Despite the apparently increased fluidity of social strata in our ever modernising society, it seems traditional characteristics of ‘posh’ remain steadfast, a recent poll has found.
We asked 1,336 British adults what they thought would make someone ‘posh’, and it seems that possessing a title carries the most weight, with an average of 62% believing that this would make someone ‘posh’, followed by 59% who state that someone’s accent is the most indicative marker. Land (49%), number of houses owned (43%) and particular types of clothing (31%) were also popular associations for the general public. Interestingly, ten percent feel that ‘owning an Aga’ makes you posh. In contrast, nationality ranked as the least important factor with only five per cent of the vote.
‘Posh’ as an insult?
And while ‘posh’ is seen as neither a compliment nor an insult, the overwhelming majority would not claim to fit the definition they so assiduously defined in the previous question. From those asked, 72% say that the term ‘posh’ is neither a compliment nor an insult, but a massive 93% would not consider themselves to be ‘posh’. Interestingly, Scots were the least likely to consider themselves ‘posh’ (97%), and significantly more inclined to ascribe ‘posh’ as an insult (30%) than respondents from elsewhere in the country.
