BAD ENGLISH

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BAD ENGLISH. An informal term for English that does not measure up to approved norms, because it is ungrammatical, poorly spelt, or uses expletives: ‘What is called “bad English” in the usual sense may be highly effective in the appropriate context’ ( W. Nelson Francis, The English Language, 1967). See (A)ESTHETICS, GOOD ENGLISH, STANDARD ENGLISH.