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Original poster

We're you at high school in late 90's early 00's?

53 replies

MoonBaby1 · 29/03/2026 16:27

If you were in high school in laten90s early 00's did you use these words? Qualert, povert. If so we're in the uk we're you and is this a regional thing?

OP posts:
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LBOCS2 · 29/03/2026 18:22

I was in secondary 1996-2003 in south London and have never heard those words.

GlasgowGal2014 · 29/03/2026 18:12

FYI - According to google the term 'High School' originated in Scotland with the earliest recorded reference being from 1505 in relation to the Royal High School in Edinburgh. America eventually adopted the term from Scotland.

GlasgowGal2014 · 29/03/2026 18:03

I went to XXX High School, which has been called that since 1948. In Scotland people seem to always talk about high school rather than secondary.

Edited - OP I was at High School in the 1990s and have never heard those words.

MeDadMeDad · 29/03/2026 17:58

I was at high school in Manchester 1997 till 2001 and have never heard or used these words.

purpleme12 · 29/03/2026 17:56

Ok

NewZebra · 29/03/2026 17:54

purpleme12 · 29/03/2026 17:44

I've always said high school and still do now

It's not a new thing

Although interestingly my sister in law who lives in the south said to her son 'why you saying high school that's American'. And I said 'we've always said high school'.
Is it maybe a southern thing that they don't say high school there? I don't know

Our school was called Name High School. We didn’t just add it ourselves. It was its actual name.

NewZebra · 29/03/2026 17:52

mum2jakie · 29/03/2026 17:12

Yes because I went to X High School in the nineties. Are we pretending it's a new Americanised term like the people who complain about Santa and Mother's Day?

Never heard those words though, OP!

Show quote history

Don’t forget people in the West Midlands who use the term “mom” because we all think we are American apparently 🙄🙄
I also went to a something HIGH School too.

YouCantBeSadHoldingACupcake · 29/03/2026 17:49

Started in 1997, in Essex. Never heard them

DreamingOfGeneHunt · 29/03/2026 17:48

Left in 1998 and never heard them. (East Midlands.)

AzureLurker · 29/03/2026 17:47

I left High School in 2001 and have never heard those terms.
Yes it was 'High Scool' as are the several that I have worked in.

Beardedmushrooms · 29/03/2026 17:47

I was in high school in Glasgow 97- 2002 and have never heard these words.

Also, I never called it high school then, it was just school as 'what school do you go to'? We just called our school by its name so if it was Kempton Secondary school we'd say 'I go to Kempton'. No additional info required.

PurpleNightingale · 29/03/2026 17:47

Left secondary in 2002 rural SE England. Never heard either.

purpleme12 · 29/03/2026 17:44

I've always said high school and still do now

It's not a new thing

Although interestingly my sister in law who lives in the south said to her son 'why you saying high school that's American'. And I said 'we've always said high school'.
Is it maybe a southern thing that they don't say high school there? I don't know

Didimum · 29/03/2026 17:44

Left secondary school in 2001. East Anglia. Never heard those words.

Cantheowneroftheredcorsapleasemovetheircar · 29/03/2026 17:43

Left secondary/high school in 2003. School years split between South of England and Glasgow.

Never heard either.

Are you going to tell us what they mean?!

purpleme12 · 29/03/2026 17:41

Yes I was at high school at that time and I've never heard of those words

West Yorkshire

Arlanymor · 29/03/2026 17:39

I left secondary school in 1995 and we didn't call it high school and I don't know those words. At that time I was in Sussex.

Original poster
MoonBaby1 · 29/03/2026 17:38

They mean quality (as in something good), ,and poverty (as in something was rubbish) usually said in the thick Suffolk accent.

OP posts:
SlowSloths · 29/03/2026 17:36

Never heard those words. I went to 4 high schools in 3 different areas of the UK. None of them down south though.

raspberrieswithchocolate · 29/03/2026 17:35

As you can see @MoonBaby1, none of us have heard of these terms. Can you explain what they mean?

Blueeyedmale · 29/03/2026 17:34

Never heard those words left in 1997

MrsTravelBug · 29/03/2026 17:32

I left school in 2002 and haven’t heard those words in my life.

Ninerainbows · 29/03/2026 17:32

Crunchymum · 29/03/2026 16:40

Are we saying "high school" now?

I'm not a fan.

I left secondary in the late 90's and have never heard of those words.

Edited

I went to "Place Valley High School" which has been called that since it opened in the 1970s.

Never heard them and I was in high school from1996-2001.

Bombombomtralala · 29/03/2026 17:31

I left secondary school (we called it high school when I lived in London but secondary when I moved halfway through!) in 1995 and haven’t heard of either.

What do they mean @MoonBaby1 ?

Echobelly · 29/03/2026 17:30

Left school in London 1996, never heard of those words.

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