What makes a person 'common'?

[Karlwho]

In your opinion. Just interested.

Class hatred this breaks my heart....
As a massive chav - I’m gobsmacked that people are so quick to jump in this. Come on people we are better than this. Lots of these ideas about “common” or “lower class” are just prejudices against the culture of poor people. It’s heartbreaking....

Many of the things listed sound like my teenagers! Maybe those who are considered common just never grew out of the teenage phase?

HelloYouKant, out of interest, which traits do you deem as cultural? Swearing? Spitting? Shirts off? Drinking and smoking in the street?

Going abroad and only wanting to eat sausage and chips rather than local food

Oh I do agree with this one

Anyone else feeling very common after reading this thread?

Well apparently picking up your plate to drink the remaining gravy is common (at home, not in public!) but it gives me a warm fuzzy feeling if my young dc ask if they can do this because it means they really enjoyed their meal! They know not to do it in a restaurant! I don't think we are common.

People that blow smoke into their kids prams and stand in the road shirtless or go to the shops in pyjamas.

All silver/grey or pink/grey living rooms
Mirrored/sparkly furniture
Velvet sofas/chairs (especially grey)
Big, sparkly silver ornaments
Angel wings on walls

All of this 😂😂 and “live laugh love” signs

I know someone who had a (badly done) live laugh love tattoo AND posted it on facebook. A 3 in 1. Even her mum said it was shit tattoo.

Spitting
Swearing in public
Arguing in public
Lack of manners
Drinking before 5 (unless with brunch/lunch)
An ‘aggressive’ attitude

Having a red lightbulb in your bedroom - the street can see it and will assume the worst!

I read yesterday that it doesn’t mess with melatonin reduction and was advised to get red lightbulbs for my kids!! Both their bedrooms are road facing and I live in a rough council estate.. probably will have to leave it won’t I 🙈

@GimmieTheCoffeeAndNooneDies what a winner 😂😂

I have my children’s initials tattooed on my foot. That’s definitely common and I don’t know why I did it 😂🙈

This thread (whilst I thought it was lighthearted) is a little sad and very judgmental.
There is uncouth behaviour, like swearing in public or using bad language, not picking up dog poo, and generally antisocial behaviour, but I cannot for the life of me understand what is "common" (very outdated term) about babies with pierced ears, a TV in your kitchen, or tatoos, do any of these things make you a less er person???
Its all a matter of choice, and what you might choose ie a TV in the kitchen in my case, less boring cooking for the family!
No I dont have a tattoo, I don't like them (or pain) I didn't have my kids ears pierced (dangerous for small school aged children) but its a matter of choice so I wouldn't judge anyone who did these things that I don't personally like.

Transfers on the wall at home, such as love life or whatever these things say

All silver/grey or pink/grey living rooms
Mirrored/sparkly furniture
Velvet sofas/chairs (especially grey)
Big, sparkly silver ornaments
Angel wings on walls

Omg this is my living room 😂 I have a large cream crushed velvet corner sofa, grey floors, silver crushed velvet & glitter wall art, varying shades of grey furniture, artificial plants & a cream ‘french’ trunk coffee table.... oh well, may as well own it 🤦‍♀️😂

Drinking from cans in the street.

Do people still think like this? How dreary.

Gravy

Not lifting ornaments when you dust

Love this one.

To me, common is being unable to see the value in those endeavours that make up human civilisation and being unwilling to put in the effort to contribute to them. For someone brought up in the UK, this means not having put in the work to:

Speak and write properly in English and at least one other language
Play at least one musical instrument well
Draw, paint, or do some other form of fine art well
Have read most of the literature in the Western canon, whenever possible in the original language
Understand enough science and mathematics to intelligently consider and discuss key issues that affect our world, such as climate change, vaccination, etc.

If you consider yourself better than the lower classes based on things you have inherited (habits of your parents) or bought (house in the right area, clothes from the right shop), but you can’t do any of the above, sorry to tell you I still consider you “common as muck.”

GooseBaby
Your list is a very privileged one. It assumes access to a quality of education that many people don’t have.

Read Western literature in its original language. How many people have read Goethe in German, Ibsen in Norwegian and Zola in French (Tolstoy and Chekhov in Russian too perhaps)

Why only western literature?

According to my dad, it's not pronouncing the "t" in words like "water" or "computer"

Because this is a list for those brought up in the UK, and understanding the foundations of one's own culture is a basic requirement.

As for your list, I have read all those in the original, and I am certainly not the most accomplished linguist in my circle.

Learning to do something properly can actually be done on the cheap and certainly with less time than most spend on buying things, watching things, and posting about things.

Speak and write properly in English and at least one other language
Play at least one musical instrument well
Draw, paint, or do some other form of fine art well
Have read most of the literature in the Western canon, whenever possible in the original language
Understand enough science and mathematics to intelligently consider and discuss key issues that affect our world, such as climate change, vaccination, etc

Mumsnet gold right here!

My grandma (born in the 1920s) had many opinions on things that were common. My two personal favourites were, plum jam and cafes without table cloths!

Luckily, she did "grow out of" the tablecloth opinion, but she'd still never touch plum jam!

For me... People with facial tattoos and people who swear at their kids in public places.