Adj. Good, clever, well-conceived or -executed. Very commonly used in the U.K., generally to express rather less enthusiasm than in the U.S. (indeed, it is frequently noncommittal or ironic), and to refer to a an experience, quality, idea, or other intangible, as opposed to a person. The abbreviation “brill” has not penetrated to the U.S., as yet. “It was brilliant to program the Beethoven before the Carter.” (Anthony Tommasini, New York Times, December 9, 1998)/”I jumped on one of those little sleds,” [Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Raul] Ibanez said, “and went down a hill. It’s brilliant. Whoever came up with that – phenomenal.” (Philadelphia Inquirer, February 21, 2011)
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I think this usage really became (deservedly) popular in this country when Bono used it (together with some other words
during a Golden Globe Awards ceremony 8 or 9 years ago:
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/09/17/entertainment/main573729.shtml
No one has said brill in Britain since approximately 1990.
Not even ironically?
Everything the Brits say is with less enthusiasm than Americans.
My friends and I say “brill” as short-hand for “brilliant” all the time, and we’re born-and-bred Americans. I usually use it in the phrase “totes brill”, short for “totally brilliant”.
Nobody British has said ‘brill’ since the 80s. It’s VERY dated.
When I hear this word used on British telly (exported to America), I think it’s very usage is brilliant, and I wish I would remember to use it more often (than never) myself, when appropriate.
A friend of mine (once English, now Australian) sometimes says ‘Hah, blirriant’ in a fake Chinese accent. Not very PC, I’m afraid.
I think “brilliant” in British English now means something roughly equivalent to American “cool.” I’m not sure it has much of anything to do with mental acuity in this usage.
Brilliant in UK English is also often used sarcastically, as in: ‘My car’s broken down. Brilliant!’
Brilliant blog, by the way. [non-sarcastically]
I still hear Brits say “brilliant” all the time!