A.Word.A.Day --Coronation Street

A.Word.A.Day

Home

Jun 6, 2022

This week’s theme
British streets that became words

This week’s words
Coronation Street
stepney
Pepper Alley
Carnaby
Acacia Avenue

Photo: Jayneandd / Wikimedia

Previous week’s theme
Portmanteaux (blend words)

A.Word.A.Day

with Anu Garg

If you are a Beatles fan, you know where Abbey Road is. If Sherlock is your guy, you can find Baker Street, no GPS or magnifying glass needed. And if you are into Harry Potter, you know all about Diagon Alley. Real or fictional, these British streets are known all over the world.

Yet, unlike Wall Street and Madison Avenue none of the above have become a part of the language.

There are other British streets though that have become metaphors. This week we’ll take you on a guided tour of five such thoroughfares. Please stay on the left side of these roads.

Coronation Street

PRONUNCIATION:

(kor-uh-NAY-shuhn street)

MEANING:

adjective: Working-class.

ETYMOLOGY:

After Coronation Street, a British television series about the lives of working-class people in the fictional town of Weatherfield. The soap opera debuted in 1960 and has been running ever since. It has its own affectionate nickname: Corrie. Ironically, Coronation Street is named after something far from working-class, a crown (corona). Earliest documented use: 1962.

USAGE:

“She was not a Coronation Street person. ... Pamela had a terminal fear of all things working-class.”
Carole Matthews; Let’s Meet on Platform 8; Headline; 1997.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:

Fearing no insult, asking for no crown, receive with indifference both flattery and slander, and do not argue with a fool. -Aleksandr Pushkin, poet, novelist, and playwright (6 Jun 1799-1837)

We need your help

Help us continue to spread the magic of words to readers everywhere

Donate

Subscriber Services
Awards | Stats | Links | Privacy Policy
Contribute | Advertise