What makes a person ‘posh’ ?

[ethelfleda]

Yep - blatantly inspired by the other thread!
What do you think makes a person posh? Judging by the other responses it’ll be no tattoos, no swearing and never visiting a Greggs

(Lighthearted!)

I'm constantly being accused of being posh.

I think it's my accent - I live in the North West but have a "queen's english" accent that stands out a mile up here.

I went to private school, my kids go to private school.

My parents had good careers and a bit of money, some of which I've recently inherited early.

I've been accused of growing up with a silver spoon in my mouth.

In reality, financially I'm a bit fucked, have had two failed relationships, am a single Mum with tattoos and swear like a trooper???!!!!

My in-laws think I'm posh because I visit art galleries and the theatre,and like reading and history. They have no idea why I like visiting London as they have never been and never will.

IME genuine poshos have class that can’t be bought. People who aspire to be posh stand out a mile as they tend to be ostentatious. All of the ‘real’ posh people I’ve met have been absolutely lovely people with nothing to prove, classy basically!

The poshest people I know look poorer than the wealthiest people I know if that makes sense.
E.g my dad: new range rover, personalised number plate, designer clothes, artificial lawn. Very wealthy but not posh

My boss: old S reg merc, listed house, muddy boots and old cord trousers. Posh, annual income is less than my dad.

Horses, parents with second homes, generations of the family in the same career.

People who pronounce ‘very’ ‘vair’

My colleagues think I'm posh because I say "fucking hell" as opposed to "fuckin' 'ell", and enunciate the terminal T in "cunt".

This might help.
From “Pamela Patricia” ,by Victoria Wood.

I don’t say who I do say whom
I never use the toilet it’s the smallest room.
I don’t wear shorts or sling back shoes.
My only pair of trousers are my gardening trews.

'Old money' = Posh

'New money' = Common/vulgar

I should add that to the other thread

Really posh people swear. In a posh accent. And have threadbare carpets. They say loo not toilet, go shopping in waitrose in their gardening clothes and own a black labrador.

The biggest markers of poshness to my mind:

• having the absolute self assurance that you can do whatever the fuck you like in life, career-wise. Partly confidence, partly money.
• very sadly.... having a well-rounded and cultured education that values the subjects that don't (generally) bring home the bacon: music; art; philosophy; classics; and sport.

Posh people don’t care how others perceive them, they are secure in their position.

Public school and red brick uni education
At least a couple of generations of old money behind them
Having a clean and elegant look
Having a career and not a job
Found in members bars and not wetherspoons

very sadly.... having a well-rounded and cultured education that values the subjects that don't (generally) bring home the bacon: music; art; philosophy; classics; and sport.

That strikes me big time every time I am in V&A museum or Royal Academy of Arts in London. Where I am from, even common folk appreciates culture too.

I've just thought about it and realised that when I think of sth as 'posh' it's always a thing and not a person. I use the word to mean something nice and expensive

Also, all knowing each other somehow , even if you can't figure out how! They're the minority so they mix with the masses ha, but when you dig snoop on facebook they all know each other somehow. It's a mystery. Is there a list of posh people. I'm not posh enough to be on it.

A friend of mine went to Eton and his grandparents own a huge castle - won’t say which as outing, he’s got a title too. I suppose he’s posh. Really down to Earth guy though - works a normal job and quite funny!

Braying voices in cut glass accents
A sense of complete and utter entitlement
Not giving a monkeys what people think of them
Public school education
Family money

It is true that only the middle class seem to fret about what is considered common/posh. Most working class and Upper class do not care about how they are perceived.

Calling stuff posh is not posh. "i have posh biscuits" etc is a phrase you won't hear a posh person saying.

Posh is doing the little whistle when talking.

I do have a posh teapot though...

Private school, preferably boarding school, with absolutely no understanding whatsoever that there is another way to educate your children.

I've worked with loads of very posh people (media), a few with titles or grandchildren of presidents Kings etc The real posh lot are usually very charming and never talk about their house or cars but new money lot are generally vulgar with over the top purchases and flashing the cash.

Being an arrogant cunt.

Can someone please link the other thread please as sounds fab??

Living with the military was an eye-opener. The wives of Officers who had done Sandhurst and been commissioned straight into the army couldn't care less about what others thought of them. The wives of Officers commissioned from the ranks were totally different, everything had to be just so, one never left her house without full make up, hair done to within an inch of its life and dressed to kill, this to walk to the end of the road for the school bus. They were also the ones who were keen to know where you fitted, socially, and could make people like my visiting parents feel very uncomfortable. Think Hyacinth Bucket, pronounced like mop and bucket too.