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prawn sandwich brigade

prawn sandwich brigade

9.9
People at events who act snobby, are picky about food and show little real interest
  • noun
  • Offensive
translation icon : panda de snobs
  • The prawn sandwich brigade were criticized for showing little real interest in the match.

Examples

  • Some fans resent the presence of the prawn sandwich brigade in the exclusive boxes.

  • The prawn sandwich brigade always complains about the food at the games.

  • He accused the new directors of being part of the prawn sandwich brigade.

  • Why does the prawn sandwich brigade think they are better than everyone else?

  • Many players feel that the prawn sandwich brigade only attends matches for the luxury, not the game.

  • The local pub was filled with members of the prawn sandwich brigade, who only wanted to talk about gourmet food.

  • During the event, the prawn sandwich brigade stood out for their disdain of food that wasn't Michelin-star quality.

Antonyms

true foodie
  • Informal
4.6

A person who loves trying new and different foods and restaurants

How Snobbish

prawn sandwich brigade
  • Offensive
9.9
elitist
23 6.8
snob
  • Offensive
72 5.1

Surface Forms

Morphology

prawn + sandwich + brigade

Although the constituents ('prawn', 'sandwich', 'brigade') are individually transparent, the phrase is a culturally specific, ironic British idiom referring to a snobbish or fussy segment of spectators; that evaluative, humorous meaning cannot be straightforwardly derived from the literal words. A B1 learner who knows the component words would likely interpret it literally (a group associated with prawn sandwiches) and miss the pejorative/social nuance, so prior exposure or cultural knowledge is needed.

Etymology

The phrase prawn sandwich brigade came from images of well-off people in private boxes at sports, quietly eating prawn sandwiches and forming a calm brigade instead of cheering. So it means a group seen as 'snobbish' and more interested in comfort and food than in the real event.