Which word is used more in the UK: gaol or jail? Kilmainham Gaol for example, would almost never be called "Kilmainham Jail" Those in current use are mostly renamed by the British or Irish government though Reading Gaol, as mentioned in the answer is now HM Prison Reading, while as an Irish example Mountjoy Gaol is now Mountjoy Prison –
pronunciation vs spelling - GAOL origin isnt English - English . . . Like many words in British English Gaol entered the language as part of the aftermath of the Norman Conquest in 1066 Gaol in British English is derived from the Anglo-Norman French word "Gayole" rather than the Old French " Jailoe" Oxford Dictionaries Origin Middle English: based on Latin cavea (see cage)
What is the origin of stir meaning prison? It appears to be a BrE term: Stir Prison: also sterr, stur [abbr Rom sturiben, a prison, staripen, to imprison; ult štar, to imprison]
Meanings of word nick in British English Nick (The), gaol This doesn't have any relation to cave or hollow; it's much more likely a loconym created out of the action of arrest Personally, though, I'll maintain the head canon that some literate degenerates derived it via "Nick, n 2" and "Old Nick, n " from "Old Iniquity", apparently a set figure in early modern morality plays
What is the term for the little viewing window with a sliding cover in . . . It is sometimes called a speakeasy window Examples can be found at Google Images In the prohibition era, they were commonly used on the doorways to speakeasy bars, and a patron would often have to whisper a secret password through the window before being allowed to enter the establishment
greetings - Whats an appropriate response to a British person asking . . . Part of the key to this is matching the length of response to the length of greeting 'y'alright?' or just 'alright' tends to be said as an acknowledgement in passing and mostly isn't a conversation opener or and invitation to stop and chat