Marks & Sparks

Meanings

proper noun

UKcolloquialMarks & Spencer, a British multinational retailer.
And the skirt? “Marks & Sparks,” chirped the duchess, uttering the nickname all British folk use to identify the famous low-price store.
1988 March 4, Betty Goodwin, “Fashion 88: Fergie [i.e., Sarah, Duchess of York]’s Look in L.A.: Flair Without Fuss”, in Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles, Calif.: Los Angeles Times Communications, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 06 Aug 2026
3 more examples
The clientele of “Marks & Sparks,” as the chain is affectionately known to British shoppers, comes from every level of society, up to and including royalty.
1973 November 18, Roy Bongartz, “At Marks and Spencer, Even Princess Anne May Be the Next in Line”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC
While the rest of the high street looks down-at-heel, determined to offload the dregs of the January sales, Marks & Sparks will start the new year confident and upbeat.
2002 January 6, Tamsin Blanchard, “Marks’s spark”, in The Observer, London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 16 May 2016
What is surprising is that the dress is from Marks & Sparks and that this high street behemoth, associated more with the British basics look of David Cameron than the over-the-top fabulousness of Sarah Jessica Parker, should have joined forces with [Patricia] Field.
2008 October 4, Hadley Freeman, “Absolutely fabulous”, in Alan Rusbridger, editor, The Guardian, London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 17 Oct 2019
Synonyms: M&S, Marks