Saturday 13 March 2010

Class Euphemisms


English society is class-ridden. We're fond of saying it's "still" class-ridden, as if we're quite confident that class is about to go away. We feel a bit guilty about it, which is why we refer to it in a covert and snide way.

all the advantages private school

background class origins

bohemian, liberal knows people who aren’t in the top 400, or who don’t have three houses and three holidays a year

classy posh (but posh people would never say it)

coiffure Mrs Salmond is carefully coiffured. Times May 14 07 (ie lower middle class)

community, as in the local community, community picnic, community choir working-class or black people living in an area who need to be organised and have things laid on for them by patronising middle class people. The middle classes aren’t “the community” because they can afford to live where they like and are always moving on.

More class euphemisms here.

And many more in my mini ebook Boo and Hooray.

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