What do the labels on this website mean?

Like abbreviations, when checking out collocations on this website, you will come across some labels. It's good to learn about them so that you know when it is appropriate (or not appropriate) to use certain collocations. Here is the meaning of each label.

disapproving: These collocations show that you feel disapproval or contempt, e.g. "rabbit food" or "descend into the realms of something".

figurative: These collocations use language in a non-literal or metaphorical way, e.g. "morally bankrupt" or "die of embarrassment".

formal: These collocations are usually only used in serious or official language and would not be appropriate in normal everyday conversation, e.g. "take up employment" and "fall sick".

historical: These collocations are expressions for things or concepts that existed in the past. They either no longer exist ("debtor's prison"), or the modern equivalent has a different name ("lending library" rather than "circulating library"). However, the historical term is still used when talking about the past.

humorous: These collocations are intended to be funny, e.g. "veritable banquet" or "ply somebody with tea".

informal: These collocations are used between friends or in a relaxed or unofficial situation. They are not appropriate for formal situations, e.g. "class act" and "a company goes to the wall".

ironic: These collocations use words to mean the opposite or something very different from the meaning they seem to have, e.g. "princely sum" (= a very small amount of money) or "conveniently ignore" (which may be very convenient for the person doing the ignoring, but not for anyone else).

literary: These collocations are used mainly in literature and imaginative writing, e.g. "far distant" and "greet the dawn".

offensive: These collocations are used by some people to address or refer to people, countries, etc. in a way that is very insulting, e.g. "banana republic".

old-fashioned: These collocations are passing out of current use, although writers may still wish to use them for a particular effect, especially in fiction, e.g. "give somebody in marriage".

saying: These collocations are well-known traditional phrases, e.g. "the truth will out".

taboo: These collocations are likely to be thought by many people to be obscene or shocking, and you should avoid using them. They are included here where the collocations are very strong. However, these words are always taboo, whatever the collocation.

technical: These collocations are used by people who specialize in a particular subject area.

There are also labels for collocations from particular subject areas:

• business
• computing
• law
• mathematics
• medical
• military
• science
• sport