So, until then, here are some key events and characteristics to help you understand the British. They were either chirpily working class, haughtily middle class or horse-botheringly upper middle class (which is what upper-class people call themselves in a rather half-hearted attempt to appear neither hoity nor toity). Crucially, across the class spectrum everyone agreed that we British had no taste for anything at all, not being French. Oh dearEverybody suddenly passing as middle class, whether they were or not, has had a curious effect on the British national character. Being thought fancy seemed to suit everybody initially, because previously the working class was held in disdain by the middle class, and the upper class was held in disdain by the middle class – thus everyone appearing to be middle class put the whole nation on what it thought was an even keel.

Source: The Irish Times June 18, 2020 04:41 UTC