MBE generation
n.— «English cricket isn’t always in tune with the times, but it seems to have caught the wave of the “me-me” generation pretty sweetly. It even has its own name for it—the MBE generation, an exclusive club whose members are pretty much allowed to call their own shots. If you got a gong for winning the Ashes in 2005, you are in it. It is okay, each MBE (Me Before England) is told. You are a superstar. You beat the Aussies. Tell us when you are fit to play, if indeed you want to play. We know you may be busy drinking at the well of celebrity, writing your next platitudinous book, staging your next benefit function. Just give us a shout when you are ready.» —“Losing their heads” by Simon WIlde Times (London, England) Dec. 31, 2006. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Imagine telling someone how to get to your home, but without using the name of your street, or any other street within ten miles. Could you do it? We take street names for granted, but these words are useful for far more, like applying for a job or...
Understanding the varieties of conversational styles can mean the difference between feeling you’re understood and being insulted. “High-involvement” speakers interrupt or talk along with someone else to signal their enthusiasm...