Another Britspeak need some help WAS Re: Peeling Sprouts?

[dudemom_2000]

Message 28324 
--- In HPFGU-OTChatter at yahoogroups.com, "M.Clifford" 
<valkyrievixen at y...> wrote:
> HI all,
> 
> On the main list, someone asked for an explanation of "after a
> fashion". Since I am Aussie, not British exactly, I couldn't give 
an
> origin for the saying, but I did my best to explain the meaning. 
> 
> Who could help with that, does anyone know the origin of after a
> fashion? I am guessing it's to do with "fad" as in, it was over 
faster than a fad (fashion trend for those who don't get that) or 
something.
> 
> If I am making any sense, I hope I am..
> 
> Valky

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Try this site:

http://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board/9/messages/526.html

Re: after a fashion

(Posted by R. Berg on July 05, 2001 on www.phrases.org.uk)
(In Reply to: after a fashion posted by S. Mikell on July 05, 2001)

The relevant sense of "fashion" as a noun in the Oxford Engl. Dict. 
is sense 5, "Manner, mode, way." Earliest example with "after" is 
dated 1539: "[They] passed through the Cytie in good ordre after A 
warlike facion." Another example: "Subjects serious in themselves, 
but treated after my fashion, non-seriously" (1822). 

A subsection of sense 5 has the definition "In depreciatory 
sense, 'After,' 'in,' 'a' or 'some fashion': somehow or another, in 
a sort, tolerably, not too well." An example for this 
sense: "Providence . . . has made me a lady after a fashion" (1869). 

Other parts of this site are also very interesting:

http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/a.html

Very interesting!

Dudemom_2000

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