stat·us (st t  s, st ts)n. 1. Position relative to that of others; standing: Her status is that of a guest. 2. High standing; prestige: a position of status in the community. 3. Law The legal character or condition of a person or thing: the status of a minor. 4. A state of affairs; situation. See Synonyms at state. [Latin; see st - in Indo-European roots.]Usage Note: In a recent survey of the Usage Panel, 53 percent of the Panelists preferred the pronunciation (st ts), 36 percent preferred (stts), and 11 percent said they use both pronunciations. The pronunciation (stts) is the older, more traditional pronunciation, and it remains the most common one in British English. |
status [ˈsteɪtəs]
Status
(See also SUBORDINATION.)
above the salt Among the distinguished or honored guests at a dinner; of high rank, important; also the opposite below the salt. Formerly a large saltcellar, i.e., a salt shaker or mill, was customarily placed in the middle of dining tables. The higher-ranking guests were seated at the upper or master’s end of the table, above the salt, while those of lesser rank were seated at the lower end of the table, below the salt. The phrase has been in use since the late 16th century.
Though of Tory sentiments, she by no means approved of those feudal times when the chaplain was placed below the salt. (James Payn, The Luck of the Darrells, 1885)
blueblood An aristocrat or noble; a thoroughbred. Fair-skinned Spaniards prided themselves on their pure stock, without Moorish or Jewish admixture. Their extremely light complexions revealed a bluish cast to their veins, which they consequently believed carried blue blood, as opposed to the supposed black blood of Moors and Jews.
bluestocking See SCHOLARLINESS.
born in the purple Of royal or exalted birth. Purple has long been associated with royalty because of its former scarcity and consequent costliness. It was obtainable only by processing huge quantities of a certain mollusk, which was harvested at Tyre, an ancient seaport of Phoenicia, and was called Tyrian purple. Born in the purple is a literal translation of Porphyrogenitus, a surname of the Byzantine Emperor Constantine VII (905-959) and his successors, most accurately applied only to those born during their father’s reign; it was customary for the Empress to undergo childbirth in a room whose walls were lined with purple. Today born to the purple is more commonly heard.
born with a silver spoon in one’s mouth Born to wealth and high station. It was formerly customary for godparents to give spoons as christening gifts. The child born to wealth could anticipate a silver one from the moment of his birth.
born within the sound of Bow bells A British expression denoting a Londoner, especially of the lower classes; a native of the East End district; a Cockney. The church of St. Mary-le-Bow, so called because of the bows or arches that supported its steeple, was known for the peal of its bells, which could be heard throughout the city. The phrase has been used to denote a Cockney since the early 17th century.
brown-bagger A person of inferior status or social standing. In the United States, the term derives from the practice of the less well-to-do, such as blue-collar workers, to carry their lunches in brown paper bags. In Britain, a brown-bagger is a nonresident student at public school or university; his brown bag is the attaché case in which he carries his books. Such students are usually looked upon with a degree of disdain or condescension by those in residence.
chief cook and bottle washer See PERSONAGE.
codfish aristocracy A disparaging appellation for the nouveau riche, originally those Massachusetts aristocrats who made their money from the codfishing industry; also the codfish gentility. This expression, which dates from 1849, was the title of a poem written in the 1920s by American journalist Wallace Irwin. The first stanza reads as follows:
Of all the fish that swim or swish
In ocean’s deep autocracy,
There’s none possess such
haughtiness
As the codfish aristocracy.
the Four Hundred The social elite; the wealthy, refined people generally regarded as “high society.” This term dates from 1889 when Ward McAllister, a prominent New York socialite, was given the task of deciding who should be invited to a centenary celebration of the inauguration of George Washington. His list included the names of four hundred people whom he considered to be the true elite, the crème de la crème, as it were. Although the list received rapid acceptance and the term the Four Hundred became an overnight sensation, the number was raised to eight hundred in 1904 by Mrs. William Astor, the grande dame of New York society.
To social strivers she is the Queen of the 400. (Coronet, August, 1948)
gallery gods Those members of a theater audience occupying the highest, and therefore the cheapest, seats; those persons sitting in the balcony or gallery of a theater. The OED attributes this expression to the fact that persons occupying gallery seats are on high, as are the gods. However, another source credits the painting on the ceiling over the gallery in London’s Drury Lane Theatre as the inspiration for this expression. The ceiling in question is painted to resemble a cloudy blue sky peopled by numerous flying cupids. Thus, it is in reference to the cupids painted on the ceiling above their heads that persons sitting in the gallery first became known as gods or gallery gods. The term dates from the latter half of the 18th century.
gentleman of the four outs A man without manners, wit, money, or credit —the four marks of a true gentleman. This subtle expression used by Englishmen to denote an upstart has been in use at least since the late 18th century. Sometimes the expression varies according to whether the “essentials” are considered more or less than four in number.
A gentleman of three outs—“out of pocket, out of elbows, and out of credit.” (Edward Lytton, Paul Clifford, 1830)
grass roots The common people, the working class; the rank and file of a political party; the voters. At the beginning of this century the term was used to mean ‘source or origin,’ the fundamental or basic level of any thing. This figurative extension of literal grass roots later acquired the political dimension denoting the people of rural or agricultural sections of the country as a factional, economic, or social group. Finally, grass roots was extended to include not just farmers and inhabitants of rural areas but the common people in general, or the rank and file of a political party or social organization.
“No crisis so grave has confronted our people” since the Civil War, Mr. Lowden told the grassroots convention at Springfield. (Nation, June, 1935)
the great unwashed The general public, the masses; hoi polloi. Although its coinage has been attributed to Edmund Burke (1729-97), this phrase has been in print only since the early 19th century.
Gentlemen, there can be but little doubt that your ancestors were the Great Unwashed. (William Makepeace Thackeray, The History of Pendennis, 1850)
low man on the totem pole The lowest in rank, the least important or experienced person; a neophyte. A totem pole is a tree trunk with symbolic carvings or paintings one above the other. North American Indians placed such poles in front of their houses. The apparent hierarchical arrangement of the symbols may have given rise to the current meaning of totem pole, which retains only the idea of ‘hierarchy.’ Thus, the low man on the totem pole refers to one who is at the bottom in the ordering of rank. Its popularity is undoubtedly partly owing to a comic novel, Low Man on the Totem Pole, by humorist H. Allen Smith. The following citation from Webster’s Third shows the corresponding use of the phrase for one of superior rank:
… entertain top men on the political totem pole. (Mary Thayer)
pecking order Hierarchy; the levels of authority within a group of people or an organization; one’s relative degree of predominance, aggressiveness, or power in comparison to others. This expression alludes to dominance hierarchy—a zoological term for the instinctive vertical ranking among birds and social mammals, in which the stronger animals assert their dominance over the smaller, weaker ones. Among domestic fowl, particularly chickens, the hierarchy becomes virtually uncontested; thus, the bird highest on the barnyard totem pole can peck at the dominated without worry of retaliation. Hence, avian dominance hierarchy came to be known as pecking order and, by extension, pecking order developed its figurative application to the hierarchy of authority and domination in human affairs.
ragtag and bobtail The rabble, the riffraff, the masses; also, everyone collectively, the whole lot, every man Jack, every Tom, Dick, and Harry. The term, of British origin, was originally tag, then tag and rag; later the two words were reversed; still later the addition of bobtail (credited by some to Samuel Pepys) completed the term as we know it. Its component words all relate to worthless shreds, tatters, remnants, etc. The expression is sometimes extended to indicate comprehensiveness—every last one—as it was in this passage from T. A. Trollope’s What I Remember (1887):
He shall have them all, rag, tag, and bobtail.
the rank and file The general membership of an organization, as distinct from its leaders or officers; the lower echelons; the common people in general, hoi polloi. The origin of the term is military, rank and file being used to denote common soldiers (privates and corporals as opposed to commissioned officers) since the 18th century; for these were the men commonly required to line up in such formation: rank ‘a number of soldiers drawn up in line abreast’; file ’the number of men constituting the depth from front to rear of a formation in line’ (OED). By the 19th century the term was popular in government and political circles, as it still is today.
One of the mere rank and file of the party. (John Stuart Mill, Considerations on Representative Government, 1860)
run-of-the-mill Average, common, routine; mediocre, ordinary, no great shakes. This commonly used adjective is derived from its application to lots of manufactured goods which have not been inspected and consequently not sorted and graded for quality. By extension the term describes persons lacking in originality or individuality, those who through blandness blend in with the masses.
salt of the earth A person or group of persons epitomizing the best, most noble, and most admirable elements of society; a paragon; the wealthy aristocracy. For centuries, salt has been used in religious ceremonies as a symbol of goodness, purity, and incorruptibility. Thus, it was praise of the highest order when, after preaching the Beatitudes at the Sermon on the Mount, Christ called His disciples the “salt of the earth.”
You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trodden underfoot by men. (Matthew 5:13)
top billing Stardom. A phrase describing the most prominent or important in a group of persons, events, etc. In theater advertisements and billboards, billing is the relative position in which a person or act is listed. “Top billing,” then, is the most prominent position, usually above the name of the play, and is reserved for an actor or actress who has attained stardom, one whose name is readily recognized by the public.
He made his Broadway debut as Lancelot in Camelot, with billing below the title; now, he is returning to Broadway, with top billing. (Globe ù Mail [Toronto], January 13, 1968)
Although still most commonly used in reference to the theater, the scope of top billing has been expanded to include application in other contexts as well.
top-drawer See EXCELLENCE.
top-shelf See EXCELLENCE.
to the manner born Destined by birth to observe certain patterns of behavior, usually those associated with good breeding and high social status; also, innately or peculiarly suited for a particular position. This latter use is becoming increasingly common. One “to the manner born” is a “natural” with an instinctive ability in a given area. The former meaning is still the more accurate, however. Shakespeare’s Hamlet gave us the expression when he criticized Claudius’ and Denmark’s drinking customs:
But to my mind, though I am native here
And to the manner born, it is a custom
More honored in the breach than the observance. (I, iv)
upper crust The highest social stratum; the wealthy; the aristocracy. This expression originated from the former custom of serving the upper crust of a loaf of bread to the most distinguished guests. As used today, the phrase often carries a suggestion of snobbery.
He took a fashionable house and hobnobbed lavishly with Washington’s tight-ringed upper crust. (Newsweek, July, 1946)
| Noun | 1. | status - the relative position or standing of things or especially persons in a society; "he had the status of a minor"; "the novel attained the status of a classic"; "atheists do not enjoy a favorable position in American life" state - the way something is with respect to its main attributes; "the current state of knowledge"; "his state of health"; "in a weak financial state" face - status in the eyes of others; "he lost face" election - the status or fact of being elected; "they celebrated his election" equivalence, par, equality, equation - a state of being essentially equal or equivalent; equally balanced; "on a par with the best" social rank, social station, social status, rank - position in a social hierarchy; "the British are more aware of social status than Americans are" standing - social or financial or professional status or reputation; "of equal standing"; "a member in good standing" high status - a position of superior status high ground - a position of superiority over opponents or competitors high profile - a position attracting much attention and publicity Holy Order, Order - (usually plural) the status or rank or office of a Christian clergyman in an ecclesiastical hierarchy; "theologians still disagree over whether `bishop' should or should not be a separate Order" low status, lowness, lowliness - a position of inferior status; low in station or rank or fortune or estimation legal status - a status defined by law left-handedness - the status of being born of a morganatic marriage command - a position of highest authority; "the corporation has just undergone a change in command" nationality - the status of belonging to a particular nation by birth or naturalization footing, terms - status with respect to the relations between people or groups; "on good terms with her in-laws"; "on a friendly footing" retirement - the state of being retired from one's business or occupation rank - relative status; "his salary was determined by his rank and seniority" caste - social status or position conferred by a system based on class; "lose caste by doing work beneath one's station" dignity - high office or rank or station; "he respected the dignity of the emissaries" ordination - the status of being ordained to a sacred office pedestal - a position of great esteem (and supposed superiority); "they put him on a pedestal" leadership - the status of a leader; "they challenged his leadership of the union" slot - a position in a hierarchy or organization; "Bob Dylan occupied the top slot for several weeks"; "she beat some tough competition for the number one slot" toehold - a relatively insignificant position from which future progress might be made; "American diplomacy provided a toehold on which to proceed toward peace talks"; "his father gave him a toehold in the oil business" |
| 2. |  status - a state at a particular time; "a condition (or state) of disrepair"; "the current status of the arms negotiations"state - the way something is with respect to its main attributes; "the current state of knowledge"; "his state of health"; "in a weak financial state" diversity - the condition or result of being changeable anchorage - the condition of being secured to a base; "the plant needs a firm anchorage"; "the mother provides emotional anchorage for the entire family" health - the general condition of body and mind; "his delicate health"; "in poor health" mode - a particular functioning condition or arrangement; "switched from keyboard to voice mode" ecological niche, niche - (ecology) the status of an organism within its environment and community (affecting its survival as a species) noise conditions - the condition of being noisy (as in a communication channel) participation, involvement - the condition of sharing in common with others (as fellows or partners etc.) prepossession - the condition of being prepossessed; "the king's prepossession in my favor is very valuable" regularisation, regularization - the condition of having been made regular (or more regular) saturation - a condition in which a quantity no longer responds to some external influence silence - the state of being silent (as when no one is speaking); "there was a shocked silence"; "he gestured for silence" situation, position - a condition or position in which you find yourself; "the unpleasant situation (or position) of having to choose between two evils"; "found herself in a very fortunate situation" ski conditions - the amount and state of snow for skiing nomination - the condition of having been proposed as a suitable candidate for appointment or election; "there was keen competition for the nomination"; "his nomination was hotly protested" standardisation, standardization - the condition in which a standard has been successfully established; "standardization of nuts and bolts had saved industry millions of dollars" stigmatism - (optics) condition of an optical system (as a lens) in which light rays from a single point converge in a single focal point astigmatism, astigmia - (optics) defect in an optical system in which light rays from a single point fail to converge in a single focal point way - the condition of things generally; "that's the way it is"; "I felt the same way" circumstance - a condition that accompanies or influences some event or activity homelessness - the state or condition of having no home (especially the state of living in the streets) reinstatement - the condition of being reinstated; "her reinstatement to her former office followed quickly" place - proper or appropriate position or location; "a woman's place is no longer in the kitchen" celibacy - an unmarried status virginity - the condition or quality of being a virgin innocence - a state or condition of being innocent of a specific crime or offense; "the trial established his innocence" sinlessness, whiteness, innocence, pureness, purity - the state of being unsullied by sin or moral wrong; lacking a knowledge of evil guilt, guiltiness - the state of having committed an offense encapsulation - the condition of being enclosed (as in a capsule); "the encapsulation of tendons in membranous sheaths" polarisation, polarization - the condition of having or giving polarity physical condition, physiological condition, physiological state - the condition or state of the body or bodily functions hyalinisation, hyalinization - the state of being hyaline or having become hyaline; "the patient's arterioles showed marked hyalinization" protuberance - the condition of being protuberant; the condition of bulging out; "the protuberance of his belly" curvature - (medicine) a curving or bending; often abnormal; "curvature of the spine" mental condition, mental state, psychological condition, psychological state - (psychology) a mental condition in which the qualities of a state are relatively constant even though the state itself may be dynamic; "a manic state" difficulty - a condition or state of affairs almost beyond one's ability to deal with and requiring great effort to bear or overcome; "grappling with financial difficulties" |
status
status line N (Comput) → línea f de situación
status quo N → (e)statu quo m
status report N → informe m situacional
status symbol N → símbolo m de rango
the changing status of women → l'évolution du statut des femmes
people of a high social status → les gens d'un statut social élevé
promoted to the status of foreman → promu au statut de contremaître
status:
status:
social status → status m inv
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