English aristocracy. Inside the mansions of the modern aristocracy
The owners of magnificent mansions have to make sacrifices to preserve the legacy.
Writer Nancy Mitford once said: "The aristocracy in the Republic is like a chicken without a head: still running around the yard, although in fact it is already dead."
“Although many of the characters in this book are no longer young, their views are definitely not outdated, because they managed to adapt to new times and look at the family property differently.”
And you won't say that. The book tells about 16 magnificent old houses and their owners. The heirs, Reginato writes, were forced to open their quarters to endless crowds of tourists, and one woman, who had more titles than the Queen of England, was forced to move from a Georgian mansion to an ordinary farmhouse.
Another landlord, John Crichton-Stewart, 7th Marquess of Bute, found himself unable to maintain Dumfries House, an 18th-century palladium villa in Ayrshire, Scotland, as well as an estate with a neo-Gothic mansion; and only the intervention of Charles, Prince of Wales, helped keep the house from being sold. Reginato says: “The auction was cancelled. Several trucks, full of family treasures, were already on their way to London when they were ordered to return home.
1 /5 The Great Library at Goodwood House, West Sussex
But is it so bad if the house is still for sale?
From the perspective of Downton Abbey fans, all these lords, ladies, marchionesses and earls are engaged in a noble, even quixotic, cause: they are fighting to preserve the splendor and beauty of family estates. But on the other hand, Reginato only described the life of a small group of people who voluntarily spend their lives maintaining unreasonably large houses. It is unlikely that anyone would feel sorry for the great-granddaughter of an investment banker who is struggling to keep the family vacation home on Long Island. But the situation of the English "modern aristocrats" is no more disastrous than her, they just have been doing it much longer.
1 /5 Luggala, a mansion in County Wicklow, Ireland, owned by the heir to the Guinness empire
Almost all of the estates in Reginato's book are in Great Britain, and their owners in most cases belong to the landowning class, whose money and power began to evaporate at the dawn of the industrial revolution. After the First World War swept through England, killing many of the noble heirs (from 1914 to 1918, 1157 graduates of Eton College died on the battlefields), the great houses of the United Kingdom were in a rather deplorable state. Only tricks like an advantageous marriage could save the family estates (for example, Blenheim Palace was "saved" by a marriage of convenience between the 9th Duke of Marlborough and the wealthy American heiress Consuelo Vanderbilt).
Even the Rothschild family, whose success in banking has made them relatively immune to the changing British economy abandoned the impressive Waddesdon estate in Buckinghamshire. Reginato says: "After the Second World War, Waddesdon became too expensive even for the Rothschilds." So the mansion, all its contents and 66 hectares of land came under the jurisdiction of the National Trust for the Protection of Historic Monuments, Landmarks and Scenic Spots of Great Britain.
1 /5 Waddesdon Manor donated by the Rothschilds to the National Trust
This list goes on. The Fiennes, who have owned Broughton Castle since 1377, live on the "private side" of the house; the rest of the rooms are open to the public at £9 admission. Family members, Reginato writes, sometimes stand behind the cashier at the local souvenir shop themselves.
Lord Edward Manners, second son of the 10th Duke of Rutland, inherited the manor in Derbyshire. He turned one of the outbuildings into the Peacock Hotel, and in the summer he lets tourists into the main halls of the main building. Reginato notes that "in contrast to those who perceive large and old estates as an unbearable burden, Menners calls his "life's work"".
In other words, all these people may still call themselves aristocrats, but that doesn't make them the ruling class. But hedge fund managers, for example, don't have to charge entrance fees to their own chambers.
1 /5 Third Hall for Receptions and Ceremonies at Blenheim Palace
However, there are exceptions.
The book describes two houses belonging to a very wealthy Cavendish family. In the first, relatively modest cottage, lived Deborah Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire. She left the 297-room Chatsworth House when her son took over. Reginato writes that she has always appreciated the compact charm of such houses.
“To have everything so small is a delightful luxury!” said the duchess.
Another residence of the Cavendish family, Lismore Castle in County Waterford, Ireland, Reginato calls simply - "spare house".
1 /5 Deborah Vivienne Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire in her The Old Vicarage
Perhaps the most magnificent of the great houses described belongs to the members of the new generation of royalty. Dudley House, the London residence of the Qatari Sheikh Hamad bin Abdullah al-Thani, with an area of 4 thousand km², has 17 bedrooms and one ballroom 15 m long; its approximate cost is 440 million dollars. It is said that when Queen Elizabeth first visited this residence, she only remarked dryly that in comparison with her, "Buckingham Palace looks rather boring."
1 /5 Interior of Dudley House in Central London
Although her words could be taken as a dubious compliment from one king to another, it rather suggests that the concept of a "real" aristocracy in European society implies only a touch of former glory, like that peeping from the glossy pages of Reginato's excellent book. True, behind all this valorization and nostalgia for a rich past, it is easy to forget that at one time all these houses were intended only to demonstrate the wealth, power and status of their owners. Today's aristocrats build their houses according to the same canons; it's just that the titles of the nobility of our time are handed out by the board of directors, not the queen.
Chatsworth is one of the most famous aristocratic estates. Last year's maintenance costs amounted to 2 million pounds.
Photo from http://www.chatsworthimages.com/
In England, not only lawns have been cultivated for centuries. Without any breaks for expropriation, there exists a class of landlords, who have only memories of the former feudal privileges, but titles and huge lands are still inherited. The rather closed landlord life arouses the curiosity of the public, which is why television projects with the game of lords and ladies are so popular among the British. Although, having played enough, the people still strive to look into the windows of a genuine estate in order to find out how its owners, real landowners, live.
Tops, bottoms
Six in the morning. The first to wake up according to the rules is the dishwasher - she must heat the stove to boil water for tea, as well as the servant boy who shines shoes and takes out the chamber pots.
But things go awry in the kitchen because Lucy, the dishwasher, has left the TV project. In real life, the girl learned French and did not know what hand washing and cooking meals were, but here she was ordered to work 16 hours a day and was forbidden to go upstairs.
Rob, a 23-year-old geneticist from London, got the role of the second footman, he decided that he would have fun. But after a few days of living in the estate, the 21st century ceased to seem real to him. The inhabitants of the house did not use mobile phones or other modern technology. Looking out the window, they could see only 56 acres of landscape and sometimes a carriage with horses.
A beautiful house, a lake for boating, a model dairy farm, a tea room, croquet and tennis in the garden, horses and carriages in the stables of the newly restored Munderston estate on the border of England and Scotland provided a truly English atmosphere of a hundred years ago. Volunteers plunged into it for three months - participants in a television project called "Edwardian Manor". The five lucky ones have become members of the lord's family. According to the terms of the project, they were not supposed to take on any work.
The fourteen others became their servants and quickly learned the severity of the old hierarchical system that divided the world of the estate into an upper - master's, and a lower - plebeian, levels. They were allowed to take a bath once a week, but they were obliged to work from morning to night and all the time remember the rules of conduct that govern the relationship between master and servant in an Edwardian house.
Each footman and servant who had access to the upper floors was still responsible for a certain member of the family. “It's unbelievable how strongly you attach yourself to this person,” Rob wondered. – When you are a servant and do not make independent decisions, you suddenly feel free inside. How much has society changed since then?
Yes, the golden Edwardian era of the landed aristocracy has passed and became the last to be named after the royal person. There is great interest in her. Therefore, the series “Edwardian Manor”, conceived in 2001, was a success, the expenses of the producers for the material base and numerous specialists paid off.
And Great Britain today remains a country of large estates. The management of the same Channel 4 suggested that the theme of the tops and bottoms should be continued in modern scenery. And they were not mistaken by releasing another project in the spirit of new television realism.
What did the butler see?
In the new series, the servants were real. The butler, a solid and reserved man, had 20 years of professional experience. He worked in the families of aristocrats or simply rich people in Canada, France and Russia. He and the rest of the servants had to evaluate the behavior of members of the Callagen family clan, who, like guinea pigs, were settled in an estate worth 30 million and offered to lead the life of rich aristocrats with all its attributes. Three brothers and their families competed for a large cash prize - it was to be seen who would be the best at mastering the role of lord and lady.
The servants turned out to be snobs and discussed the manners of their masters behind closed doors. They really were simple people, they considered a protruding little finger a sign of sophistication. One of the heroines on the first day, out of naivety, demanded to pour champagne into her bath, the other went over alcohol during a dinner party, where she was the hostess, and uttered faux pas to the guests, real lords. The servants had something to giggle about.
The Kallagens, when the first euphoria passed, quarreled among themselves and wanted to return to their homes on the outskirts of the workers. “I’m tired of being in the public eye all the time. I want to do my own laundry, cook and clean up after myself,” said Moira, who, although she was the winner, happily escaped from this gilded cage.
The series "What the butler saw" was another success, but caused controversy about the humanity of such experiments on people. Although each of the Callaghans tried their best to embody their idea of aristocracy, their lack of education and upbringing made them a laughing stock.
Many English people, like the Callaghans, are ignorant of the life of the upper strata of society. The tops go down only when there is a great need, for them the hierarchical ladder is not a place for games, but a reality. For example, they left their lands to participate in a demonstration against the ban on fox hunting. People could see their angry ruddy faces. Rarely does this opportunity arise.
How do these real - not television - English landowners live?
"I hope heaven is just as good"
The coffin containing the body of the eleventh Duke of Devonshire was slowly driven down the driveway of his Chatsworth estate, through rows of servants in black and white uniforms. He died at the age of 84, leaving the title and estate to his son, who became the twelfth Duke of Devonshire.
Chatsworth is one of the most famous manor complexes in the north of England. Its architecture, park landscapes, water cascade stairs and art collections are considered a first-class tourist attraction and just a great place to stay. One visitor wrote in the guest book: "I hope it's just as good in paradise."
The masters who invented Chatsworth's water effects four hundred years ago made the most of the possibilities of this changeable element of the elements. The silence of ponds and weak currents contrasts with turbulent streams, waterfalls, fountains - large and small. The famous cascade consists of 24 stone steps. Each is different from the previous one, as well as the sound of water falling from them.
Unlike other aristocratic family nests, emasculated for the sake of visiting the public, this private palace keeps behind its facade a life that has changed little in several decades.
The world of the estate seems accessible – you can buy a ticket and spend the day here, jumping on the water steps, having picnics on the green lawn, freely entering the palace, which the writer Daniel Defoe called “the most magnificent building.” In fact, this world is closed to outsiders, even rural news and gossip come here late. In the era of supermarkets, Chatsworth wants to maintain an almost feudal autonomy and provides himself with many essentials. Fish from our own river, game from our forest, fresh food from the farm, fruits from the greenhouse. The school of seamstresses and its own furniture production support the independence of this subsistence economy. Even the coffin, in which the duke was escorted on his last journey, was made by a carpenter from oak cut down in the park.
In the summer season, the number of employees here reaches almost 600. In addition to 12 ordinary domestic servants - footmen, maids, housekeepers and cooks - there is also a “textile care team” that maintains carpets, curtains, canopies in the bedrooms; there is a man who winds the clock; there is a bricklayer; an artist who creates various signs and signs; two diggers responsible for the operation of drains and drainage systems; librarian; collection keeper; as well as two archivists.
Jack of all trades, John, who is responsible for the condition of the stairs in the house, begins every Wednesday with his additional duty - he winds all 64 clockwork. The estate has 297 rooms; for their cleaning, an armada of vacuum cleaners of 40 pieces is included; the total length of the corridors in the house exceeds a kilometer; 7,873 clean-washed panes of glass gleam, and 2,084 electric light bulbs light up this huge household, bringing the annual electricity bill to 24,000 pounds sterling.
Chatsworth's upkeep costs last year were £2 million. To cover them helped the money collected from more than two million visitors. These income and expenditure processes are monitored by the Duke's personal treasurer, who is also the manager of the estate, John Oliver.
Mr Oliver has lived in Chatsworth all his life, ever since the day he was born in 1946 in the duke's stables. His father was a driver, his mother helped in the kitchen, and his grandfather worked as the head gardener. This family dynasty is not unusual for Chatsworth, where the bond between masters and servants runs through the generations. John began his career in 1961 as a carpenter's apprentice, and his older brothers were already working here: “In those days, the treasurer, the manager, the housekeepers caused fear and unquestioning obedience of the staff. Now we look more or less democratic, at least for outsiders - business obliges. But internal changes are small. Probably the most noticeable of them is that people no longer want to devote their lives to this work from the age of 14 to old age and are looking for changes.”
Nevertheless, the manager prefers to hire those who come here forever. 113 people from the staff have been working on the estate for over 40 years.
Chatsworth's website lists job openings today: workers in a cafe and restaurant for tourists, a chef in an indoor sports club, a salesman in a farm store, office cleaners are required. But the duke's family avoids hiring outsiders to work in the palace itself - for security reasons.
Loyalty is valued: many servants have received good houses in nearby estates for lifetime use. At the annual celebration for the staff, the Duke announces thanks and awards the best. When Mr Oliver's older brother, his predecessor as manager, was retiring, the Duke invited the entire Oliver family to a farewell dinner. Their old mother then burst into tears from overwhelmed her feelings - a former dishwasher, she sat at the table next to the duchess.
The memory of a faithful servant also keeps other pictures - he remembers how, as a 15-year-old boy, he pulled a ladder into the master's dining room, helping his senior partner. They had previously been assured that no one was in the room. To their horror, they found the duke there, having dinner, who was just raising a fork to his mouth. The long stairs made it difficult to turn around and retreat quickly, so John said in a frightened voice: "I'm sorry, Your Grace, we just wanted to fix the frame." And I received a polite response: "That's great, but could you do it a little later?". The ancestors of the current duke were more cold and strict.
Young peasant women
Not all the estates in England are such a well-established enterprise as Chatsworth.
Lady Ingilby, owner of Ripley's Castle in North Yorkshire, sometimes recalls her husband's favorite joke that inheriting the castle was like winning the lottery, but without any cash prize. To make a profit, they let tourists and guests into the castle, rent it out for weddings and banquets. The lady calls herself not only a landowner, but also a worker. Visitors cannot believe that the lady in the ball gown who recently led them through the halls and the woman working with a pitchfork in the garden are one and the same person. Her family does not have personal servants, but she manages 100 people serving the estate.
Lady Ingilby perceives her work as the mistress of the castle as hypocrisy. "I always have to be polite and even - people do not forget the rude treatment from the titled persons."
Another "peasant lady", the Countess of Denbigh, lives in Newnham Paddocks, where her husband's ancestors settled as early as 1433. For 570 years, until the opening of the sculpture park in 2003, the manor's lands were used only as agricultural land. The young county couple had to clear the forest thickets and lay paths for the public on their own. Today they work with her husband in shifts - meeting visitors in the forest house-gallery...
Sarah Callander Becket inherited Ebi from her ancestors, founded in 1133. When she returned home after many years of living and working in America, she found the house in a sad state of disrepair. Without finances, but with business acumen and contacts, Sarah successfully converted the old stables into five-star hotel rooms and then began renting out the castle for corporate parties and seminars.
The owner of Quinby Hall in Leicestershire, Aubyn de Lisley, was also a former manager, had a career in a large company and never thought she would give it all up to live in a 17th-century estate, whose gardens and architecture she would show tourists. She uses her business skills to raise funds to maintain a home that is long in need of renovation. (In the first month of their life, the top chimney burst and flooded all the lower floors.) The owners of Quinby Hall claim that the famous Stilton cheese was invented by a housekeeper who worked on the estate many years ago.
Some landlords prefer to give the whole house to sightseers. Fiona, Countess of Carnavon, owner of Heiklia, a hundred-room estate in Hampshire, lives in a small five-room cottage.
Beeeep... Fulford
Among the English landowners come across eccentric characters, forcing one to recall Gogol's "Dead Souls".
The impoverished aristocrat Fulford does not want to sell his huge house in South Devon, although he has neither servants nor money. He walks around the estate with a metal detector, hoping to find treasures buried by his ancestors, for a fee he shows shocked tourists his tattered house and portraits of his ancestors. His barefoot children play football in ancient halls, beating pieces of old stucco with a ball. Lady Fulford scolds them and quickly restores the stucco with instant glue.
The speech of the owner of the estate is distinguished by expression. His favorite word is obscene, one of those that are beaten off by asterisks in the text, and on the air they are drowned out by beeps. In the Fulford documentary, the censors inserted so many of these beeps that the conversations of an aristocratic family sounded like they were listening to a broken telephone line.
Recently, Francis Beeip... Fulford (an obscene word forever stuck to his name) published a book - a guide for those stubborn aristocrats who live in poverty, but want to keep their mark.
He shares his secrets. The first is how to save money on hosting guests. Bottles found in the back of a good restaurant are filled with cheap wine. Plus - a glass of port wine for a rich color. Shake well and serve. Everyone will be delighted. The same tricks can be done with vodka, gin and whiskey. Fulford's gin and tonic recipe has a lot of tonic and a drop of gin, another drop smeared around the rim of the glass for flavor.
The second secret is the wardrobe. An aristocrat should dress in expensive things, even old ones. They can be found in second-hand stores and worn for ten years, because the quality is good. And, finally, the most important thing is how to maintain a huge house. It is best not to touch it, let all 50 rooms remain as they are - with bald carpets, peeling wallpaper and broken chairs. The problem of heating is solved simply - it must be turned off. Although, Fulford admits, he has a weakness to turn on the heating once a year - as a Christmas present to his wife ...
The only thing missing is the English Chichikov, approaching the estate.
New English Squires
Homesteads require cash injections, and fresh money is coming to rural England - along with a new breed of landowners. These landowners do not wear tweeds, their accent is not polished in private schools. These are players from Manchester United, Newcastle, Liverpool and, more recently, Chelsea, earning around £100,000 in just one week. Since 2003, they have bought more than 20 estates worth over 2 million.
The old aristocrats were worried about the new neighbors. What if they start to remake the old way for themselves? There is already an example - Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney destroyed a beautiful estate of the thirties in Cheshire and built a "palace" for himself and his girlfriend, confirming once again that good taste cannot be bought for any money.
Today it is obvious that if the English landowner idyll ever comes to an end, it will happen to the sounds of rap, the horns of fancy cars and the noise of vulgar parties.
Lexxis Linguistic Center Lexxis Linguistic CenterWe introduce our friends to excerpts from the "significant" book by the Englishwoman Kate Fox, published in 2011 under the title Watching the English: The Hidden Rules of English Behavior ("Watching the English: hidden rules of behavior").
This book made a splash in the author's homeland, immediately after its publication caused a flurry of enthusiastic responses from readers, critics and sociologists. Keith Fox, a hereditary anthropologist, managed to create a funny and amazingly accurate portrait of English society. She analyzes the quirks, habits and weaknesses of the English, but she writes not like an anthropologist, but like an Englishwoman - with humor and without pomp, witty, expressive and accessible language. So the chapter is:
What English aristocrats say and don't say
Language codes show that class in England has nothing to do with money and even less with the way of doing things. Speech is an end in itself. A person with an aristocratic accent who uses an upper class lexicon will be defined as high society even if he or she lives on a meager salary, does paperwork, and lives in God knows what apartment. Or even if she or he is unemployed, poor and homeless.
The same system of linguistic values applies to a person with a working-class accent who calls a sofa a Settee, a napkin Serviette, and an afternoon meal a Dinner, even if he is a multimillionaire and owner of a country estate. In addition to speech, the English have other class indicators, such as: preferences in clothes, furniture, decorations, cars, pets, books, hobbies, food and drink, but speech is an indicator of instantaneous and most obvious.
Nancy Mitford coined the term 'U and Non-U' - in reference to upper-class and non-upper-class words - in an article published in the Encounter in 1955. And although some of the words of her class indicators are already obsolete, the principle remains unchanged. Some shibboleths* have changed, but there are still enough of them in everyday speech to unmistakably recognize this or that class of English society.
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* Shibboleth (Hebrew - "flow") - a biblical expression, figuratively denoting a characteristic speech feature by which a group of people (in particular, ethnic) can be identified, a kind of "speech password" that unconsciously betrays a person for whom the language is non-native .
The simple binary Mitford method is not, however, an entirely sufficient model for the precise allocation of linguistic codes: some shibboleths help to simply separate aristocrats from everyone else, but others, more specifically, to separate the working class from the lower middle or middle middle and upper middle classes. In some cases, paradoxically, the word-codes of the working class and the upper class are remarkably similar, and differ significantly from the speech habits of the classes that lie between them.
What words do not speak English aristocrats
There are, however, a few words which are perceived by the English aristocracy and upper middle classes as unmistakable shibboleths. Say one of these words in the presence of the upper classes of England and their on-board radar sensors will begin to flash, indicating the need for an immediate downgrade to the middle class, and in the worst case (more likely) - below, and in some cases - automatically - to working class level.
This word is especially hated by English aristocrats and the upper middle class. Journalist Jilly Cooper recalls a conversation between her son and a friend that she unwittingly overheard: "Mom says the word pardon is worse than fuck." The boy was absolutely right: this is clearly a common word worse than a swear word. Some even call the suburbs where the owners of this lexicon live Pardonia.
Here's a good class test: when talking to an Englishman, say something too low to be heard. The lower middle and middle class person will ask again with "Pardon?", the upper middle class will say "Sorry?" or "Sorry - what?" or "What - sorry?" And the upper class will just say "What?" Surprisingly, the working class will also say “Wha’?” - with the only difference being that it will drop the 'T' at the end of the word. Some at the top of the working class may say "Pardon?", erroneously claiming that it sounds aristocratic.
Toilet is another word that makes the upper classes shudder or exchange knowing glances when some would-be careerist says this. The correct word for celebrity restroom is "Loo" or "Lavatory" (pronounced lavuhtry with the stress on the first syllable). "Bog" is sometimes acceptable, but only if it's said in a tongue-in-cheek tone, as if it were in quotation marks.
The working class recklessly says "Toilet", as do most of the lower and middle middle class, with the only difference being that it also omits the "T" at the end. Commoners can also say "Bog", but obviously without quotation marks.
Representatives of the lower middle and middle classes with a claim to a more noble origin of the word will replace it with such euphemisms as: "Gents", "Ladies", "Bathroom", "Powder room", "Facilities' and "Convenience"; or playful euphemisms such as: "Latrines", "Heads" and "Privy". Women tend to use the first group of expressions, men - the second.
In the language of the inhabitants of Pardonia, "Serviette" is a napkin. This is another example of gentlemanism, in this case a misguided attempt to elevate one's status with a French catchphrase. It has been suggested that the word "Serviette" was taken up by squeamish lower-middle class people who found "Napkin" (napkin) too similar to "Nappie" (diaper) and, to sound more elegant, replaced the word with a euphemism of French origin. .
Whatever the origin of the word, "Serviette" is now hopelessly regarded as a sign of lower-class speech. Mothers of upper-class children get very upset when their children, following the best promptings of lower-class nannies, learn to say "Serviette" - they have to be re-learned to say "Napkin".
The very word "Dinner" is not dangerous. Only its inappropriate use by the working class in relation to the lunch meal, which should be called nothing more than "Lunch", is vicious.
Naming an evening meal "Tea" is also a working-class habit. In high society, the evening meal is called "Dinner" or "Supper". Dinner is bigger than Supper. If you're invited to Supper, it's likely to be an informal family meal, perhaps even in the kitchen. Sometimes a similar detail can be reported in the invitation: “Family supper”, “Kitchen supper”. The upper and upper middle classes use the word Supper much more often than the middle and lower middle classes.
'Tea' is usually taken around 4:00 pm and consists of tea and cakes & scones (they pronounce the second word with a short O) and maybe mini sandwiches (which they pronounce as 'sanwidges', not 'sand-witches').
These features of the perception of time parameters create additional problems for foreign guests: if you are invited to Dinner, what time should you honor the hosts with your visit - at noon or in the evening, and come to Tea by 16:00 or 19 :00? In order not to get into an awkward position, it is better to ask again at what hour you are expected. The answer of the inviter will also help you accurately determine his social status, if you wish.
Or, while visiting, you can follow how the hosts call their furniture. If a piece of upholstered furniture designed for two or more people is called “Settee” or “Couch” by them, this means that the owners of the house belong no higher than with the middle layer of the middle class. If it's Sofa, they represent the upper middle class or above.
However, there are exceptions here: this word is not as strong an indicator of the working class as "Pardon", since some young upper-middle-class people who have picked up the influence of American films and television programs may say "Couch", but they are unlikely to say "Settee" - perhaps as a joke or to deliberately get on the nerves of his class watching parents.
Do you want to practice class forecasting more? Pay attention to the furniture itself. If the subject of discussion is a new-made set of a sofa and two armchairs, the upholstery of which is matched to the curtains, the owners probably use the word “Settee”.
Just wonder what they call the room in which is "Sofa" or "Settee"? "Settee" will be in a room called "Lounge" or "Living room", while "Sofa" will be in "Sitting room" or "Drawing room". Previously, "Drawing room" (short for "Withdrawing room") was the only acceptable term in relation to the living room. But many in the upper classes found it too pretentious and pompous to call a small living room in an ordinary house with a terrace “Drawing room”, so “Sitting room” became an acceptable expression.
You can occasionally hear from the middle middle and upper middle classes "Living room", although this is not approved, but only representatives of the lower middle class will call it "Lounge". This is a particularly useful word for middle-class people who seek to pass themselves off as upper-middle: they may have learned to avoid "Pardon" and "Toilet" by now, but they are often unaware that "Lounge" is also a deadly sin.
Like "Dinner," the word "Sweet" is not in itself an indicator of class, but its inappropriate use is. The upper middle class and the aristocracy insist that the dessert served at the end of the meal be exclusively "Pudding" but never "Sweet", "Afters" or "Dessert", all of which are declassed. and unacceptable term. "Sweet" can be freely used as an adjective, and if as a noun, then only in relation to what the Americans call "Candy", that is, caramel candy and nothing else!
The dish that ends the meal is always "Pudding", whatever it is: a slice of cake, creme brulee or lemon ice cream. Asking "Does anyone want a sweet?" at the end of a meal will lead you to being immediately classified as mid-middle class and below. "Afters" - will also turn on the class radar and your status will be downgraded.
Some American-influenced, upper-middle-class youths begin to say "Dessert," which is the most acceptable word of the three and the least identifiable word in the working-class vocabulary. However, be careful with this term: in the highest circles, "Dessert" traditionally means a dish of fresh fruit, which is eaten with a knife and fork and is served at the very end of the feast - after what is commonly called "Pudding".
If you want to talk posh - first you have to abandon the very term "Posh". The correct word for superiority, aristocracy is "Smart". In the upper circles, the word "Posh" can only be pronounced ironically in a joking tone, showing that you know that this is a word from the vocabulary of the lower strata.
The antonym of the word "Smart" in the mouths of those who are above average is the word "Common" - a snobbish euphemism for the working class. But be careful: using this word too often, you yourself indicate that you belong to nothing more than the average level of the middle class: constantly calling things and people "Common" means your irrepressible protest and attempt to distance yourself from lower classes. Alas, only people dissatisfied with their status flaunt snobbery in this form.
People of aristocratic upbringing, relaxed about their status, will prefer to use such polite euphemisms about the people and phenomena of the working class as: "Low-income groups", "Less privileged", "Ordinary people", "Less educated", "The man in the street", "Tabloid readers", "Blue collar", "State school", "Council estate", "Popular".
"Naff" is a more ambiguous term, and in this case more appropriate. It can mean the same thing as "Common", but it can simply be synonymous with "Tacky" and "Bad taste". "Naff" has become a generalized universal expression of disapproval, along with which teenagers often use their favorite heavy insults like "Uncool" and "Mainstream".
If these young people are "Common", then they will call their parents "Mum & Dad". "Smart" kids say "Mummy & Daddy". Some of them are used to "Ma & Pa", but those are too old-fashioned. Speaking of their parents in the third person, "Common" children will say "my Mum" & "my Dad" or "me Mam" and "me Dad" while "Smart" children will call them "My mother" and " My father".
But these words are not infallible indicators of class, as some upper-class kids now say "Mum & Dad" and some very young working-class kids might say "Mummy & Daddy." But if a child is older than 10 years old, say 12, then he will still call his parents "Mummy & Daddy" if he grew up in "Smart" circles. Adults who still call their parents "Mummy & Daddy" are definitely from the upper class.
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**ETC. - an abbreviation for the Latin "et cetera", so this subtitle in Russian sounds like "and so on and so forth."
In the language of mothers, whom their children call "Mum", a handbag is "handbag" and perfume is "perfume". In the language of mothers, whom their children call "Mummy" - a handbag is "Bag", and perfume is "Scent". Parents who are called "Mum & Dad" will say "Horse racing" about horse racing; parents from the world - "Mummy & Daddy" - just say "Racing".
Representatives of the "Common" society, wanting to announce that they are going to a party, use the expression go to a "do"; middle-class people will use the word "Function" instead of "Do", and those in "Smart" circles will simply call the technique "Party".
"Refreshments" are served to "Functions" of the middle class; guests of the "Party" of the first echelon drink and eat "Food & Drink". The middle class and below get their food at Portions; those from the aristocracy and the upper middle class about servings are called "Helpings". Commoners will call the first course "Starter" and above-average people will call it "First course", although this is a less reliable indicator of status.
The middle class and those below call their house "Home" or "Property", the patio in their house - "Patio". Upper-middle class and above will use the word "House" when referring to their home, and "Terrace" when referring to their patio.
Being a fashionista is good, but looking stately, like you are a woman from high society, is a real job. You've noticed that there are ladies who seem to be dressed simply, but at the same time look perfect. But some girls try to put on all the most fashionable and expensive, make an important face, but it is not difficult to figure out that they are commoners. We want to tell you about typical style mistakes.
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To look wealthy, you need to present yourself correctly and be very careful about the selection of clothes. British fashion experts offer some very practical advice for those who want to look perfect. Editorial "So simple!" happy to share them with you.
How to dress cheap and stylish
Black is seductive, but white really ennobles. Wear white from head to toe to look like a high society girl. It’s as if you are declaring to the world: “I’m not afraid to get my snow-white suit dirty, because in case of trouble I’ll go and buy a new one, because I’m a wealthy lady.” Practicality should not even smack.
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Remember: you should always have a good iron, ironing board and laundry detergent in your home. There should be no stains on your clothes (even in inconspicuous places) and even more so wrinkled. It is not important how much you bought a blouse or dress for, but how they sit on you. If not in size - ears, if the line has diverged - hand it over to the repair of clothes. No one will notice the label with a fashion brand, but everyone will appreciate and remember how the thing sits on you.
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It is unlikely that you will look perfect in sneakers or unsightly ballet flats. This also indicates that you spend a lot of time on your feet or walking. But a successful heel will add luxury to your image, stretch the silhouette and make your legs slim and long. It will also tell you that you are moving, most likely by car.
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Love silk, cotton and linen. These fabrics look chic, and besides, your body in clothes made of them does not sweat as much and does not swell. Natural fabric at all times has been, is and will remain a sign of a wealthy person. Such outfits will give your image a touch of sophistication.
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A small umbrella is convenient, and a cane umbrella is elegant. Even if it doesn't rain outside, this piece of clothing will add a twist to your look. You will look solid in cloudy weather, despite the fact that the hair fluffs up and the mascara floats.
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They say that even a woman's past can be found in the bowels of a bag, and a lot can be said about the character of a lady by the shape of this accessory. According to Victoria Beckham, a bag and glasses play a key role in the image of a woman.
Therefore, you will have to buy a luxurious Hermes Birkin or Fendi handbag to look like a wealthy lady. Believe me, this is a good investment. A quality item in a classic style will last for many years.
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All successful people wear good watches. By this they seem to show respect for their time. This is also an attribute of a rich person. Despite the dominance of modern gadgets, people still remain faithful to mechanical watches.
The watch beautifully emphasizes the wrist, and the running hands act hypnotically on the interlocutor. When a woman urgently needs to know what time it is, and she starts digging through her bag in search of a phone, it looks awkward and fussy.
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If you want to look rich, forget about down jackets and other jackets. They will forgive. Yes, they are good for walking and going out of town, but they don’t go well with beautiful dresses and trousers. Better wear a coat that fits perfectly on your figure, and for spring, buy a beige trench coat. Refined and feminine.
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A wealthy woman needs a handbag only to put lipstick, a phone and a bank card in it. No need to stuff it so that it changes its shape directly. You should radiate lightness and carelessness, and not twist on one side and show a cry for help with your whole appearance.
Therefore, plan your day so that you can go home for the necessary things (sportswear, for example) or choose a bag style that will not give out your thriftiness.
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Luggage, like an everyday handbag, should look perfect. This is your travel business card. Choose a suitcase made from materials that retain their shape. And also make sure that there are no stains, cuts and dents on it.
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There are many tips how to dress nice for a woman. But in order to look like a million, you must first feel that way. After all, it is the female energy that catches, not the clothes. Self-acceptance, purpose in life and love inspire a woman to take care of herself and stand out from the crowd. Also, her eyes should light up.
Tell us in the comments if you agree with the advice of British experts. And also share this useful article with your friends on social networks!
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The British aristocrat, even if he looks somewhat sloppy and poor, is easy to recognize in the crowd by his facial expression. First, no matter how strange it may sound, aristocrats have a special structure of the jaw. (In general, as one English actress and speech technique teacher told me, it is by her that one can distinguish a Briton from, for example, an American, Canadian or French. The jaw of a true British is slightly pushed forward and down, opens easily and falls low in a conversation. This is how really open, beautiful English.And a real born English aristocrat, brought up in the best traditions of British education, has an even longer jaw.)
Secondly (this is perhaps the most important feature), look. Even if the jaw confuses you a little, and you are not sure how aristocratic your new acquaintance is, follow the way he looks at you. Not haughtily, not scrutinizing, wondering if you could be used in some way. Most likely, the British aristocrat will look at you like glass. Unlike the Russian oligarch, he will never let you know who he is and why you are worse than him. He won’t make you lick the dust off his boots, won’t mention his yacht in the Mediterranean in a conversation, or the details of a weekend in the French Alps. He just knows that you are not his circle, because you did not go to the same private school with him, do not belong to the same college and are not a member of his closed club. Therefore, in fact, you are nothing.
Even if this plunges the family into poverty, the British aristocrat will send the child to an expensive private school. But not at all for him to receive the best education or to master the game of polo perfectly. British aristocracy is not at all in what you know, but rather in who you know. And let your jacket, made to order by the most luxurious London designer in 1975, burst at the seams - but in your pocket is an invitation to a party with Baroness N., available only to the elite.
Most of the British, liberal-minded and free, treat the aristocracy with surprising disdain and even irritation. These feelings extend to the most sacred - the royal family. Actually, if before the economic collapse, the aristocracy didn’t interfere with anyone’s life and “ordinary Britain” with “high society” existed in a parallel universe, then after the crisis, calls were increasingly heard to “sell all these lands and castles already in order to replenish the budget”.
This is the whole world, with bated breath, watched the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton. While obese American women from Texas shed tears of emotion at Buckingham Palace, Japanese tourists took pictures with wax figures of the prince, and Chinese women ordered “exact copies of Kate’s dress” for weddings, Londoners left the city somewhere for Brighton, so that, according to them, "to get away from all this madness."
The most acute generational conflicts often end in gentle parental flogging, forced weddings, and even stabbing. From time to time, the British are also shocked by the so-called “honor killings”: mostly Muslim parents kill their daughters who have grown too big in the free British air. The investigation into the case of 17-year-old British Shaflia Ahmed, born in the town of Bradford, in West Yorkshire, lasted almost eight years. She wanted to become a lawyer, and her parents sent her to Pakistan to marry a "friend of friends." In Pakistan, Shaflia drank bleach and burned her throat to avoid an unwanted wedding.
She went missing shortly after returning home to Bradford in September 2003. A week after Shaflia's disappearance, her teachers finally reported to the police. The family claimed that the girl could make her own decisions and, although they found her a groom, the final choice was hers. In February 2004, Shaflia's body was found in the Kent River. The parents identified the body by a gold zigzag bracelet and a blue topaz ring. The investigation for some time detained the girl's parents - father Iftikhar Ahmed, a taxi driver, and mother Faranca Ahmed, a housewife, as well as five more members of a large family. During the investigation, Shaflia's poems were also found, full of despair and telling about misunderstandings and problems in the family. Friends confirmed that Shaflia ran away from home several times after quarreling with her parents over the upcoming wedding. In 2011, the girl's parents were accused of murder, but the trial took place only in May 2012.
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