Register Formality and Social Distance

C2 · 100 entries · Five themes

Register Formality and Social Distance

Created by , British English teacher.

Open a theme, then select a word or phrase for its meaning, example and pronunciation.

1. Formal institutional language (20 entries)
  1. thereof
  2. herein
  3. pursuant to
  4. thereto
  5. for the avoidance of doubt
  6. herewith
  7. under the auspices of
  8. without prejudice
  9. in no uncertain terms
  10. invocation of necessity
  11. bureaucratic euphemism
  12. ratify
  13. register a formal protest
  14. procedural
  15. a confidence-and-supply agreement
  16. at the behest of
  17. with the proviso that
  18. in the fullness of time
  19. a sunset provision
  20. a devolution settlement
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2. Neutral alternatives (20 entries)
  1. unmarked expression
  2. for want of a better term
  3. for all practical purposes
  4. in lieu thereof
  5. in no small measure
  6. to all appearances
  7. colloquial
  8. to the exclusion of all else
  9. to no avail
  10. to little avail
  11. to the detriment of
  12. with due regard to
  13. solicit
  14. for want of a better word
  15. colloquium
  16. with the best will in the world
  17. in name only
  18. disseminate
  19. leaven
  20. tantalise
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3. Conversational tact and social awkwardness (20 entries)
  1. break an awkward silence
  2. paper over the awkwardness
  3. let someone finish their thought
  4. be on nodding terms with
  5. broach a sensitive subject
  6. put someone at their ease
  7. steer clear of a sore point
  8. make light of a faux pas
  9. strike a false note
  10. let a remark go unchallenged
  11. keep up one's end of the conversation
  12. take refuge in small talk
  13. spare someone the embarrassment of
  14. overstep the bounds of familiarity
  15. make a discreet exit
  16. read the signs of discomfort
  17. leave someone an honourable way out
  18. hit a nerve
  19. approach the subject obliquely
  20. pastime
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4. Social positioning (20 entries)
  1. patronage
  2. honorific
  3. deferential wording
  4. aloofness
  5. hauteur
  6. condescension
  7. be on first-name terms
  8. take liberties with
  9. strike up an acquaintance
  10. put oneself out for someone
  11. adopt a patronising tone
  12. do the honours
  13. spare someone's blushes
  14. make oneself scarce
  15. give someone the cold shoulder
  16. cut someone dead
  17. overstay one's welcome
  18. anonymity
  19. be in someone's confidence
  20. crony
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5. Deliberate register shifts (20 entries)
  1. accommodation
  2. elevated diction
  3. conversationalisation
  4. audience design
  5. stylistic incongruity
  6. archaism
  7. journalese
  8. dysphemism
  9. bureaucratese
  10. vary the register deliberately
  11. detect a change of register
  12. by dint of persistence
  13. spontaneity
  14. accentuate
  15. calquing
  16. stipulate
  17. archetypal
  18. flagging
  19. aberration
  20. neophyte
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