[Closed] Define "middle class"

I need to pull up my cumfy sofa for this thread and get my argile blanket out to cover my knees, putt he kettle on to make a pot of tea and gotten the rich teas out..

Ketchup in the cupboard= working class
Ketchup in the fridge= middle class

Captain flash never ventures below stairs, so he doesn't know where cooky keeps the ketchup. 🙂

Everyone is middle class these days, assuming you have a job. Even the people pretending to be working class.

Pornstars = golden shower

They're in a class of their own...

Middle class is what's left when you remove working class and upper class.
I'll leave it to others to define working and upper class.

Ketchup you say? Kept in the larder, of course. 😉

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Working class - don't really work, or if they do, they don't pay as much tax as they should.

Upper class - don't really work, or if they do, they don't pay as much tax as they should.

Hmmmm... I'm working on these definitions.

TheBrick - Member

"TandemJeremy - Member
If you own your house?

To me its mainly defined in terms of work - white collar worker = middle class. However its a damn sight easier to say someone is middle class than to define why".

I would most definitely not say that this is the case.
It's not defined by money.

Indeed its not defined by money. Its mainly about what job you do. IMO

Done this before I tink
Hia=working class
Hello=middle class
Helair=upper class
HAW HAW HAW HAW=royalty

If you get out of the bath to have a wee

Bath = Yes
Shower = No

Does that make me middle or lower class. (Or lower middle, middle middle???)

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(In bowler hat, black jacket and pinstriped trousers) I look down on him (Indicates Barker) because I am upper-class.
Barker:
(Pork-pie hat and raincoat) I look up to him (Cleese) because he is upper-class; but I look down on him (Corbett) because he is lower-class. I am middle-class
Corbett:
(Cloth cap and muffler) I know my place. I look up to them both. But I don't look up to him (Barker) as much as I look up to him (Cleese), because he has got innate breeding.
Cleese:
I have got innate breeding, but I have not got any money. So sometimes I look up (bends knees, does so) to him (Barker).
Barker:
I still look up to him (Cleese) because although I have money, I am vulgar. But I am not as vulgar as him (Corbett) so I still look down on him (Corbett).
Corbett:
I know my place. I look up to them both; but while I am poor, I am honest, industrious and trustworthy. Had I the inclination, I could look down on them. But I don't.
Barker:
We all know our place, but what do we get out of it?
Cleese:
I get a feeling of superiority over them.
Barker:
I get a feeling of inferiority from him, (Cleese), but a feeling of superiority over him (Corbett).
Corbett:
I get a pain in the back of my neck.

Thing is,

The class system came about to describe a very obviously tiered class system (cf. The Two Ronnies).

These days, I wouldn't go as far as to say we live in a classless society, but I don't believe that the traditional three-tier system really applies any more (because if it did, you wouldn't have to ask the question). So you're trying to fit a society with many levels into a definition which only holds three, meaning that your 'edge cases' are suddenly the majority.

Arguably, I'm middle class. I work in IT, drive a Mondeo, and have hobbies including mountain biking and rock climbing. But I only need to drive round, say, Harrogate or Waddington, to get a painful reminder of what middle class looks like, and I'm not it.

BBC, broadsheet, professional or professional parents, degree, cyclist.

Middle class has long split into two branches by the 'original' (degree educated) middle class re-defining themselves to stay away from the nouveau riche aspiring middle class (lower class with a BMW on the drive of their ex-council house)....

Lower middle - got money, but no education
Upper middle - have a degree and pretend money doesn't matter

Of course it will have to split again now ex-polys can issue degrees....

TandemJeremy - Member

TheBrick - Member

"TandemJeremy - Member
If you own your house?

To me its mainly defined in terms of work - white collar worker = middle class. However its a damn sight easier to say someone is middle class than to define why".

I would most definitely not say that this is the case.
It's not defined by money.

Indeed its not defined by money. Its mainly about what job you do. IMO

This is how the Tories (and new labour) have conned the nation into supporting policies that benefit the minority rather than the majority, just because the work has moved into offices away from the factories doesn't now make menial poorly paid jobs middle class occupations.

Thing is,

The class system came about to describe a very obviously tiered class system (cf. The Two Ronnies).

These days, I wouldn't go as far as to say we live in a classless society, but I don't believe that the traditional three-tier system really applies any more (because if it did, you wouldn't have to ask the question). So you're trying to fit a society with many levels into a definition which only holds three, meaning that your 'edge cases' are suddenly the majority.

Arguably, I'm middle class. I work in IT, drive a Mondeo, and have hobbies including mountain biking and rock climbing. But I only need to drive round, say, Harrogate or Waddington, to get a painful reminder of what middle class looks like, and I'm not it.

Arguably? You're middle class.

What you're not considering is the extra dimension. The tosser dimension.

not that I'm a snob or anything 😉

"middle class" is an abstract myth perpetuated by the upper class to divide and rule the working people

What you're not considering is the extra dimension. The tosser dimension.

And which side is which? (-:

Footflaps, I got my degree from a poly and I pretend money doesn't matter (because I don't have any). Does that make me, lower, upper middle class?

I live in Nottingham but I don't say "somethink" when I mean "something" or took when I mean taken, or was when I mean were.

Does that help define middle class?

If you are proud of your farts and try to make them as loud as possible then you are working class.

If you try to let them out discretely you are middle class.

If you don't fart then you are upper class.

I'm working class because I'll have to work till I die, or thereabouts.

Onzadog - middle middle I would say

upper middle middle, lower middle middle, upper lower middle or lower upper middle?

Well, I like loud farts when I'm at home so that might drop me down a little.

I know not to do that in public though!

I know not to do that in public though!

That's so middle

This is how the Tories (and new labour) have conned the nation into supporting policies that benefit the minority rather than the majority,

just because the work has moved into offices away from the factories doesn't now make menial poorly paid jobs middle class occupations.

Indeed which is why I can't see how white colar = middle class works.

Plenty of good well paid professional "blue colar" jobs which are most defiantly middle class and plenty of shit deadend "white colar" jobs which could be defined as the new factory working jobs.

If you spend the lions share of your day pontificating on internet forums, you're middle class. Or dole scum. One of the two

I'm middle class, but I'm hard. Al Dente you might say.

Jimmy Carr

[url= http://blogs.ft.com/westminster/2010/08/official-everyone-is-middle-class-now/#axzz1RtqhnDTn ]Official: Everyone is middle class now[/url]

Indeed which is why I can't see how white colar = middle class works.

Middle class is what's left when you remove working class and upper class.
I'll leave it to others to define working and upper class.

This is what I was going to type.

I would say far fewer would describe themselves as upper class than would have been the case a couple of generations ago. I work in an independent school with fees of circ £28k pa and I bet the majority of even these parents would describe themselves as middle not upper class.

I would also suggest that the number of people who are truly lower class is lower than it has even been. The number of people who "aspire" to be working class I would also guess is at an all time high and whilst their parents might have been they most certainly are not.

Is upper/middle/lower class not a nomenclature that we left behind at the turn of the millennium? Seems far less relevant than it used to be. My father was the first in his family to go to university in the early 60's and it was a big deal and a significant cultural shock for him back then. That sort of thing is an everyday occurrence these days and whilst the social demographic still has extremes at the ends it is far flatter in the middle than ever before. Are we not now nearly all (90% +) middle class as would be recognised 60 or 70 years ago?

My father was the first in his family to go to university in the early 60's and it was a big deal and a significant cultural shock for him back then

Back then a university education will almost have guaranteed a successful career. Now its just an excuse to massage youth unemployment figures.

Having a discussion - or giving a toss - on how particular words are pronounced definitely makes you middle class

That's because successive governments have become obsessed with sending people to University without asking the question 'Why?'....

"played the system and retired in my fifties"

The "middle class" does not exist.

Its a term made up by advertising and marketing execs to sell poor folk stuff they dont need in order to feel good about themselves.

You ate ratatoille as a child

You were buggered as a child. By your tennis couch

The "middle class" does not exist.

The fact that the word 'chav' is so popular tells you that Class is very much alive and kicking....

I work for a living, can't afford not to. That makes me 'working class' IMO

However, my job is what might be called 'professional', although I have no qualifications specific to the industry.
I went to university but didn't get a degree (dropout!)
My dad is a retired builder
My mum is a retired secretary
My wife is a civil servant
We have one car.
I have a strong yorkshire accent

I think i'm confused

The "middle class" does not exist.

Yes it does - but only for those who want to play that game, and who all seem to have their own definition to make sure it either includes or excludes them, according to preference.

Me? I have declared unilateral independence. I'm out of it altogether.

Me? I have declared unilateral independence. I'm out of it altogether.

How very middle class of you.

ive often been told i have no class