31 January 2011

Today's word is dear

8 comments:

Justin Lovinger said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
John said...

Ross is brilliant. And there's something definitely wrong with his head.

I think this second definition of "dear," meaning "costly," is more common in the King's English than it is here in the Colonies. The only other time I've come across it is in Paul McCartney's "When I'm Sixty-Four": "Every summer we can rent a cottage in the Isle of Wight / If it’s not too dear / We shall scrimp and save."

Unknown said...

Yet another way in which the world is richer for Sir Paul's presence in it!

FJL said...

A dearly beloved person,
one that is greatly liked or preferred;
a favorite:
"the pride and vanity of the rich, the darlings of fate"
- Mario Puzo

TheBrewsky said...

dear

(adj.) Baby was dear to June, who held her as the nice man in the leather jacket approached.

(interj.) "Oh, dear! It'd be a shame if something happened to the kid!"

Cirrocumulus said...

Poor Marjorie!
She couldn't find the extra money and now she has lost the baby.

DavidShag said...

Dear used to be common usage around here - I know all my relatives used to used it to mean 'costly'. I think it started disappearing in the US about 1950. I suspect the sappy meaning came from the real meaning, sort of like calling a baby "Precious". Either way, they cost you a bundle, black market or not. And the return policy sucks.

Anonymous said...

How sweet! :D

--Gaianne