Am I stuck up, or is colleague rude?

[Iltavilli]

I changed career last year, and am on a training programme for a challenging new role, which I take quite seriously.

The new job is in a highly regulated environment - which I’m used to - and o approach it as such. A colleague, also on the development programme, is far more informal. He’s happy to chat all day about tv, primarily programme I simply don’t watch (talent shows, love island, etc), given I’m more of a going to gigs and sports person, so we have little in common.

There was a meeting last week where I used a word he seemed not to understand. It’s wasn’t a complex word, but the most suited to the context. As he asked what it meant I explained. They then mocked me for using it. He’s a jokey person but this was mockery in front of others and felt mean.

I should note, he’s well educated (degree etc), but it isn’t the first time. He’s told me to “stop being so middle class” before - I’m not, parents grew up on council estates, dad a factory labourer till he retired.

So who is BU?

I have read so many books, I love reading, and a wide range too. And I have never come across the word majoritarily before. That really isn't a common word, it's not one I would expect to hear. As a 50 year old woman, I think I would use plain English, and not use a word that is likely to confuse a lot of people, of all ages.

Agree he is being rude and defensive. Sadly, judging from quite a few posters on here, there's a lot of that going around.

If he has another go at you you could turn it on him a little. Say something like "I'm not MC/stuck up/whatever. I'm interested in a stuff. It's not my fault you're a boring wanker." But that's probably not judicious.

I despair of how anti-intellectual the UK seems to have become. I grew up working class in a town where the WEA was at the core of local culture. Nowadays no one seems to want to leave their living rooms.

I used the word synergy once to talk about how well two teams were working together. I had the piss taken out of me for months by a toad in my team. I took great delight in using at every appropriate future opportunity. Reverse snobbery by ignorant people is tiresome.

@BlackPrism I am a reader. Plenty of airport top 10 stuff, but also classics, Man Booker prize shortlist type works, many many Guardian articles... I have a degree (not English!) and am frequently to be found at RSC Stratford, or catching NT Live screenings of plays. If I ever do those silly online quizzes, I get most of not all words. As a child, I loved borrowing my mum’s Reader’s Digest and reading the expand your vocabulary bit.

I have never come across the word majoritarily! I’m happy to do - and enjoyed googling it, I love learning new words. Actually, my phone has even red underlined it!

I’m now curious as to whether I’ve managed to just never come across it, quite randomly... or whether your poor derided 50yo acquaintance is being rather harshly judged

Sorry about multiple posts. Didn't realise it had posted.

I have read so many books, I love reading, and a wide range too. And I have never come across the word majoritarily before. That really isn't a common word, it's not one I would expect to hear. As a 50 year old woman, I think I would use plain English, and not use a word that is likely to confuse a lot of people, of all ages.

What other word would you use to describe a key in excel if not key a Little matchy colour boxes?

Pmsl that is not a fancy word lol my year 7s use it in context!!

Agree he is being rude and defensive. Sadly, judging from quite a few posters on here, there's a lot of that going around.

If he has another go at you you could turn it on him a little. Say something like "I'm not MC/stuck up/whatever. I'm interested in a stuff. It's not my fault you're a boring wanker." But that's probably not judicious.

I despair of how anti-intellectual the UK seems to have become. I grew up working class in a town where the WEA was at the core of local culture. Nowadays no one seems to want to leave their living rooms.

Sorry for extra posts, something is going on with accessing MN on my laptop so I reported my extra posts and resorted to my phone.

@BlackPrism I am a reader. Plenty of airport top 10 stuff, but also classics, Man Booker prize shortlist type works, many many Guardian articles... I have a degree (not English!) and am frequently to be found at RSC Stratford, or catching NT Live screenings of plays. If I ever do those silly online quizzes, I get most of not all words. As a child, I loved borrowing my mum’s Reader’s Digest and reading the expand your vocabulary bit.

I have never come across the word majoritarily! I’m happy to do - and enjoyed googling it, I love learning new words. Actually, my phone has even red underlined it!

I’m now curious as to whether I’ve managed to just never come across it, quite randomly... or whether your poor derided 50yo acquaintance is being rather harshly judged

Sorry about multiple posts. Didn't realise it had posted.

I used the word synergy once to talk about how well two teams were working together. I had the piss taken out of me for months by a toad in my team. I took great delight in using at every appropriate future opportunity. Reverse snobbery by ignorant people is tiresome.

Sorry but those banging on about inverse snobbery and an expanding lowbrow culture are missing the point.

Op hasn’t actual used any particularly “posh” words, nor are her pursuits particularly class subjective - gigs and sport).

However, she has frequently mentioned “them” and “they” and therefore it does sound like she is isolating herself from a larger crowd than just the said man.

Also - being honest the “I take my highly regulated job very seriously” does sound a bit well... po-faced. Then combined with the scorn for those who enjoy certain populist tv shows, does make her sound, a little pompous.

He’s being rude. The t.v talk happens everyday in my workplace. I don’t watch any of it and so don’t join in. It’s not an issue. Much as I’d love to talk to someone about old-fashioned roses, perfume and cats I realise that my interests are not theirs. And that’s fine too.

He is being rude. Honestly, you can be seen as being stuck up just for reading a book in public these days. It’s not hard.

He sounds thick. Sadly as this thread shows there are a lot of people who celebrate that. We're all sick of experts remember?! Brexit tastic. It's not you, it's him.

YABU for assuming that because he has a degree he is 'well educated'. That ship sailed about 20 years ago. I had to explain the word sinister to someone 'with a degree' recently. Thick as a brick.

combined with the scorn for those who enjoy certain populist tv shows, does make her sound, a little pompous.

Which words of the OP's do you take as scornful?

Language does change over time though, doesn’t it?

Due to staff changes we will soon become a team of 4 women plus the male boss. I said to one of my colleagues that it will be “Bob and his harem.” She looked blank, so I repeated it.

The problem was, she didn’t know what the word “harem” meant. She is early 30’s, intelligent and able. But I guess that word has never come up in her experience. I, being in my mid 50’s, grew up watching/reading Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, Carry on Cleo, and other sources where harem might be used. Whereas for her, txtspeak is a native language and books something she had to use at uni.

He is BU! When you explained your use of the word 'key' he felt like a twat and tried to make himself look better by laughing at you. Next time he asks you about a term you use just give him a long hard quiet stare, as if to say "you are joking right?". He'll soon stop.

As for not wanting to discuss programmes you don't watch - who the fluff wants to do that? ie I don't watch Game of Thrones (yeah yeah, go and judge me) so if someone starts chatting about "oooh did you see the last episode when so and so.." and I say "well actually I've never watched it" that's really the signal that I don't want to know who did what to what etc...I don't watch it but that doesn't mean I want you to fill me in on it! I work with two ladies who don't watch love island but I don't go in and give them a running commentary each day.

YANBU I would use the word key in that context to any school child, he is just dim and uneducated.

OP stay just as you are, why should you lower yourself to his level. I love Love Island but I wouldn't expect a conversation about it with anyone who doesn't watch it. He has a massive inferiority complex.