British word
joined-up, a.
1. Connected, conjoined. Of writing: cursive (as learnt in elementary school as a stage beyond printing individual letters separately), esp. in joined-up writing, joined-up handwriting; freq. used allusively and humorously to suggest a (usually basic) level of intelligence or standard of educational attainment (or depreciatively a lack of these). Cf. JOINING-HAND n.
In quot. 1980, a punning reference to anthologized work.
[1980 K. SMITH (title) The joined-up writing.]
1983 M. MAGORIAN Goodnight Mister Tom (BNC) 137, I starts the last readin' book on Mondee, and joined-up writing.
1989 Times 26 Apr. 18/2 Lots of people who can do joined-up writing have been brought in to pontificate on this and that.
1990 A. BEEVOR Inside Brit. Army (1991) x. 139 A stage with cubicles runs round the four walls, leaving a well in the middle for the huge bird-table of joined-up maps.
1999 R. T. DAVIES Queer as Folk: Scripts Episode 7. 189 Stuart: (Grins) Lesbian letters. Can I read them? Lisa: I doubt it, it's joined-up handwriting.
2. a. colloq. (freq. humorous). Of thought, speech, etc.: coherent, organized, cogently or articulately developed; (also, in ironic or derogatory contexts) designating thought or speech only barely attaining such coherence. Now also in Polit.: designating thought characteristic of joined-up government (see sense 2b). Usu. in joined-up thinking.
1989 Campaign 24 Mar. 43/4 To our surprise and disappointment, few could manage any joined-up thinking. 1993 T. HOLT Overtime (BNC) 132 It was like watching a woodlouse climbing a wall, listening to Marco doing joined-up speaking. 1997 Observer 4 May 27/2 The gladiatorial style of debate may give way to what one new woman MP described as joined-up thinking. 2001 Ecologist Sept. 26/2 At that moment the long overdue arrival of governmental joined-up thinking seemed to have arrived [sic].
b. Polit. Of, relating to, or designating a political strategy which seeks to coordinate the development and implementation of policies across government departments and agencies, esp. with the aim of addressing complex social problems, such as social exclusion and poverty, in a comprehensive, integrated way. Usu. in joined-up government.
Associated particularly with the British Labour government elected in 1997 and re-elected in 2001.
1997 Herald (Glasgow) 11 Dec. 20 The objectives of the Social Exclusion Unit point up a failure to achieve joined-up government.
1999
Earth Matters
Spring 13/2
If we win the argument internationallyand
put in place the joined-up policies necessary to deliver
itwe
can help to lay the foundations for a more equitable and sustainable
world in the twenty first century.
2001
Independent
10 July
II.
5/5
The mantras of New Laboureducation,
education, education, joined-up government, making
work payare
all betrayed by this systematic refusal to look at people as people
and not as the recipients of abstract, intellectual, judgements.