queen's English

American  

noun

1. king's English.

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queen's English British  

noun

1. (when the British sovereign is female) standard Southern British English

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Etymology

Origin of queen's English

First recorded in 1585–95

Example Sentences

Actors in previous generations would have been expected to speak "Queen's English", but Burton embraced where he was from, Mr Talfan said.

From BBC

"The reason I started it is because I have an Essex accent and I really want other people who don't have that perfect Queen's English voice to know that they can still use their voice and they can speak at conferences," Amy says.

From BBC

Received pronunciation, also known as "Queen's English" does well to gain people's trust, but mainly because of its social prestige.

From BBC

Locke — with his glossy hair falling past his shoulders, Queen’s English and predilection for wearing designer shirts open to the sternum — worried that he might be depicted as garish, affluent, out of touch with the common man.

From New York Times

There’s no cozier facade in Columbia Heights than the jade-colored front of Queen’s English, dressed with gliders and watched over by a canine-loving staff.

From Washington Post