

Thanks,

Tom
  

Top answer

I come across succor only in the 1928 version of The Book of Common Prayer as used (or not any longer, in some cases) in the Episcopal Church of the United States. I believe I understand the meaning of hard-wired , but I don't remember ever having come across it before.

— Philip

  • I come across succor only in the 1928 version of The Book of Common Prayer as used (or not any longer, in some cases) in the Episcopal Church of the United States.
  • I believe I understand the meaning of hard-wired , but I don't remember ever having come across it before.
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10 Answers
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I come across succor only in the 1928 version of The Book of Common Prayer as used (or not any longer, in some cases) in the Episcopal Church of the United States. I believe I understand the meaning of hard-wired, but I don't remember ever having come across it before.
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Interesting that Philip and I have different experiences with these terms.Emotion: smile
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Thanks, Philip and Clive.

So Clive, how do you find this sentence?

The king made sure that no succor was to be given to the flooded areas.

Tom
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Mr. Tomhow common the words "succor" and "hard-wired" are
Here's my vote.

"succor" - non-existent in everyday language
"hard-wired" - fairly common, especially among people in technical fields

CJ
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... and here's my vote ...

- succour (with a 'u') is definitely in the Book of Common Prayer, as Phil says. It's in the ceremony for the dead but, outside of that context, I can't believe that you would hear it

- hard-wired is definitely OK and current. In IT, if something is hard-wired then it's very much built into the system and very difficult to change. If it's in the soft
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"Succor" would never be heard in everyday speech in the US today. Nevertheless, it is a word that should be kept at the back of your mind, because it can appear out of the blue sometimes, for example, in religious and historical contexts, and in the speech or writing of people who like to drop $5 words to impress others. And the universal distress abbreviation, "SOS," apparently means "send out
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... sorry - that looked a tad rude ...

'succor' (without the 'u') is definitely in the US Book of Common Prayer

Dave
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Mr. TomThe king made sure that no succor was to be given to the flooded areas.
The American Corpus has a number of citations, many of which are in religious contexts.

...as mothers and daughters of Israel, it was the women's role to succor and assist those in need.

Many of the religious groups marshaling their forces to pro
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Mr. TomThe king made sure that no succor was to be given to the flooded areas.
It sounds quite Elizabethan to me...except that she was a queen.
I know I've heard wired to mean that a person is really wound up, excited.
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