Working Class Sheffield

[WiseOwl182 10]

This thread is ridiculous and very amusing too! Some of the attempted definitions are ludicrous, ranging from putting 99.5% of the population into the working class right through to shopping at M&S to be upper class!

 

The problem is, nobody can really agree on what defines it, but most people would be able to quickly tell when meeting someone for the first time.

 

---------- Post added 05-06-2015 at 18:35 ----------

 

I'm selling my M series and buying a Jag.

 

Well that's going to quickly reverse all that emission saving cycling you do, and then some.

[Bonaparte 10]

THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS!

(Most of you lot need to learn these basics.)

 

There are seven words that the English uppers and upper-middles regard as infallible *indicators. Utter any one of these seven deadly sins, and their on-board class-radar devices will start bleeping and flashing and you will be demoted to middle class, at best, and probably lower.

 

1. Pardon: Here’s a good class-test: when talking to an English person, deliberately say something too *quietly for them to hear you *properly. A lower-middle or middle-middle person will say, ‘Pardon?’ An upper-middle will say ‘Sorry?’ (or perhaps ‘Sorry — what?’ or ‘What — sorry?’). But an upper-class and a working-class person will both say, ‘What?’ (The working-class person may drop the t — ‘Wha’?’ — but this will be the only difference.)

 

2. Toilet: Another word that makes the higher classes flinch — or exchange knowing looks if it’s uttered by a would-be social-climber. The term used by upper-middles and uppers is ‘loo’ or *‘lavatory’ *(pronounced ‘lavuhtry’, with the accent on the first syllable). ‘Bog’ is occasionally acceptable, but only if said in an obviously ironic-jocular manner. The working classes all say ‘toilet’, as do most lower-middles and middle-middles. Lower and middle-middles with pretensions or aspirations, however, may opt for suburban-genteel euphemisms such as ‘Gents’, ‘Ladies’, ‘bathroom’, ‘powder room’, ‘facilities’ and ‘convenience’, or jokey euphemisms such as ‘latrines’, ‘heads’ and ‘privy.’

 

3. Serviette: It’s been suggested that ‘serviette’ was taken up by squeamish lower-middles who found ‘napkin’ a bit too close to ‘nappy’, and wanted something that sounded a bit more refined. Whatever its origins, ‘serviette’ is now regarded as irredeemably lower class. Upper-middle and upper-class mothers get very upset when their children learn to say ‘serviette’ from well-meaning lower-class *nannies, and have to be pain*stakingly retrained to say ‘napkin’. The higher echelons call their evening meal dinner or supper rather than tea, which is associated with the working class.

 

4. Dinner/tea: Nothing wrong with this word: it’s only a working-class hallmark if you use it to refer to the midday meal, which should be called ‘lunch’. Calling your evening meal ‘tea’ is also a working-class indicator: the higher echelons call this meal dinner or supper. But the uppers and upper-middles use the term supper much more than the middles and lower-middles, rarely describing an evening meal as *dinner unless it’s a particularly *formal occasion — and never, ever using the term dinner party. For the higher classes, tea is taken at around four o’clock, and consists of tea and cakes or scones (which they pronounce with a short o), and perhaps little sandwiches. The lower classes call this afternoon tea. All of which can pose a few *problems for foreign visitors: if you’re invited to dinner, should you turn up at midday or in the evening? Does ‘come for tea’ mean four o’clock or seven o’clock? To be safe, you have to ask what time you’re expected. The answer will help you to place your hosts on the social scale.

 

5. Settee: Or you could ask your hosts what they call their furniture. If an upholstered seat for two or more people is called a settee or a couch, they’re no higher than *middle-middle. If it’s a sofa, they’re upper-middle or above.

 

6. Lounge: And what do they call the room in which the settee/sofa is to be found? Settees are found in lounges or living rooms; sofas in *sitting rooms or drawing rooms. Drawing room (from withdrawing room) used to be the only correct term, but many upper-middles and uppers feel it’s a slightly pretentious name for, say, a small room in an ordinary terrace house — so sitting room has become acceptable. You may occasionally hear an upper-middle-class person say *living room, although this is frowned upon. Only middle-middles and below say lounge. Upper and middle classes insist the sweet course at the end of a meal is called dessert.

 

7. Sweet: The upper-middle and upper classes insist that the sweet course at the end of a meal is called the pudding. Asking ‘Does anyone want a sweet?’ at the end of a meal will get you immediately classified as *middle-middle or below. ‘Afters’ will certainly also activate the class-radar and get you demoted. ‘Dessert’ isn’t quite as clear as it once was. Some American-influenced young upper-middles are starting to say ‘dessert’, and this is therefore the least offensive of the three — and the least reliable as a class indicator.

 

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2608173/So-CLASS-YOU-A-wickedly-funny-perceptive-new-book-answer-hinges-favourite-marmalade-buy-M-S.html

Edited June 5, 2015 by Bonaparte

[Flanker7 20]

unclassified.

oxford, cambridge - upper class & royalty

 

Our Royalty's exam results show they are too thick to go to ox-bridge. Mind you it wouldn't stop them getting in.

sorry - gets coat

[WiseOwl182 10]

THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS!

(Most of you lot need to learn these basics.)

 

There are seven words that the English uppers and upper-middles regard as infallible *indicators. Utter any one of these seven deadly sins, and their on-board class-radar devices will start bleeping and flashing and you will be demoted to middle class, at best, and probably lower.

 

1. Pardon: Here’s a good class-test: when talking to an English person, deliberately say something too *quietly for them to hear you *properly. A lower-middle or middle-middle person will say, ‘Pardon?’ An upper-middle will say ‘Sorry?’ (or perhaps ‘Sorry — what?’ or ‘What — sorry?’). But an upper-class and a working-class person will both say, ‘What?’ (The working-class person may drop the t — ‘Wha’?’ — but this will be the only difference.)

 

2. Toilet: Another word that makes the higher classes flinch — or exchange knowing looks if it’s uttered by a would-be social-climber. The term used by upper-middles and uppers is ‘loo’ or *‘lavatory’ *(pronounced ‘lavuhtry’, with the accent on the first syllable). ‘Bog’ is occasionally acceptable, but only if said in an obviously ironic-jocular manner. The working classes all say ‘toilet’, as do most lower-middles and middle-middles. Lower and middle-middles with pretensions or aspirations, however, may opt for suburban-genteel euphemisms such as ‘Gents’, ‘Ladies’, ‘bathroom’, ‘powder room’, ‘facilities’ and ‘convenience’, or jokey euphemisms such as ‘latrines’, ‘heads’ and ‘privy.’

 

3. Serviette: It’s been suggested that ‘serviette’ was taken up by squeamish lower-middles who found ‘napkin’ a bit too close to ‘nappy’, and wanted something that sounded a bit more refined. Whatever its origins, ‘serviette’ is now regarded as irredeemably lower class. Upper-middle and upper-class mothers get very upset when their children learn to say ‘serviette’ from well-meaning lower-class *nannies, and have to be pain*stakingly retrained to say ‘napkin’. The higher echelons call their evening meal dinner or supper rather than tea, which is associated with the working class.

 

4. Dinner/tea: Nothing wrong with this word: it’s only a working-class hallmark if you use it to refer to the midday meal, which should be called ‘lunch’. Calling your evening meal ‘tea’ is also a working-class indicator: the higher echelons call this meal dinner or supper. But the uppers and upper-middles use the term supper much more than the middles and lower-middles, rarely describing an evening meal as *dinner unless it’s a particularly *formal occasion — and never, ever using the term dinner party. For the higher classes, tea is taken at around four o’clock, and consists of tea and cakes or scones (which they pronounce with a short o), and perhaps little sandwiches. The lower classes call this afternoon tea. All of which can pose a few *problems for foreign visitors: if you’re invited to dinner, should you turn up at midday or in the evening? Does ‘come for tea’ mean four o’clock or seven o’clock? To be safe, you have to ask what time you’re expected. The answer will help you to place your hosts on the social scale.

 

5. Settee: Or you could ask your hosts what they call their furniture. If an upholstered seat for two or more people is called a settee or a couch, they’re no higher than *middle-middle. If it’s a sofa, they’re upper-middle or above.

 

6. Lounge: And what do they call the room in which the settee/sofa is to be found? Settees are found in lounges or living rooms; sofas in *sitting rooms or drawing rooms. Drawing room (from withdrawing room) used to be the only correct term, but many upper-middles and uppers feel it’s a slightly pretentious name for, say, a small room in an ordinary terrace house — so sitting room has become acceptable. You may occasionally hear an upper-middle-class person say *living room, although this is frowned upon. Only middle-middles and below say lounge. Upper and middle classes insist the sweet course at the end of a meal is called dessert.

 

7. Sweet: The upper-middle and upper classes insist that the sweet course at the end of a meal is called the pudding. Asking ‘Does anyone want a sweet?’ at the end of a meal will get you immediately classified as *middle-middle or below. ‘Afters’ will certainly also activate the class-radar and get you demoted. ‘Dessert’ isn’t quite as clear as it once was. Some American-influenced young upper-middles are starting to say ‘dessert’, and this is therefore the least offensive of the three — and the least reliable as a class indicator.

 

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2608173/So-CLASS-YOU-A-wickedly-funny-perceptive-new-book-answer-hinges-favourite-marmalade-buy-M-S.html

 

Based on which I am simultaneously lower, middle and upper class.

[Flanker7 20]

This thread is ridiculous and very amusing too! Some of the attempted definitions are ludicrous, ranging from putting 99.5% of the population into the working class right through to shopping at M&S to be upper class!

 

The problem is, nobody can really agree on what defines it, but most people would be able to quickly tell when meeting someone for the first time.

 

I agree.

 

The fact that "most people would be able to quickly tell when meeting someone for the first time." shows not which class we are, after all we all use different measures, but that we like to use the term and to pidgeon-hole people.

[The Joker 10]

Have you not read in the news that the middle class have abandoned their usual supermarkets and will now shop at lidl and aldi?

 

True.

 

The Meadowhall branch of Aldi is full of tupenny millionaires who are too tight to shop at Waitrose.

 

Mind you, the Job Lot at Lane Top is no better. Despite it's scummy image, the car park is full of upmarket germanese binwagens up there; methinks the owners overstretched themselves on the expensive car + mortgage and are forced to make savings elsewhere

[tinfoilhat 11]

Trousers. I've never seen a working class person wearing mustard or red coloured trousers (unless it's a track suit or something). Want to look wealthy? Order some yellow or red corduroy slacks!

[WiseOwl182 10]

True.

 

The Meadowhall branch of Aldi is full of tupenny millionaires who are too tight to shop at Waitrose.

 

Mind you, the Job Lot at Lane Top is no better. Despite it's scummy image, the car park is full of upmarket germanese binwagens up there; methinks the owners overstretched themselves on the expensive car + mortgage and are forced to make savings elsewhere

 

 

The Archer Rd Aldi is where the real middle class of Sheffield now shops, full of ex-Sainsbury's shoppers from across the road who have realised the quality is comparable but almost half the price. Not much to do with overstretching on the car or mortgage, more like not wanting to waste money for the sake of it when there's better things to spend on/ invest in.

[The Joker 10]

. . .the quality is comparable but almost half the price.

 

Do people still believe that?

 

Why not just do what I do, and shop at a "proper" supermarket and buy "proper" branded products that are on sale at half-price or a BOGOFF offer?

 

Not much to do with overstretching on the car or mortgage, more like not wanting to waste money for the sake of it when there's better things to spend on/ invest in.

 

I respectfully disagree. Have you been inside the Job Lot at Lane Top? It's grim.

 

If I wasn't such a skinflint, I would gladly shop elsewhere.

[WiseOwl182 10]

Do people still believe that?

 

Why not just do what I do, and shop at a "proper" supermarket and buy "proper" branded products that are on sale at half-price or a BOGOFF offer?

 

 

What's to believe? I was sceptical but came under increasing pressure to "take the Aldi challenge", so we gave it a go and have stuck with it for the most part. It's quicker not having to look for BOGOFs and being able to trust the quality. Anything they don't have can be quickly got from across the road at Sainsbury's. Shame they don't home deliver - although it wouldn't do to have an Aldi van outside so will be sticking with Ocado when required.

 

I respectfully disagree. Have you been inside the Job Lot at Lane Top? It's grim.

 

If I wasn't such a skinflint, I would gladly shop elsewhere.

 

I can only talk about the Aldi in Millhouses, which from my experience is full of middle class people from the surrounding suburbs. I've not yet braved a Lidl - they seem to come across a bit more "cheap"!

[tzijlstra 11]

Trousers. I've never seen a working class person wearing mustard or red coloured trousers (unless it's a track suit or something). Want to look wealthy? Order some yellow or red corduroy slacks!

 

I have red, yellow, green, blue (not jeans), beige, brown and black corduroys although admittedly I don't fit in any because I have eaten too much lobster. Am I now wealthy? Do you know how much that shizzle costs???

[amandaholden 10]

The Archer Rd Aldi is where the real middle class of Sheffield now shops, full of ex-Sainsbury's shoppers from across the road who have realised the quality is comparable but almost half the price. Not much to do with overstretching on the car or mortgage, more like not wanting to waste money for the sake of it when there's better things to spend on/ invest in.

 

fully agree!