Middle Class / Upper Middle Class

[Beaniebeemer]

What’s the difference?

I think I'm working class, but not sure.
We have very little money one lowish income, but a good disposable income.
Own our own home, no mortgage and have a btl or two. Both directors of our company. Child boards at school and our holiday is usually Italy.
I enjoy Jazz, Opera, Art, Museums and Galleries.
I'm pretty sure my parents were wc too, my Dad was a Draughtsman/Design Engineer and mum a sahp and then corner shop owner

I'm disappointed that this thread hasn't started arguing over whether you should say "what?" or "pardon?" when you didn't hear what someone said.

Yippee a class thread

One of the few advantages of being forrin in the UK is that it places you outside the class system. It's fun to talk to some people at parties etc and seeing them going through their mental list of questions and failing to place you in a box.

But since a pp asked and as disclaimer Iwill say that I am from the lowest of working class backgrounds but tick many boxes for upper middle class as described above. DH is solidly, almost stereotypically MC but dips in and out of upper middle through public school, Oxbridge and work. Lord knows what that makes our DC

The confusion is because people are more socially mobile nowadays. Anyone can get a good education and go to university. The aristocracy can barely afford their posh houses and staff and are flogging them off to celebs or opening theme parks in their grounds. Even the Royals are marrying commoners.

I think foreign usually fits in the working class box for most people, certainly upwardly mobile. Not that they should!!!

I despise it when people correct me with “It’s pardon not what”. I want to give the cheery twats a whack.

Foreign doesnt mean WC it all depends on your background and finances. A foreign Dr is still MC and a foreign Duke UC.

A foreign duke is still not to the same level, in the eyes of the true UC. I was once friendly with a Spanish duke, and mentioned this to another titled person from British stock. He scoffed at the thought that a foreign duke was anything of the same...

Yes the are unless its the Dukes of Hazzard.

Haha. I’m afraid I will still disagree.

My Jewish grt grandparents were not viewed as being social equals to my non Jewish grt grandparents, even though both were accountants, and the Jews more wealthy..

Read the book 'Snobs' written by Julian Fellowes en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snobs_(novel)

@andcouldlevrrefuse that’s my favourite party game! I like throwing in a few curve balls in there (oh yes, gggggrabdfather was friendly with the Romanovs! I just love Mac and cheese that you cook in the microwave-delicious!) just to watch their brain explode a tiny bit.

@ribenita the foreigners are usually a notch or two above their neighbours. I know loads of foreigners with wc jobs/incomes/houses and phds.

@morriszap because that’s how UMC people signal they they aren’t MMC.

Class is such a fickle thing.

Military families can often be very snobbish in my opinion as they brush shoulders with the elite, but in reality are not themselves elite.

Wherever you go in life, there will be someone one up from you, and someone one down. Then the next thing is, whether their view of self is accurate...

DH is from a military family ribenita and I agree that they have the nuances down to knife edge accuracy because of the historic links between the UMC and UC and the British Army (don’t knock it, it kept us revolution-free for centuries).

I think SarahandDuck’s definition is closest to the official version and yes, I think it does matter. If we hadn’t let David Cameron, who is the living breathing definition of Upper Middle, con us that he was “middle class” like the other 75% of the population we wouldn’t be in this mess.

However, I also swear like a sailor, will often eat an entire tube of Pringles by myself and put lemonade into my red wine when DH isn't looking, so suspect I'm solidly lower class despite the efforts of my parents and DH.

Excellent work Idon't. I think you may be what the youth would describe as 'class fluid'.

I'm solid working class, but may now be considered 'underclass' by certain politicians because I've been scraping by on disability benefits for a few years.

Foreign titles are two a penny

People of good breeding know their place and who to curtsey to etc

Who cares?