38:
285:
A study in 1940 on the speaking differences between the
American upper and middle classes revealed a strong similarity with the results of Ross's research. For instance, the American upper class said 'curtains', whilst the middle class used 'drapes'. Notably, the well-heeled would use 'toilet'
254:. In particular the media used it as a launch pad for many stories, making much more out of it than was first intended. In the meantime, the idea that one might "improve oneself" by adopting the culture and manner of one's "betters", instinctively assented to before
171:), while the upper classes in many cases stick to the same plain and traditional words that the working classes also use, as, confident in the security of their social position, they have no need to seek to display refinement.
249:
The issue of U and non-U could have been taken lightheartedly, but at the time many took it very seriously. This was a reflection of the anxieties of the middle class in
Britain of the 1950s, recently emerged from
739:
892:
224:
in 1954. Mitford provided a glossary of terms used by the upper classes (some appear in the table), unleashing an anxious national debate about
159:
in the 1950s. The different vocabularies can often appear quite counter-intuitive: the middle classes prefer "fancy" or fashionable words, even
814:
907:
55:
232:, which involved a good deal of soul-searching that itself provided fuel for the fires. The essay was reprinted, with contributions by
835:
225:
740:"A U and non-U exchange: In 1956, Alan Ross defined the language that marked a man above or below stairs. Today, can one still tell?"
868:
856:
797:
779:
696:
121:
102:
74:
251:
59:
686:
81:
261:
Some of the terms and the ideas behind them were largely obsolete by the late 20th century, when, in the United
Kingdom,
897:
88:
273:. However, many, if not most, of the differences remain very much current, and can therefore continue to be used as
902:
887:
70:
265:
led younger members of the
British upper and middle classes to adopt elements of working class speech, such as
184:
195:
usage, published in a
Finnish professional linguistics journal. Though his article included differences in
48:
242:
200:
220:
617:
95:
852:
831:
810:
793:
775:
692:
565:
240:, and others, as well as a "condensed and simplified version" of Ross's original article, as
262:
243:
Noblesse Oblige: an
Enquiry into the Identifiable Characteristics of the English Aristocracy
214:
was alerted and immediately took up the usage in an essay, "The
English Aristocracy", which
192:
585:
266:
215:
180:
168:
774:. Hamish Hamilton, London, 1956. Reprinted Oxford : Oxford University Press, 2002,
286:
whereas the less well-heeled would say 'lavatory', an inversion of the
British usage.
881:
843:
767:
237:
211:
196:
148:
847:
802:
329:
274:
255:
233:
188:
144:
140:
37:
560:
246:
in 1956. Betjeman's poem "How to Get On in
Society" concluded the collection.
204:
164:
160:
152:
17:
785:
691:(1989 ed.). New Brunswick: Large Print Transaction. pp. 50–51.
612:
Ross, Alan S. C., "Linguistic class-indicators in present-day
English" ,
621:
270:
187:. He coined the terms "U" and "non-U" in an article on the differences
151:, was part of the terminology of popular discourse of social dialects (
179:
The discussion was set in motion in 1954 by the British linguist
229:
31:
790:
Watching the English: The Hidden Rules of English Behaviour
673:
Watching the English: The Hidden Rules of English Behaviour
156:
675:, pp. 75–76: "Terminology Rules – U and Non-U Revisited".
167:, in attempts to make themselves sound more refined (
62:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
871:Linguistic class-indicators in present-day English
823:. Hamish Hamilton, London, 1970. SBN 241 01967 2
851:. Hodder, London, 1996, at pp. 297–394.
8:
608:
606:
203:, it was his remark about differences of
122:Learn how and when to remove this message
792:. Hodder & Stoughton, London, 2004.
293:
734:
732:
730:
728:
576:
27:Social class-based varieties of English
726:
724:
722:
720:
718:
716:
714:
712:
710:
708:
616:(Helsinki), vol. 55(1) (1954), 20–56.
7:
143:and "non-U" represents the aspiring
60:adding citations to reliable sources
258:, was now greeted with resentment.
893:Social class in the United Kingdom
636:. London, Hamish Hamilton, 'Note'.
207:that received the most attention.
183:, professor of linguistics in the
25:
36:
210:The upper class English author
47:needs additional citations for
1:
658:Buckle, Richard (ed.). 1978.
614:Neuphilologische Mitteilungen
645:Mitford, Nancy (ed.). 1956.
632:Mitford, Nancy (ed.). 1956.
908:1950s in the United Kingdom
685:Baltzell, E. Digby (1958).
226:English class-consciousness
924:
688:The Philadelphia Gentlemen
649:. London, Hamish Hamilton.
361:They've a very nice house
218:published in his magazine
545:(School)master, mistress
492:Dinner (for midday meal)
137:U and non-U English usage
830:. Hamish Hamilton 1973,
185:University of Birmingham
840:Charlotte Mosley (ed.)
369:I was sick on the boat
139:, where "U" stands for
590:Performance in English
372:I was ill on the boat
364:They've a lovely home
809:. Corgi Adult, 1999.
660:U and Non-U Revisited
71:"U and non-U English"
532:Pleased to meet you
252:post-war austerities
56:improve this article
898:Human communication
869:Ross, Alan S. C.,
821:How to pronounce it
662:. London: Debrett.
169:"posher than posh"
815:978-0-552-14662-3
566:Countersignalling
552:
551:
132:
131:
124:
106:
16:(Redirected from
915:
903:English language
888:Sociolinguistics
756:
755:
753:
751:
736:
703:
702:
682:
676:
669:
663:
656:
650:
643:
637:
630:
624:
610:
601:
600:
598:
596:
581:
294:
275:class indicators
263:reverse snobbery
193:English language
127:
120:
116:
113:
107:
105:
64:
40:
32:
21:
923:
922:
918:
917:
916:
914:
913:
912:
878:
877:
865:
842:The Letters of
826:Alan S C Ross.
819:Alan S C Ross.
772:Noblesse oblige
764:
762:Further reading
759:
749:
747:
744:The Independent
738:
737:
706:
699:
684:
683:
679:
670:
666:
657:
653:
647:Noblesse oblige
644:
640:
634:Noblesse oblige
631:
627:
611:
604:
594:
592:
583:
582:
578:
574:
557:
292:
283:
267:Estuary English
216:Stephen Spender
181:Alan S. C. Ross
177:
128:
117:
111:
108:
65:
63:
53:
41:
28:
23:
22:
15:
12:
11:
5:
921:
919:
911:
910:
905:
900:
895:
890:
880:
879:
876:
875:
864:
863:External links
861:
860:
859:
838:
836:978-0241024263
824:
817:
800:
783:
768:Mitford, Nancy
763:
760:
758:
757:
704:
697:
677:
664:
651:
638:
625:
602:
575:
573:
570:
569:
568:
563:
556:
553:
550:
549:
546:
542:
541:
538:
534:
533:
530:
529:How d'you do?
526:
525:
522:
518:
517:
514:
513:Writing-paper
510:
509:
506:
502:
501:
498:
494:
493:
490:
486:
485:
482:
478:
477:
474:
470:
469:
466:
464:
458:
457:
455:
450:
446:
445:
442:
438:
437:
434:
430:
429:
426:
422:
421:
418:
414:
413:
410:
406:
405:
402:
398:
397:
394:
390:
389:
386:
382:
381:
378:
377:Looking-glass
374:
373:
370:
366:
365:
362:
358:
357:
354:
350:
349:
346:
342:
341:
338:
334:
333:
326:
322:
321:
318:
317:Dinner jacket
314:
313:
310:
308:
302:
301:
298:
291:
288:
282:
281:American usage
279:
201:writing styles
176:
173:
130:
129:
44:
42:
35:
26:
24:
14:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
920:
909:
906:
904:
901:
899:
896:
894:
891:
889:
886:
885:
883:
874:
873:(6.15 MB PDF)
872:
867:
866:
862:
858:
857:0-340-63804-4
854:
850:
849:
845:
844:Nancy Mitford
839:
837:
833:
829:
825:
822:
818:
816:
812:
808:
804:
803:Cooper, Jilly
801:
799:
798:0-340-81885-9
795:
791:
787:
784:
781:
780:0-19-860520-X
777:
773:
769:
766:
765:
761:
746:. 4 June 1994
745:
741:
735:
733:
731:
729:
727:
725:
723:
721:
719:
717:
715:
713:
711:
709:
705:
700:
698:9781412830751
694:
690:
689:
681:
678:
674:
668:
665:
661:
655:
652:
648:
642:
639:
635:
629:
626:
623:
619:
615:
609:
607:
603:
591:
587:
580:
577:
571:
567:
564:
562:
559:
558:
554:
547:
544:
543:
539:
536:
535:
531:
528:
527:
523:
520:
519:
515:
512:
511:
507:
505:Drawing room
504:
503:
499:
496:
495:
491:
488:
487:
483:
480:
479:
475:
472:
471:
467:
462:
460:
459:
453:
451:
448:
447:
443:
440:
439:
435:
432:
431:
427:
424:
423:
419:
416:
415:
411:
408:
407:
403:
400:
399:
395:
392:
391:
387:
385:Chimneypiece
384:
383:
379:
376:
375:
371:
368:
367:
363:
360:
359:
355:
352:
351:
347:
344:
343:
339:
336:
335:
331:
327:
324:
323:
319:
316:
315:
311:
306:
304:
303:
299:
296:
295:
289:
287:
280:
278:
276:
272:
268:
264:
259:
257:
253:
247:
245:
244:
239:
238:John Betjeman
235:
231:
227:
223:
222:
217:
213:
212:Nancy Mitford
208:
206:
202:
198:
197:pronunciation
194:
190:
186:
182:
174:
172:
170:
166:
162:
158:
154:
150:
149:lower classes
146:
142:
138:
134:
126:
123:
115:
104:
101:
97:
94:
90:
87:
83:
80:
76:
73: –
72:
68:
67:Find sources:
61:
57:
51:
50:
45:This article
43:
39:
34:
33:
30:
19:
870:
848:Evelyn Waugh
841:
828:Don't say it
827:
820:
806:
789:
771:
748:. Retrieved
743:
687:
680:
672:
667:
659:
654:
646:
641:
633:
628:
613:
593:. Retrieved
589:
586:"U or non-U"
579:
481:Good health
409:False teeth
388:Mantelpiece
284:
260:
256:World War II
248:
241:
234:Evelyn Waugh
219:
209:
189:social class
178:
136:
135:
133:
118:
109:
99:
92:
85:
78:
66:
54:Please help
49:verification
46:
29:
516:Note-paper
401:Spectacles
337:Vegetables
320:Dress suit
141:upper class
18:U and non-U
882:Categories
572:References
561:Shibboleth
444:Serviette
393:Graveyard
348:Ice cream
205:vocabulary
165:euphemisms
163:and often
161:neologisms
153:sociolects
82:newspapers
786:Fox, Kate
537:Wireless
461:Lavatory
436:Preserve
412:Dentures
396:Cemetery
221:Encounter
191:makes in
112:July 2018
750:10 April
622:43341716
595:22 April
555:See also
548:Teacher
524:Pardon?
497:Pudding
476:Wealthy
420:Pass on
404:Glasses
356:Perfume
309:bicycle
290:Examples
230:snobbery
770:(ed.).
584:Admin.
508:Lounge
484:Cheers
468:Toilet
452:Settee
441:Napkin
428:Mental
380:Mirror
340:Greens
271:Mockney
175:History
157:Britain
96:scholar
855:
834:
813:
796:
778:
695:
620:
540:Radio
521:What?
500:Sweet
489:Lunch
456:couch
353:Scent
328:Jack (
325:Knave
312:Cycle
300:Non-U
145:middle
98:
91:
84:
77:
69:
807:Class
671:Fox,
618:JSTOR
473:Rich
449:Sofa
330:cards
305:Bike
155:) in
103:JSTOR
89:books
853:ISBN
846:and
832:ISBN
811:ISBN
794:ISBN
776:ISBN
752:2024
693:ISBN
597:2024
465:loo
433:Jam
425:Mad
417:Die
345:Ice
228:and
199:and
147:and
75:news
269:or
58:by
884::
805:.
788:.
742:.
707:^
605:^
588:.
463:or
454:or
332:)
307:or
297:U
277:.
236:,
782:.
754:.
701:.
599:.
125:)
119:(
114:)
110:(
100:·
93:·
86:·
79:·
52:.
20:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
