General   (General discussion, talk about anything.)

Thank you, jo anne. I'm realising that I have met the expression. Just once, when an American friend I see only rarely - a sea-going engineer - dropped in and dropped the expression.

I considered it in a literal sense and was critical of his usage, i.e. it applies only to governmental matters. Now I'm aware that re' the brigade busybodies, it is jargon. The Americans are so fond of mucking-up 'our' lovely language.

Unfortunately, they are so dominant that the trend towards American English being 'the' English is, I believe, irreversible.

I'm with you re' the nature/substance of the PC Brigade.