DCHP-2

full marks DCHP-2 (October 2016)

• 1 n. — Education

  maximum credit given in the academic setting.

  Type: 2. Preservation — The term full marks describes the highest mark one can receive for an academic endeavour, such as a test, examination or dictation (see the 1866 quotation). The term full marks is likely a preservation from British English, listed in OED-3 alongside the expressions "high marks" or "top marks" from as early as 1852 (see OED-3, s.v. "mark" (IV)(17)(a)). Accordingly, W-3 (s.v. "full marks") classifies the term as "chiefly British".
  See COD-2, s.v. "full marks" (1), which is marked "Cdn & Brit.".

• 2 n. — often in phrase to give someone full marks; figurative, especially Sports

  credit given for effort or good performance.

  Type: 2. Preservation — The term full marks is often used figuratively mean "all due credit or praise" (see W-3, s.v. "full marks") given for a performance or endeavour, often in sports (see the 1981 quotation) or politics (see the 1978 quotation). Accordingly, OED-3 classifies this sense of full marks as figurative, as there is no numerical mark or score being given. In Canadian English, the figurative sense in the context of sports is more common than meaning 1, and Chart 1 shows that this sense is more common in Canadian English than in other varieties.
  See COD-2, s.v. "full marks" (2), which is marked "Cdn & Brit.".