lapin - a common English word?

[birdy]

re sirrah.
 It's very common in Shakespeare, where, as you say, it was used by nobles to speak to inferiors.

I have never heard the word. I've never spoken to a "noble" and probably never will!

Ah! But the point is, has a noble ever spoken to you, believing you are his inferior?   

I actually have seen (never heard) the word sirrah, but then again, I've read a lot of Shakespeare's plays.  Ah, being an English major...

Lapin, on the other hand...I suspected it must have something to do with rabbits, but I didn't know what.  I doubt if it's a common word in America.

[mkenuk]

Tom (from Australia) has frequently expressed his displeasure that words well known throughout the Commonwealth are classed as rare merely because they are little known in the US.
He, and other forumites, are firmly convinced that the common word list has an American bias.

He may have a point when words such as varmint (played by just over 26% in the normative game) and nixes (27.8% in the exercising 10-letter game) are classed as common.
Both words are rated 'N. American' by COD.

Interestingly, sixer, recently reclassified as rare on the grounds that. being a cricketing term it would be unknown in some parts of the world. was played by 162 from 298 in the exercising game, - almost double the number (83) that played nixes.

[tpc]

 A sixer is also slang for a six-pack (usually beer) in the U.S.

[Katzmeow]

Tom (from Australia) has frequently expressed his displeasure that words well known throughout the Commonwealth are classed as rare merely because they are little known in the US.
He, and other forumites, are firmly convinced that the common word list has an American bias.

He may have a point when words such as varmint (played by just over 26% in the normative game) and nixes (27.8% in the exercising 10-letter game) are classed as common.
Both words are rated 'N. American' by COD.

Being Australian (English by birth), I would definitely agree with Tom on that.  So many words I have never heard of before now, let alone consider common, and so many words I consider common that are either considered  'rare' or 'unknown'.  Still, I choose to play here because it passes the time and am grateful someone has set up & maintains this site.

Interestingly, sixer, recently reclassified as rare on the grounds that. being a cricketing term it would be unknown in some parts of the world. was played by 162 from 298 in the exercising game, - almost double the number (83) that played nixes.

Oddly, I thought sixer might be common in the US.  Isn't there a sporting team called the something-or-other sixers?  I've only heard the words six and sixes in relation to cricket.

[ensiform]

I wish I could set up a debate between you and Tom (from Australia, not Tom44) who has frequently expressed his displeasure that words well known throughout the Commonwealth are classed as rare merely because they are little known in the US. He, and other forumites, are firmly convinced that the common word list has an American bias.

And here's me thinking it has an Australian bias!  Crikey.

:

[Alan W]

As far as I can see, the word lapin is very rarely used these days.

I did spot a few web pages discussing Lefkowitz v. Great Minneapolis Surplus Store, Inc, a 1957 court case about an advertisement offering a black lapin stole for $1, so the word might be known to students of contract law.

Lapin will be rare from now on.