What things do you see and think are just pretentious?

[SneakyGremlins]

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.

Washedallthepots, it is. And yes I do talk to total strangers. I'm one of those sad (northern) people who dare to make eye contact with people on the tube. People I don't know are fascinating. You never know what you'll learn. The other day I got chatting to a bloke from Sweden in a city 80 miles from my home. When he found out where I was from he told me a hilarious story about the time he nearly got arrested just down the road from my house.

Neither of us were on our phones.

Instagram. All of it.

My friend who refers to her fiance by a nickname because she thinks it makes her Carrie from SATC.

It does, but only in the sense that she is equally annoying.

Sandman I chat to strangers a lot too but I don't particularly want to be forced to, if I go and sit in a cafe by myself it's because I want some time alone not to making polite chat to some randomer.

What this has got to do with being pretentious I have absolutely no idea.

Washedallthepots I'm not saying we should be forced to talk to strangers if that's what you inferred - and I think I have enough social awareness to know when and where, and when and where not to engage people in conversation.

What this has got to do with being pretentious I have absolutely no idea.

Nor do I - I think it span off from coffee shops getting called 'poncy' and 'policing' by daring to not have wi-fi for their customers.

To refer back to the OP. "No wi-fi Here" signs aren't pretentious. They are simply advertising a service - or lack of one - that appeals to some people
I just think it doesn't make any difference to me I've got 4G so i don't need your Wi-Fi!
I have found having phones hasn't decreased the supoosed6art of conversation but increased it.
When I've been with DP constantly for a couple of days on end conversation can dry up.we may both go on our phones in a pub or a cafe but it generates new conversation with articles we read. Posts from friends on fb etc, new ideas to explore the area we care visiting, reviews of films or gigs etc.

Eyebrow shaping & colouring (scouse brow)

I've had a pair of Hunter wellies for at least ten years. They're brilliant - non slip in mud, and the thick soles keep my feet warm when walking in snow (inc. weekend just gone.)

I don't see that wearing Hunters at Glastonbury would necessarily be pretentious, given how often Glastonbury is a sea of mud.

Mine are invariably filthy from wet/muddy walks - I don't waste energy cleaning them in between.

So basically according to most of the posts here if you don't like or understand something it's pretentious. Got it!

Basically.

From what I can see half the things listed here are just things people dislike, but I can't see that they're pretentious.

I agree no WiFi signs are generally pretentious.

Not having WiFi, fine. But having a twee sign about it telling people to "talk to each other!" is smug hipster virtue signalling of the highest order.

Reading the newspaper on an app on my phone rather than in hardcopy isn't a moral failing and it doesn't make me a "self hypnotised arsehole", ta.

@ The sandman I regularly enjoy long rambling chats with DH, my children, my friends and family. But if I'm alone in a coffee shop I relish being able to switch off and tune into my phone. I certainly have no interest in striking up a random conversation with the complete stranger glowering at all the other coffee drinkers.

I can't decide if I don't understand the meaning of pretentious or others don't.
Lots of these seem to be annoying, irritating, or tacky rather than what I would think of as pretentious. How is a Scouse brow pretentious? I'm so confused.

I’ve been confused about the word from the beginning and have slipped into things I think are naff. Does pretentious mean signalling something you are not andnyou think others will be envious of ??

HeronLanyon

Does pretentious mean signalling something you are not andnyou think others will be envious of ??

That's what I thought! That's why I don't understand why I'm considered pretentious by some in this thread, because I love antique and vintage things. I love history! I always have. I guess I'm not supposed to talk about it? I'm still confused.

The good thing, though, is none of my friends or family think that I am. And, that's the most important thing.

Some might think I am pretentious if what is meant is being quite into what are considered bynothersnto be elite things. But that’s not it I think. It’s more to do with pretence in order to signal a superiority which is not real. inthink it is often naff at the same time. Eg lions on pedastals and gilt tipped fences - naff city but also pretentious. I could be pretentious by eg pretending to enjoy skiing and throwing loads of money and boring on about it loudly but it wouldn’t be pretentious if I reallynwasninto it and was normal about it. Its really confusing. Actually just remembered a woman coming out of a weatherspoons Shouting at me walking along yelling that I was ‘a pretentious cow’ last autumn - out of nowhere - was kind of funny hadn’t said a word. Don’t think I needed to for her not to like anything about me. !

Choccy, you hit the heights of pretension with your student days, it can't be surpassed. Standards have slipped though under the weight of such strong competition and complaints about annoyance, irritation and sheer tacky naffness have been allowed to slip through. To bring standards up again, I've been insufferably pompous in this post. Ah. That's better.

I wear hunters, for real reasons. I would have a landrover 4x4 for real reasons, I wear a Barbour that I've had for years for real reasons. None of these things do I have for reasons other than they have proven durability and comfort for a hard task, and longevity. Other wellies split, you can't arse about around horses without sturdy clothing on, etc. What seems odd, venturing into the realms of pretention perhaps, is adopting things for pretention?! Ive talked myself out of anything being prtentious now. I even think personalised plates seem like fun now!

I don't see the issue buying/wearing hunters at festivals, they work! Year on year.but I wouldn't waste my money on them and love the fun of the flowery and other patterne

...other patterned boots...I was going to say only my post got posted.

I agree, lions on pillars, the sort of thing you see on the entrances to country estates of old, are the most prentious thing I've seen posted I think along with notsosafe RR

@BigStripeyBastard
I laughed so much about the peacocks and the cold pressed coffee that I spoiled a programme for my wife on TV and she has now sent me to finish this thread in the Atrium in the West Wing, and wouldn't you know it; it's Hudson's night off so I'm having to "do stuff for myself" it's bloody freezing here and the under footman is off sick. It's also bally infuriating because the damn butler had a half day off in January. One just can't get the staff anymore. I just love these threads about pretentious pricks, and you know what, they are everywhere. We even have some in this village.

Agree about the peacocks, noisy buggers. I've asked my man to go out and shoot the half dozen we have in the park, going to get a few alpaca.

Hurrah for pompousness longwayoff

'Velvet' furniture in odd shades of silver or millennial pink. It looks stupid and hard to keep clean.

White 4x4s or in fact most white cars. But the 4x4 in particular grinds my gears. It's like they're saying we're rich enough to have this car but wouldn't DREAM of taking it near a road smaller or muddier than an A road. Almost always seem to be driven by women who have lots of velvet furniture and a manicure that's never ruined by housework because they lounge about all day whilst the cleaner does the hard work and kids that are rude and unruly but wearing the most recent Adidas trainers whilst playing on the most recent iphone too.

I maybe be projecting some issues with my cousins here...

Meals like fish and chips served on ridiculously tiny boards or 'slates'. I have had to ask waiting staff for a normal plate on many occasions and am hoping this trend is now passing!

@ pisspawpatrol your post made me laugh. I wonder if we're related? But I can also think of several families I am definitely not related to who also totally fit that bill.

People who think moving to Brighton and commuting back to London makes them oh so original and hip, when in reality they've joined one of the biggest fads going.

Brighton has always been pretentious but now it's multiplied with hordes of weekend residents clad head to toe in Joules and Boden who think they are #LivingOurBestLife

Oh and log burners in modem homes.

Just ridiculous.