Fancy calling dinner “supper” or referring to the bathroom as “the lavatory”? How about hanging portraits of ancestors around the house or enjoying a meal of partridge and grouse? If these ring a bell, consider yourself in esteemed, posh company, according to a survey.
A nationwide study has pinpointed these and other posh telltales in Britain’s ever-curious class hierarchy.
For instance, addressing your parents as “mummy” and “daddy” into adulthood lands high on the posh spectrum (24%), as does owning an Aga cooker (10%), and keeping a wine cellar (26%).
Want to know more? The survey doesn’t miss a beat: driving an old Land Rover Defender (14%), calling your friends “darling” (16%), and donning a classic tweed jacket (16%) are all key indicators.
Skiing (16%), asking others “where did you school?” (15%), and even preferring second names to first for your friends (12%) also made the cut.
Boarding school, naturally, stands as a crown jewel of poshness, with 34% of respondents tagging it as definitive.
Knowledge of Latin (13%), an old Barbour jacket (13%), and a family coat of arms (22%) all raise the “blue-blood” flag, too.
An impressive 65% of Brits claim they know someone who seems “posh” simply by flashing a bit of wealth.
Yet, the real takeaway? A true posho’s worth isn’t in their cash – 81% of respondents say money alone doesn’t make you posh.
The survey, conducted by Perspectus Global, reveals a fine line between aspiration and satisfaction, with less than a quarter of Brits (22%) actually wishing they were posh.
David Arnold of Perspectus Global puts it simply: “This list reveals what modern Brits consider posh. Yet only 22% of us would like to be posh, showing most of us are happy without a coat of arms or a wine cellar.”
| Posh Trait | Percentage |
|---|---|
| You went to boarding school | 34% |
| You have antiques and family heirlooms | 28% |
| You have a wine cellar | 26% |
| You have paintings of your ancestors | 26% |
| You belong to an old private members club | 25% |
| You NEVER discuss money | 25% |
| You call your parents “mummy” and “daddy” even as an adult | 24% |
| You have a family coat of arms | 23% |
| You ride horses | 22% |
| Your dinner parties are catered | 22% |
| You know how to eat properly with a knife and fork | 20% |
| You have a gardener | 20% |
| You call dinner “supper” | 20% |
| You have silver | 19% |
| You send proper invites to parties by post | 18% |
| You have a family tree | 17% |
| You shoot | 17% |
| You ski | 16% |
| You wear tweed jackets | 16% |
| You call everyone “darling” | 16% |
| You play croquet | 15% |
| You ask people “where did you school?” | 15% |
| You call Champagne “Champers” | 14% |
| You call the toilet “the loo” | 14% |
| You drive an old Land Rover Defender | 14% |
| You wear an old Barbour jacket | 13% |
| You know Latin | 13% |
| You have shelves full of books | 13% |
| You eat partridge and grouse | 13% |
| You call your friends by their surnames | 12% |
| You are good at small talk | 12% |
| You have a double-barreled name | 12% |
| You love cricket | 12% |
| You wear a gilet | 11% |
| You like rugby but not football | 11% |
| You say “napkin” instead of “serviette” | 10% |
| You laugh very loudly | 10% |
| You have an Aga | 10% |
| You prefer loose leaf tea | 10% |
| You live in wellies | 9% |
The Brits may differ on aspirations toward poshness, but one thing is clear: the quirks and quaint customs that comprise Britain’s upper crust continue to define modern British culture.