To think the people who call people common

[ThisIsNotHoneyDragon]

Without their tongue in their cheek, and instead as a judgement of a persons appearance, behaviour or character, and genuinely mean it, are probably not very pleasant people themselves?

yellowraincoat but if you take that attitude that people who have more advantages in life are fair game for abuse because they haven't experienced the same hardships and should laugh it off isn't that a bit dangerous. That same perception would mean that a white person taking racist abuse should just laugh it off as historically they have experienced less prejudice and more social advantage than other races. There will never be anything near equality in society if people take that kind of stance.

I didn't say they were "fair game for abuse". I said that if someone calls a posh person posh, I don't cry about it.

Honestly, I don't think that bringing race into it is helpful, because it's a totally different issue.

It's over thinking it a bit. I say chavvy (but not common) and posh in a tongue in cheek way quite often, but sometimes I mean it too.........I am quite a nice person I think, I doubt I am going to burn in hell because I think some people are chavs. It is totally unachievable to never, ever label or pass judgement on another person - I'm sure most people do it in some way virtually every day.

Agreed. I don't like 'common' or 'posh'. Or 'middle class'. Whatever that is.

yellowraincoat labelling people whether it be for social class, gender, race, religeon, sexual preference is all unhelpful period. You can't have one rule for one label and one for another because of social advantage or whatever reason people give to justify why they think something is ok.

Well I disagree KellyElly

As stated above.

What about all the 'posh frocks' in wardrobes up and down the land? They will need a new title. 'Swanky frock' maybe, with emphasis on the 's'.

squoosh they can stay the same. I don't think we need to reclaim the word as both posh and common are acceptable depending on how they're used 'posh restaurant', 'common good' etc. It just if someone refers to someone as a 'posh twat' or 'twit' as people seem to now or 'ohhh x is so common/such a chav'. It's how it's meant isn't it.

I like the word posh as in fancy - ie posh biscuits,the aforementioned posh frocks.... If anybody calls you posh, just consider yourself super fancy and glam.
Now to work on a positive spin on being called common....

YANBU. It's a misuse of a word. Common means frequently encountered.

The word they are looking for is vulgar

Oh but sometimes when I see Julian Fellowes being all Julian Fellowesy I just want to say . . . . . . . . . .

I remember when ds was little being in a shoe shop in Doncaster where my ex is from.
She asked his name and when he said Fraser she said Ooh that's posh
I wasn't insulted at all, she was just a nice lady.
I agree about Julian Fellowes, squoosh, I just want to say that too...

LadyBeagleEyes of course as saying someone's name is posh isn't an insult, if she turned to a fellow sales assistant and said 'bloody posh bastards calling their kids stupid names' you would have been insulted . It's context. I have a common surname (as in a lot of people have it - just to clarify :)) and I've had people say oh there must be lots of you on fb, that's a common name. In that context common isn't insulting either.

That's why I object to the the term "Sharon posters". I agree about common, having worked in a prep school that was more aspirational than posh (and a bit crap) the aspirational mummies used to loudly berate us for taking certain forces kids. "Darling, an officers children is one thing but...Marines?" There was a lot of bullying about who was common, not nice at all. Of course at the end of the day, the really popular kids were the nice ones who everyone liked, a variety from a whole spectrum of backgrounds.

I think the 'Sharon' poster is a completely different thing.
It usually refers to totally weird posts from the same op that make no sense at all but are very funny.

See I don't get uncomfortable when people describe spitting in the street as common as I know they mean vulgar.

But it is being used more and more in a sneery, you are not good enough way.

Common, does not in any way mean inferior. eating chip s in the bag is common, other wise chip shops wouldn't sell them, as there would be no market.

I was thrilled to be in the company of a work colleague once sneering at a young woman sharing a litre bottle of coke with a friend whilst waiting for a bus. She said "that's sooooo common, I can't abide eating and drinking in the street", but she was waling along drinking a latte from Starbucks
Having the best part of £4.00 to spend on a coffee surely does not exempt you from commoness, if being "common" is drinking in the street?

I had though of that at the time as amusing, but it is pervading more and more into social commentary now, and it is not used in a pleasant way.

squoosh
'posh' as an insult is nowhere near the same as saying 'chav'. Posh has positive associations for a lot of people. Can you imagine Chav Spice?

Er, wasn't that Mel C?

Posh people don't call us commoners common, they call us "oiks".
Same thing I suppose- just means we are not upperclass like what they are.

There are 60 million of us, of course we're "common"...

ThisIsNotHoneyDragon is right, it's when it's used in a sneery way it's not nice, as opposed to describing vulgar behaviour.

Around here it's altogether common for the teenagers to model themselves on the boys and girls in "Made in Chelsea". It isn't common for small children to be called a "little fucker" and dragged by one arm for a yard or three by an overweight blonde with her fat outllined in too tight leggings in the local shopping centre. Just because it isn't a common occurrence doesn't make it acceptable and it doesn't stop one's heart going out to the poor child.

Its just a rather old-fashioned word. Been replaced by chav. Common sounds quite sweet by comparison.

MY nana was such a snob sometimes and would call people common she would say this with rollers in her hair and a piny on I AM NOT KIDDING bless her, I use it now but i do it jokingly ,

YANBU

Only "common" people would use the term "common".

shudders even..............the nastiness has made my ands go all funny

hands