Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

What things do you see and think are just pretentious?

705 replies

SneakyGremlins · 01/02/2019 13:23

For me it's cafés with "no WiFi here, talk to each other!" signs.

A) I'll probably go elsewhere thanks

B) My best friend likes to sit on his phone anyway because they don't realise mobile data exists.

I just find it so wanky - if I'm going out to spend money on a drink and several pieces of cake then I'm going out to relax. If I want to be on my phone then I will be.

OP posts:
RavenWings · 04/02/2019 00:03

It’s a nice, big , safe car to ferry my toddler around in

Grin Yes, because toddlers are massive and need a giant car to travel in! Agree with everyone saying the Range Rovers are pretentious...though I'd class the personalised number plates as tacky.

Names on houses always get an eye roll from me, unless you're in a big country mansion. It doesn't look like you live at The Granary or Primrose Cottage or wherever, it looks like you living up your own arse.

Mummadeeze · 04/02/2019 00:10

People who laugh really loudly at jokes in Shakespeare plays because they know when to laugh.
People who ask you which school you went to when you are in your 40s.
Young men with twirly moustaches or ridiculous beards.

MitziK · 04/02/2019 00:15

People who make a point of buying cheap, nasty shit and claim it's just the same as the more expensive stuff.

No, it's not. You've either got zero taste buds/lower standards (in which case, by all means purchase something that is going to fall apart in a fortnight/taste like shit because it's all starch, fillers and colourants) or you're pathologically stingy - but need to still feel superior at others' expense.

purpleboy · 04/02/2019 00:24

@RavenWings I think the emphasis is on "safe"

Green eyed monster from a few pp on here.
How dare you spend your hard earned money on designer clothes, or big cars you feel keep your children a little safer. What a pretentious person you must be to move into a house with a name or god forbid name it yourself.

Whatever happened to live and let live!

This thread is comical Confused

RavenWings · 04/02/2019 00:32

Ime people who are defensive about their stuff leap to call others jealous. Not jealous at all, it's just tacky af to me. You do you - you like it? Buy it! But don't expect others to be impressed by it.

Smotheroffive · 04/02/2019 00:33

I never heard that RR hold the prize for safety Confused

purpleboy · 04/02/2019 00:45

Who needs you to be impressed, the world doesn't need to revolve around you! Can't people buy things for themselves to make them happy? My taste doesn't need to be your taste, but to incorrectly judge people says more about you than it does about me, I have no judgements or comments on how people choose to spend their money or what car they choose to drive, why is it your place to put people down for this?

Lol I'm sure it's not the worlds safest car, but it's a hell of a lot safer than most of the cars on the roads!

MissLanesAmericanCousin · 04/02/2019 00:45

MitziK, I had an ex friend that was like this. Especially, when it came to clothes, jewelry and home goods. She would literally take potshots at my jewelry, clothes and home decor because most of my jewelry is vintage or antique, my clothes are mostly vintage and I've collected antiques since I was 14. She bought her stuff at Costco, Walmart, Target and sometimes Macy's and Dillards. I had no problem with this (why would I?) but she insisted that my leather bags were ugly , my jewelry old fashioned and my antiques were charming all in a snotty voice.

The fact of the matter is, a lot of the clothes I have were made to last. They are often hand made (I wear a lot of cotton boho dresses from India, 1970's) so the stitching is stronger and the material is sturdier. Same goes for my jewelry. Same goes for furniture. Some of my things have lasted 100's of years and the crap that she bought that was made in China, falls apart after only several uses. There is a reason why there is the old adage "quality over quantity" Yes, I may be paying more upfront now, but it will last me long after my will has been read.

Klopptimist · 04/02/2019 00:46

Last I heard, Smother, it was the Subaru Impreza and the Vauxhall Crossland.

Anything that has been "switched out". No! It's been swapped. You don't sound modern, you sound like you let television adverts tell you how to think. Food that is pan-fried, oven-baked, hand-cut or in a bloody bowl. Hand painted balayage and that coffee which is made from beans that have been eaten then shat out by capuchins in the South American rainforest also deserve an honourable mention.

RavenWings · 04/02/2019 00:59

Well imo that's why so many people get a snit when others aren't impressed by their Barbour jackets, RRs or what have you. More expensive doesnt equal impressive, but people seem to think it should. There's a few kicking off on this thread and I'd bet that's what is behind it. As I said, buy whatever you like, don't expect others to think much of it.

RavenWings · 04/02/2019 01:02

Get in a snit, that should say!

In any case, it's a free world. People can buy what they like, and others can think what they like about those purchases. Tacky, pretentious, cheap, wasteful...whatever it may be.

Smotheroffive · 04/02/2019 01:48

The RR doesn't appear in the short list of safe cars to ferry your toddler around
Honda Civic
Mercedes X-Class
Subaru Impreza.
Subaru XV
Toyota C-HR
Vauxhall Insignia
Volvo S90 / V90
Volvo XC60.
VW Arteon.
VW T-Roc.
Not in any particular order. - data from Thatchams car crash research centre, (industry ratings for cars and insurers) as published by the telegraph (shortlist for winner selection)

AuntieOxident · 04/02/2019 03:03

Yeah, the thing about Range Rovers or other SUVs being safer is erm, not exactly true because a/ their much higher centre of gravity means they are a lot easier to roll than saloons or hatchbacks (as the D of E discovered recently) and b/ they are generally heavier which means their stopping distances are greater too.
In addition they are just fugly.

margesimpson40 · 04/02/2019 03:06

Genuine 50 ... Nic cage won an Oscar for leaving las Vegas ... He acted his blocks off. Tom cruise has done some amazing films but mission impossible will not win him an Oscar ... Born on the fourth of July should have ... He'll get his turn when he decided to act .... And maybe dump that scientology bullshit.

longwayoff · 04/02/2019 05:38

Ooh vintage, antiques, not Costco and Walmart, pretentious moi? Also friends RR came in very handy yesterday when I couldn't get my car up the sheets of ice covering the hill on which I live and had to leave the wretched thing in town. 2 dogs but no toddlers.

longwayoff · 04/02/2019 05:40

Bragging about the cost and quality of one's superior tasteful purchases is decidedly off.

Ifangyow · 04/02/2019 05:40

Jealous of Dave swanking around In his Barbour jacket orf orfing away? Er no. He likes people to think he's landed gentry. Unfortunately he's an unemployed ex postie with delusions of grandeur. A pretentious wanker. 😂

MissLanesAmericanCousin · 04/02/2019 05:42

I guess that makes me off and pretentious then.

I can't say that I care, though. Wink

WhiteDust · 04/02/2019 06:37

Warm Mousseline of Sussex Chicken stuffed with Cave Matured Roquefort and Fresh Harvested Walnuts with a Sauce of Sorrel Hollandaise and Julienne of Russet Apples 24.5

That's a thin bit of chicken stuffed with cheese & nuts, a sauce and a side of apples £24.50

ivykaty44 · 04/02/2019 06:53

Hand cut chips = ask if you can see the potato before they hand cut the chips... then they panick as they come in a packet

Food served on a board, with gravy in a jug - I kid you not they didn’t like the mess when we poured the gravy into the actual food 😳 we did ask what they thought would happen? And a plate was a great invention could we have a couple

4x4 that are driven by people who, when you meet on a country lane - refuse to drive off road...what’s the point then?

Putyourdamnshoeson · 04/02/2019 07:03

This thread is hilarious for the pretentiousness coupled with defensiveness. I distinguish between pretentious, posh and tacky.

People from my town centre road, wearing barbours and hunters to walk the kids to school = pretentious

Personalised number plates = tacky.

Buying a £450 white shirt to be a pirate for pirate day at nursery (and not mentioning it until asked) =posh.

The last was my ds's ex nursery leader.

Teacher22 · 04/02/2019 07:06

The peacock riff posted above was sheer comedy gold.

Teacher22 · 04/02/2019 07:14

Veganuary
Movember
Stoptober
Ginuary
Etc.

And any other attempt to hijack the calendar in the service of some cause either virtue signalling, minority interest or cult based.

Also the commercial aspects of:-
Valentine’s Day
St Patrick’s Day
Burns Night
Hallowe’en
Mother’s Day
Father’s Day
Grandparents’ Days
Christmas

While I am about it, I am not so keen, either, on the following if my neighbours celebrate them loudly in their gardens with loud music and copious alcohol:-
Cup finals
World Cup matches
The Olympics

I will crawl back in my hole again now.

Hippopotas · 04/02/2019 07:43

People who call going to the gym and working out “training”

MariaNovella · 04/02/2019 07:56

People who live in the countryside in order to benefit from the lovely views over farmland yet adopt a lifestyle that is unsympathetic to farmers and don’t support the farming economy. The hypocrisy.