What is posh?

Oh no, I've been outed!!

Got to go, babysitting tonight and Charlotte is screaming her head off because George has just gone in and woken her up, yelling 'you're only second in line, stop pretending to be so posh'.

This is what I think of posh
Posh is one thing but class is a on a different level. Posh is ostentatious but class is self effacing. Posh tends to follow fashion blindly, but class is comfortable in its own style. Posh likes to think it's superior but class is simply quietly confident but definitely not superior. Posh is not concerned how it's behaviour affects others , but class has the ultimate in good manners. Posh is not comfortable to be around but class has the ability to welcome all.

My son when he was trying to be a bit gangsta as a teenager used to call me posh lady because I spoke properly! I'm definitely common as they come. But you can understand what I say, unlike my mumbling kids!

When I was growing up we referred to ourselves as RAF brats but if we'd dared to call a civilian child a brat we'd have been in serious trouble. We had to put up with them calling us Posho kids though

I used to be accused of being posh at primary school because I talked proper. I'm not sure how you tell now. Money and posessions won't work, look at the hideous Philip Green.

I am dead common but my father was a Baron. I don't expect to be believed. We didn't find out until I was 15 as my dad thought such things as titles were ridiculous.

I was an army brat but my DD was an officer so I was considered posh. I now realise I was and still am a snob!

Teetime : Glass= U, mirror = non U. Sofa = U, settee = non U. Napkin = U, serviette = non U. Can't remember any others, until I press 'send'.

Jalima my grandmother (born in the 1880s) had a double barrelled surname (preens).

Moocow.

Taking stuff from the link.

Yes, hot water never runs out, no matter how many people she has to say.

Furniture etc is so old, or else the stuff she does buy is old style, that even my mother says it is old fashioned.

When she thought they were moving, she found 22 tea-sets in total. No idea how old they all were, or which generation they had come from. Even she was surprised by just how many she had.And where she had had them all stored, I have no idea. It took her an age to wrap them all up individually for the proposed move which didnt happen in the end.

She likes baths and has them at the drop of a hat.

She has a thing about salt and pepper pots. Recently gave me a very large set. Pepper grinder, salt grinder? I dont know what they are called. Still in the back of my cupboard. Are out of place in my house, so I think they will stay there.

Well supplied with whatever a guest may need, including ashtrays.
Plenty of lamps etc.

Thank you notes are hand-written and sent.

I think the link leaves out something important.

They tend to be social, host lots of social events with apparent ease no matter how many people, or who the set of people are.
They are well connected, know people who know people, and are excellent at anything to do with food, and other things too such as flower arranging.

They are landowners.

Oh yes, u and non u........barmy!

Was it Nancy Mitford?

Toilet or lavatory?

Posh people say 'garage' (accent on the 'ga' and a long second 'a'), real people say 'garridge', according to DH. So that makes him non-posh and me posh. Sounds about right.

Yes, Wot, Nancy Mitford wrote about U and non U, but she didn't invent it. Lavatory or loo is U and toilet is non U (or was that retorical?) No wonder My Fair Lady works.

I was trying to remember more U and non U words.

I googled 'Port out, starboard home' and that appears to be a myth. Peterborough United, however, are definitely 'The Posh' .
I can't believe people still take Nancy Mitford seriously. She wrote it slightly tongue in cheek anyway.
We'll be quoting John Betjeman's 'How to get on in society', which could be describing Hyacinth Bucket, next.

Interesting Ankers I know someone like that and I've always thought her and her family to be posh but lovely people.

I've met a wide variety of people in my life and reached the conclusion that Some posh people aren't really posh as they class themselves as above others and I think if you are really posh you have perfect manners and that includes the ability to put others at ease very quickly, no matter their "class".

Ankers I think I heard that about furniture - posh people don't buy their furniture, they inherit it.

Only the hoi polloi have to buy furniture

We've just inherited some - are we posh?

In my Fair Lady, Professor Higgins sings "when an Englishman speaks, it makes another Englishman despise him"

Posh is, I think, in the eye (and ear!) of the beholder. It seems to me to imply that the person who says something is posh either feels inferior or is trying to put another person down. Neither is good.
Often someone is judged to be posh purely on their speech, I guess that is part of the reason that many people use more than one form of speech.

Pat - Just seen your post, yes, that's what I was thinking too!

Whitewave that's a spot on description, My DM still has her "telephone voice" although we were my no means posh. When I moved to Middlesex & worked in Surrey (well spoken rather than posh accent) I did notice my accent changing but dealing with Accountants on the phone from all parts of the UK it helped to speak clearly, however I've never lost all trace of my Yorkshire accent, even here in Devon people often ask me what part of Yorkshire I come from

People who come from money know how to treat "staff" in Bars, Restaurants, Shops, polite & appreciative of good service - new money is rude & overbearing, treat you as a personal slave

There's a saying up North "all fur coat & no knickers" for people who put on "airs & graces", usually when they're all top show, proper snobs of the Hyacinth Bucket variety

Anyway, does it matter? Shouldn't we just take people as we find them?

My mum used that expression Legs55