Lord Privy Seal

English Etymology 1 Proper noun Lord Privy Seal en politics UK The fifth of the Great Officers of State in the United Kingdom, now used as a sinecure or title for a minister without portfolio. en Keeper of the Privy Seal Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal Usage notes The office does not confer membership of the House of Lords, meaning that the holder of the office will not necessarily be a lord. Etymology 2 From a sketch on the 1966-67 British satire show The Frost Report, poking fun at the television broadcasting practice of displaying images on screen to accompany spoken monologues. In the sketch, the words Lord Privy Seal in a news report are illustrated with a photo of a lord, photo of a privy (outhouse), and photo of a seal (pinniped) balancing a ball on its nose. Adjective Lord Privy Seal en British television humorous Of images, that match words too closely or in an overly literal manner. en Not bad, but it's a bit Lord Privy Seal. en 2009-09-30 John Simpson News from No Man's Land: Reporting the World Pan Macmillan 9780330516433 115 Now only people in their late fifties (and there aren't many of us left at the BBC) even remember it; yet a few years ago I heard a young editor and a youngish reporter discussing whether a picture sequence was 'too Lord Privy Seal: that is, too literal and obvious. en 2009-09-18 Andrew Marr My Trade: A Short History of British Journalism Pan Macmillan 9780330476195 Between 'a quiet village in the rolling Cotswolds...' (too Lord Privy Seal-ish ) and 'an ugly mood is spreading here' (doesn't fit with the sunlit oaks and silent roads) a good TV reporter will come up with something better. See also en rebus Further reading en Government Occupations People