Yes, I can use some of these spiffing English words to sound posh. 1. Golly gosh! We watched a jolly spiffing film last night. 2. It had once a splendid harbour, which is now filled up. 3. Luckily, our two weeks in Bali were simply marvellous.
51 Advanced words to sound POSH! Posh Alternatives To VERY-REALLY-SO Intensifiers (adverbs) 1. Rather (adverb) /’rɑːðə(r)/ quite/fairly; to some degree: It’s rather hot outside today, isn’t it? He was rather bored this morning in class. 2. Terribly (adverb) /’terəbli:/ very/so/really. I’m terribly hungry. It was terribly kind of you to help her. 3. Awfully (adverb) /’ɔːfəliː/ very/so/really. You’re awfully kind. It was awfully rude of you. He was awfully upset. 4. Jolly (good/bad) (adverb) /’dӡɒl.i:/ very/really/so. That was a jolly good party last night. It was a jolly bad weather yesterday. Jolly well. Used to emphasise something you are saying, especially when you are angry or annoyed: I’m jolly well going to tell your mother! 5. Utterly (adverb) /’ʌtəli:/ totally/completely. I was utterly devastated when he cancelled our date. She was utterly devastated when he cancelled the wedding. 6. Fairly /’feə.li:/ more than average, I was fairly convinced he was telling the truth. 7. Somewhat (adverbs) /’sʌmwɒt/ but less than very: I was somewhat concerned that she hadn’t called for a while. 8. Quite (adverb) /kwaIt/ More that average, less than very. These biscuits are quite tasty. We were quite thrilled to hear the Queen’s speech. Posh Adjectives 9. Splendid /’splendId/ excellent, or beautiful and impressive: What a splendid idea. We had a splendid day together. 10. Spiffing /’spIfIƞ/ very good excellent. You did a spiffing job organising the party. He looked rather spiffing. 11. Marvellous /’mɑːv(ə)ləs/ Amazing/excellent. The dinner was marvellous. He behaved marvelously. (Adverb) 12. Glorious /’glɔː.ri.əs/ very beautiful impressive or enjoyable. We had a glorious day. The wedding was glorious. What a glorious home you have. 13. Stupendous /stjuː’pen.dəs/ extremely large or impressive. They had a stupendous garden. The ball was stupendous. 14. Delicious /dI’lIʃ.əs/ to describe a situation or activity that gives you great pleasure. The gossip was delicious. My friend Sarah is one of the most Deliciously funny people you’ll ever meet. (Adverb) 15. Dashing /’dæʃ.Iƞ/ attractive, confident or elegant (To describe a man) You look dashing don’t you today! 16. Ravishing /’ræv.I.ʃIƞ/ extremely beautiful (To describe a woman) She looked absolutely ravishing in the red dress. 17. Extraordinary /Ik’strɔː.dIn.ər.i/ very unusual and special; wonderful/amazing. The views from my hotel were extraordinary! Posh (negative) Adjectives. 18. Atrocious /ə’trəʊ.ʃəs/ of very bad quality: His homework was atrocious. His behaviour after drinking too many beers was atrocious. 19. Abysmal /ə’bIz.məl/ very bad: The service at the restaurant was abysmal. 20. Ghastly /’gɑːst.li:/ very bad. The service at the restaurant was abysmal. The weather outside was beastly. Did you see her dress? It was absolutely ghastly! 21. Beastly /’biːst.li:/ unpleasant. The way he spoke to her was beastly. 22. Absurd /əb’s3ːd/ stupid foolish or wrong. Oh don’t be absurd there’s now way we’ll get there on time. Are you completely absurd? How much money did you spend? 23. Preposterous /prI’pɒs.tər.əs/ totally unreasonable in a way that it is shocking or annoying. To suggest that we shouldn’t have a holiday this year was absolutely preposterous! It is totally preposterous that we only have 162,000 subscribers! Random Posh Adjectives 24. Tight /taIt/ Drunk, intoxicated, inebriated. He was a little bit tight, don’t you think? I think he’s a little bit tight, too many beers if you ask me! Blotto /’blɒt.əʊ/ really drunk. (Slang) I am totally blotto, I have had so much champagne! 25. Seedy /’siːdiː/ to feel unwell. I’m feeling a little bit seedy. Posh Nouns 26. A Bind /BaInd/ to describe a problematic situation You could find yourself in. I’m in a bit of a bind, you don’t have £10 you could lend me? I’m in a bit of a bind and I could really do with some help. 27. A Bore /bɔːr/ A boring person. What a bore! Did you listen to him dinner last night? He is such a bore! 28. Pudding /’pʊd.Iƞ/ Sweet/Dessert/Afters. What did you have for pudding? 29. Pajamas /pə’dӡɑː.məz/ PJs-night clothes. I have cat pajamas! 30. Repartee /rep.ɑː’tiː/ Banter (quick/witty, funny conversation) There was a lot of repartee at the party last night. 31. Sitting/Drawing Room Lounge (where you watch tv on the sofa) The Queen sits in the drawing-room in Buckingham Palace. 32. Sofa /’səʊ.fə/ Settee/Couch. The Queen sits on her sofa to watch TV. 33. Napkin /’næp.kIn/ not “serviette” unless you are literally in France. Pass me the napkin, please. 34. A helping /’hel.pIƞ/ A serving of food. I had a very big helping of cheesecake. 35. Loo or lavatory /luː/. /’læv.ə.tər.i:/ Toilet/WC/Bathroom. Could you direct me to the lavatory, please? 36. Yonks /jɒƞks/ a long time/ages. I haven’t see you in yonks. I haven’t seen you for yonks. Posh Exclamations. 37. Gosh (oh gosh!) /gɒʃ/ Not God (oh dear/oh no) Oh gosh! Oh golly-gosh! Oh gosh! That’s wonderful news! Oh gosh, that’s very disappointing. 38. I say! Expressing surprise and pleasure. I say! What a lovely idea! 39. Bravo! /,brɑː’vəʊ/ Italian for well done. Bravo old chap! 40. God forbid. (also Heaven forbid) /gɒd/ /fə’bId/ a way of saying that you hope something does not happen. God forbid! She doesn’t pass the exam! 41. Oh Bugger /’bʌg.ər/ Oh dear/Oh no! Oh bugger! I forgot the time! 42. Nonsense /’nɒn.səns/ statements or beliefs you think are ridiculous or untrue. What nonsense! 43. Poppycock. /’pɒpi:kɒk/ Statements or beliefs you think are ridiculous or untrue. He was talking complete poppycock, I could not understand a word he was saying. 44. Codswallop /’kɒdz,wɒl.əp/ Statements or beliefs you think are ridiculous or untrue. Codswallop! I don’t believe you! The government were talking codswallop! Addressing people (Posh people) (Men addressing each other) 45. Old chap 46. Old chum 47. Old Sport 48. Old bean 49. Old fellow 50. A Darling /’dɑː.lIƞ/ affectionate term of address for a woman. How are you darling? A sweet/kind/thoughtful person. Your daughter is a darling! 51. Cheerio /,tʃIə.ri’əʊ/ Goodbye. Cheerio old chap! Have a spiffing day!
Cheers for saving me 20 minutes of glaring fuchia on white, plus wasn't aware darling was sexist...always heard it used for and by both sexes to refer to both sexes.
This was fascinating and somewhat amusing. While I use many of the words you mentioned some are quite outdated like spiffing; the last time I read that it was in Enid Blyton books in the 70s as a child! Additionally, context is critical for using the words you mentioned and the more educated English individuals tend to use understatement a lot both culturally and therefore in their language.
Some of those expressions are quite archaic, aren't they? Nevertheless, I'm all for having a good vocabulary in order to express yourself. A relative who is a high school teacher mentioned students who wrote for example, 'it was really, really hot" instead of words like 'sweltering', because they lacked the vocabulary. A good vocabulary comes from reading.
Ditto Australia. Try on a ′posh′ accent that is not yours and you get some strange looks. If you are English (and i don't mean just caucasion English) and posh and use that language we will be interested in your story. Just be the natural you. It is all we want, we are a curious bunch after all.
I have never ever heard 'seedy' mean unwell. If someone told me they were feeling a little seedy, I'd expect them to say they were on their way down a dark alleyway! And yonk's I always thought was an East End phrase, like Donkey's Years 😂
@@kimberlyperrotis8962 My grandma used to say it and she was from Bow in East London, so that's why I think that, could be wrong. Interesting that it's used in the US too. Very occasional here as well, I can't remember the last time I heard somewhere say it!
For people like us who are awfully ravenous for new vocabulary , we simply don't care who understand what , we are lovers of words , and , we use them in their right contexts . People deem these words quite pretentious already , I know , and I must bluntly say it is one of the easiest ways slothful learners try to get out of it . For those of us who are teaching English in non native English speaking countries , we are utterly appreciative of your spiffing work , your endeavour will be successfully blooming . Cheerio , and have a marvelous day !
I am fairly sure I use 90 percent of these words on a day to day basis but I am certainly not upperclass by any stretch of the imagination. Also I find the word ‘spiffing‘ not only posh but decidedly old-fashioned and I would likely double over in fits of laughter if I heard someone using it in this day and age. Also ‘yonks’ was used all the time in my youth, more as a slang word rather than a posh word.
That was jolly good! The trick, however, is not to overdo it. Otherwise you will create the opposite effect. Just use those words sparingly. I love them all and they are very useful for authors when they are trying to create a more educated character. English is utterly fascinating!
It was a rather marvellous lesson ever I seen today.After yonks you provide this stupendous video which contained jolly good words,adjectives,nouns,etc.I'm grateful that I am student of yours.Thank you so much for this incredibly helpful lesson.Lots of love from India.
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I was jolly surprised about having been taught this great and amazing lesson so My teacher I'm not a native English speaker yet i do know more about it coz I've been learning as long as being in My childhood so what you taught us i would rather say that it is jolly helpful so keep it up my amazing teacher
I do believe you've done a rather spiffing job, and I think you've been an absolute brick since I saw your first video lesson, but golly, was it really safe? I am terribly frightened by the thoughts that for some of your darling viewers it might be a lesson of how to use an accelerator without a word on how to use breaks. What a jolly-good joyride!
I have learnt so much from 2 of you in terms of British English! Your educational videos are rather interesting and informative! Every time when I watch your new posted video, I definitely learn something! I have been your loyal student/viewer for nearly 2 years! So I was so delighted to see your huge achievement of 100k subscription on this channel and the improvement of presentation of videos! Thank you two for the massive effort on making interesting videos! Cheers!
As an ESL speaker living in US I use most of those a lot. Never thought of them like something extraordinary or posh 😂 Hope no one got confused or offended lol It’s just a vocabulary, people put labels on those words giving them some negative shades. Just my IMHO.
Posh or just well read? For anyone wanting to pick up on this vernacular I would recommend reading some P.G. Wodehouse (Jeeves) or watching some Blackadder. Y
I am 82 years old English but born in Texas . Spent half my life in USA and Half in England. There is No difference between Educated and Cultured US English and English English.
People in the US do not speak the way she is describing as "posh." If you want to sound British, go for it. If you prefer US English ... just say no. 👍🧡🙏
Except for the accent. Besides, in the US, an educated person may still have colloquial speech, by preference, especially if they're from the South. Didn't you notice that?
You have been bugging my house, haven't you? Really excellent list. Some of the words tho' were rather archaic, which have not been used commonly since before WW2, like spiffing/ tight/ blotto/ seedy. You missed out 'Old Boy', which is actually rather more frequently used by posh people than the other 'Old X' variants you mentioned. And 'Rather'--you should add this this is also an exclamation as in 'Rather!' to express approbation. And along with 'Darling' I would have added 'Sweetie', as in "He was such a sweetie--he gave me a lift home even though it was completely out of his way." Also, for 'Quite' this is also used seperately as a single word to mean 'exactly' or 'genau' in German. The Napkin/ Serviette distinction is often cited as a social divider, but I think the correct description would always be 'napkin' for the cloth version and 'serviette' for a cheap paper substitute!
The word "posh" derives from the time when India was a British colony and there were ships going back and forth between there and the homeland. The most expensive cabins for the richer people were on the side of the ship away from the sun, which meant the left, or port, side on the outward journey and the right, or starboard, side on the way back. Hence "posh" stood for Port Out Starboard Home.
How to sound "posh" (a word which itself is an acronym from Empire days to describe the desirable accommodation, "Port Out Starboard Home", when sailing from the UK to the colonies in the East)? Simply pronounce "house" as "hice". Thus, "My splendid hice" (See Lucius Malfoy's pronunciation in Harry Potter). p.s. Substitute the word "settle" for "chair", e.g., "a cosy settle" for "a comfortable chair" and "Pip! Pip!" for "cheerio" to be posher still.
Some of these words are so distinctively British that I could only use them humorously, as they would otherwise sound stilted or pretentious. As an American if I said, “Cheerio, Old Chap,” I’d be laughed out of the room and rightly so.
As someone else has already commented: exercise EXTREME caution. I really wouldn’t recommend this video to non-native English speakers as if they start using these words in conversation they’ll likely make them sound decidedly silly rather than posh.
A sitting room is where you sit (in the afternoon) the (With)drawing room is where you go after dinner to have coffee and talk. You withdraw from the meal.
POSH = "Port Out, Starboard Home", the way posh people travelled out to India and back again, so as to ensure that your cabin on the ship got the sun throughout the voyage 🙂
The opposite: port is left side and will be facing north on the onward journey, starboard is right and will also be facing north on the return, thus keeping cabins in the shade and cooler.
'Caroline' in Last Tango In Halifax, who I adore! Just watched "Posh Traveling Life". I'm not going all the way to UK and Europe to live like a pickaninny as I do in Georgia!
Also...Rich shouts; wealth whispers. I searched all quotes by Armani on elegance and couldn’t find that one but found these: “Elegance is not about being noticed, it’s about being remembered.” -Giorgio Armani “For me, elegance is not to pass unnoticed but to get to the very soul of what one is.” - Christian Lacroix
Among the old British aristocracy being posh does go unobserved. It’s when the younger generations and ‘new money’ is around it stands out. From doc films I’ve seen on him and what I’ve read those like Armani would’ve just been amused but not effected by it. Just diff cultures.
I was taught this long sentence. ‘Do you insinuate that I should tolerate such an undiplomatic piece of animation such as you? If so, your ability to fathom my personal perspective is NIL!’
I attended w known boarding school in England I walked talking to a friend in a park I heard a girl say in a council housed voice "doesn't he talk posh!" this made me feel awful, I was 14 on holiday, first time I had realised that I sounded different. In Harrods or Fortnum & Mason but this was a while ago, things have ironed out now, not so many affectations of speech, thank God.
Yes,I agree with person who said avoid using "spiffing" and "beastly" nowadays,they are too stereotypic and dated...you might as well say things like "old bean" or "looking glass" (instead of mirror) and some of the others like "jolly" (as in very) and "ravishing" are starting to sound dated and are probably not used by younger posh folk (I could not see the MIC cast using them for example)🎩
If one were to realise that 'one' is the first posh word, then one would be happy. Speaking about yourself in the "third person". Or is it in "one's person"?
I'd love one on food. On holidays I pay for a decent breakfast, I ask for a pot of tea and get a tea bag, my husband asks for coffee and gets a plunger! I actually asked for proper leaf tea in Bath, the hotel on Queens Square had none! They finally found loose leaf tea that resembled soggy cardboard. Cheerio
As an American who watches a lot of British T.V. and who has many British friends, I already use many of these words, especially when speaking to British people. I think that British English is so much more colorful and evocative. There are some words, however, that I think would sound odd coming out of my mouth. "Jolly", "spiffing", "blotto", "pudding", "poppycock", "codswallop", and "I say" fall into that category. LOL. I will say "loo" when I'm in the U.K., but it does feel odd to me.
The most upper class description of a Loo is the Lavatory, There is lifetime or even generations between being Upper Class, being Aristocratic or horror of horrors, being POSH. Port Out, Starboard Home is what it actually means. Google it!!
These words are used by people who want to sound posh but aren't really; they are not used by the truly highly educated. As an Oxford grad I would revert to the more simple English usage. It isn't these words that mark me out as truly posh, but the Greek or Latin based adjectives that I tend to insert in my writing.
I watch some British programs here in South Africa, and one thing English people say which really irritates me, are the words "Isn't it? " after a sentence. Like " This is a nice chair, isn't it?" Good grief they use it a lot
I don't like the reasoning behind this podcast. If a person has used these words while growing up these words sound natural. If a 'working class' person uses these words he / she will sound like a prat and worse. She got on my nerves by saying "upper class" so much. I couldn't listen past 12 words. I'm 'working class' BTW.
Well intended but a recipe for disaster. “Posh” is generally understood as something negative nowadays in the UK. Clear intelligent speech is power and competence but simply sprinkling “posh” sounding words into conversation might just result in embarrassment for everyone concerned.
Posh is not a word it is an acronym. In the days of British India those traveling from England to India would book their tickets Port Outbound Starboard Home; the shady side of the ship. Hence they would not be tanned by the sun and consequently not mistaken for a person with Indian blood. To expedite the process the acronym POSH was sprawled across their tickets!
' These first set of words...' Surly it should be either these words or this set of words? I'm from Northern Ireland, where we pronounce 'R', 'A', and 'L' in the same way as they once did in England apparently, and they still do in Edinburgh. I listen to BBC Radio 3 most of the time, and since this is the UK's main station for art and culture, I expect the presenters to pronounce words properly - as they were intended when the first became used in our language. Since the main output of Radio 3 is 'classical' music the most oft used word across the station's programmes is 'composer', yet none of the presenters can actually pronounce the word properly. It becomes quite grating to hear repeatedly instead, variations of 'composa' in its place.
A boy at school and I liked each other, but when I opened up about my inner thoughts and not just the persona I portray, he decided to ignore my texts. I have standards, so I'm over him. When I see him tomorrow and he asks me how I am, I'm gonna say: "Spiffing" with a smirk on my face, since I've taken back my power. Cheerio, darling!
I am a born and bred speaker of what you would call posh English, and I would take care NOT to use most of those 51 words in speech or writing. They make you sound like someone trying to give a posh impression, and that is not a good place to be. Those well educated and quick brained enough to speak effectively avoid the use of intensifying adverbs and adjectives, and choose the single noun or verb that best describes what they are talking about. My advice is to think through what you are going to say before opening your mouth, so that you can put it briefly and forcefully. The resulting slight delay doesn't make you seem slow witted: it is clear that you are thinking rather than babbling.
I think using the word ‘posh’ is probably not the best interpretation of this vocabulary - it’s mixed, of course, but just well-educated and well-read might be better.
I use at least half of them. I am not even native. I never lived in England either (except a month). (Maybe because I learned English mostly by books.)
Some people are not good to express their feeling in expression just imagin if its goes wrong with wrong expression its make alot confusion...its gonna make posh to confuse. Com😜
This is super funny to watch, honestly. I'm from Spain, but I worked as a nurse in the UK for almost 4 years and the "posh" way to speak is literally the way to speak of ALL eldery people I looked after. They always asked me to help them "to go to the loo/lavatory" and because I learned my English from them now I know that I speak posh English myself xDD
In Britain nursing was associated with the upper classes for a long time so older working-class people would be likely to treat a nurse as socially superior to themselves unless the nurse replied with working-class language, accent and idioms.
When I came to England in the 80s...I used to used the word ,,bathroom,, because i learn English from an English Cambridge book..very rare I use the word Loo..I find it very common and is only used in England . A few years later I was working for a Law Firm in London and one of the Receptionists used to make fun of my accent and the words I used..one day I was delayed on the Tube , and when I got to work I was desperate to use the ,,Loo,,..? So I dropped my rucksack and said to this receptionist I need to go to the bathroom and she sarcastically said...you're going to take a Bath..but I already new how to be vulgar just answer to her..No I need to go for a Damp...she never took the piss ever again..
I wrote something similar in other video. Apart from English, I have learned French, Italian and German (my mother tongue is Spanish), so it is usual for me to watch videos in order to improve those languages. In some of them, including American English, there are descriptions of different accents and levels of vocabulary, but British English is the only one where I find references to social classes. It's really disturbing for a foreigner. Something is wrong with these people.
Be VERY careful using these - mostly you'll just sound like a prat or someone from the 1930s. You'd need to develop a very good ear for register before you could use these at all safely.
haha Spiffing, I can't imagine any posh person saying that these days unless they are joking. Even my dad who went to Eton would never say that. He was never Sloaney, as they sounded like buffoons to him. My great aunt always used to say 'frightful'. I remember being brought up in an Upper Class culture and I just thought the words they used just sounded 'out of touch' with everyday people and like they had just come out of boarding school. I thought it just highlighted how they didn't mix with anyone out of their set. My words tend to be more London and quite modern, though I don't take on any of the Americanisms people have now like Guys, Super, Adorable, Heartbreaking... I think they are bland. We are losing a lot of English words to American culture.
I listened to this video with interest, being a native English speaker from the south of England, and giggled a lot! I also came to the conclusion, based on this video only, that I would probably be deemed "posh"! Many of the expressions or words given within these 51 in this video are ones which I would use without thinking about it. However, I certainly do not consider myself "posh"(and those who definitely are from a "posh" background would definitely agree with that!). But I would say that any of these expressions, spoken in a caricature of a posh English accent, with certain stress, will sound "posh", and a bit ridiculous too. But those which I realised that I use everyday, I use in an ordinary southern English accent, and without a stress to single them out in my speech. However, among the 51 expressions given here there are those which I would definitely NOT use, as, in general, they are now exclusively (and rarely) heard only from those who are definitely from an English Upper Class background(, yes, sorry, those do still exist in England, whatever people might like to say!). Therefore I would definitely NOT use the following: Jolly - as in a jolly good time/Spiffing - yes, I know it, but would never use it!/Delicious or deliciously - when referring to anything other than food/Beastly/Golly gosh!/I say!/Old.... followed by any of these - chap.chum,sport,bean,fellow (all very posh British and even then only to be used man to man with someone you know very well and who is of the same "posh" background as the speaker). Codswallop is a lovely expression and I am sure that you will still find it in the Oxford English dictionary - I think it will probably still be recognised by most English people even if it is not a word they normally use, but it is a very strong expression, and people will likely respond to it as negatively as they would if you said "rubbish" to their view or comment! Poppycock! - definitely outdated. A word of warning about "bugger" - this is most definitely a word most people would recognise, even if it's use has mostly been replaced in common usage these days by the "f" word, and calling someone "a bugger" is most definitely insulting in a similar vein! As for "darling" or "cheerio" - well, no! Sorry that this has turned into such a long msg. but it might be useful for those who are learning British English. I see the word "spiffing" being used frequently in the comments here, and, whilst it is a wonderful word to parody "posh" English with, you would not be taken seriously if you use this, and would definitely not sound "posh"!
Hi, thanks for your message! I totally agree with what you’ve says and I’m also from the south of England, Dorset! I did say with some of these words like ‘spiffing’ that they are less commonly used. When non natives are watching films ‘(anything with Hugh grant)😂🤪 then some of this language would prove useful. I did a fair bit of research and the idea was to provide a broad range of vocab, both language they can actively use and some they’re more likely to hear in old films/dramas/ The Crown...that kind of thing. Thanks again for watching and taking the time to comment ☺️👍
I agree with both Jane White and Leila & Sabrah. Many of these terms are very much outdated nowadays, except in plays or parodies. Say "oh daaahling, it was so TERRIBLY beastly! (with an exaggerated lengthening on the "a" and NO "r" sound in "darling") " and everyone hearing you will either try not to laugh, feel very insulted because they think you're ridiculing them or think you're practising your lines for a part in a TV period drama but I agree that they will help you to understand those dramas better when you're watching them. Having said that, I think that many non-British English speakers - especially people from former British colonies or Commonwealth countries - actually speak much BETTER than many present-day native-British English speakers. I do have one piece of advice for Indian people though - SLOW DOWN! I find that people in Indian call centres always talk too fast and I can't understand them! I've always been interested in language, both English and foreign. I've noticed how accents, vocabulary and even the actual tone of voice have changed over the past few decades. Listen to a British film or radio play made in the 1930s through to about the late 1950s. Upper class women's voices are high-pitched and rather shrill and the men sound as though they're in acute pain and are speaking through clenched teeth. This lasted until the late 1960s when even interviews with people in the street still picked up on that. There's been a steep downward slide since the 1980s and now we have what is known as "Estuary" English - an accent from the south east of England which is characterised by the "glottal stop" where the "t" in the middle of a word is not pronounced - as in "li'ul" for "little" with a gap or "stop" where the "t" should be. "F" for "th" as in "fing" for "thing" is another noticeable trend. I also admit to saying "bugger" because I don't say the "f" word except when I'm on my own. However, as Jane says, calling someone that is extremely insulting. It's better to say "oh damn" when you're mildly irritated as in "oh damn, I forgot to bring my shopping list" if you are with people you don't know very well. Say "bugger" if you drop a brick on your foot or spill your drink - and you can say whatever you want to when you're alone!
I didn't know what a bugger was until I was in my 20's. Did you know it is a corruption of Bulgar, apparently that is a common (pun) relaxation in Bugaria?
A 'bore' is a cylindrical hole cut with a tool. A 'boor' is an annoyingly boring person, especially one who hogs attention rather than staying unnoticed. A task that boring can be described as a 'bore'. This is a mistake I spotted at 16:31.
Having been raised working class and attending one of the poshest universities in the country I can say half of these are not how posh people speak any more. Their grandparents do though, the other half are spoken by most English people. People don't say spiffing or golly gosh, you're describing a characture
I'm young, and I do say 'golly gosh', but when I do I'm basically being that caricature. I think these "posh" words are either just used more in the South, or used in a very sarcastic way.
@@KatieM786 Richard once said that it was Bucket. B-u-c-k-e-t! It has always been Bucket! Richard got very annoyed at how she was always trying to change the last name. 😂
I live in England and work for an English company with 100% English colleagues and yes, many of these words come into conversations, although only some of them may have a private education. I think it is not only the words but the actual accent which give you away if you are trying too hard to look like what you are not. Good to know what they mean, you may want to drop one or two but if you overdue you will look just ridiculous.
@@DaytonaStation I agree. Many REALLY posh people aren't all that wealthy. They may be living in stately homes on estates passed down to them through many generations but they usually have very little actual cash. Those with a lot of money to throw around and who spend it on big yachts and other such things are footballers, foreign businessmen (usually Russian or Middle Eastern), rock stars and other celebrities. These people usually buy the stately homes and estates of the impoverished posh people and turn them into conference centres, hotels, health spas, golf courses, meditation retreats and other such things.
@@arturofatturi9490 Yes. REALLY posh people genuinely don't care about trying to impress people. They KNOW they're posh and they don't have to prove it. A few years ago I heard a radio interview with a genuinely aristocratic woman (Lady someone - I forget her name) who lived in a stately home which had been turned into a conference centre for businessmen (did I say that posh people have land but no money?). She said that she was taking her dogs for a walk one day. There was a conference that weekend so there was going to be a dinner and a big meeting later that evening when everyone had arrived but she always took her dogs out for a walk in the countryside in the afternoons. That day she was wearing rubber boots, a grubby old coat and a headscarf because it was raining. A large shiny car came along and a man rolled down his window and said - in a very rude tone - "Hey, you, woman! Where's ...?" whatever the name of the place was (I've forgotten). She told him and then he drove off, fast, without thanking her. She said that, several years later, she still treasured the look on his face when she appeared that evening at the dinner and he realised who she was! Our Queen walks around her estates in an old raincoat, boots and headscarf when she takes her dogs for walks - AND she drives Land Rovers herself!
We speak like this in Hawai’i, and that makes sense with our history. In our broken English language (“Pigeon” or “Podagee”), we have a lot of British slang as it is, but I went to private school. So, maybe that makes a difference. I don’t know, these words don’t seem so abnormal to me. Great video though 👍🏽
@@daviddefranco5218 Exactly! I was born in California, lived in Europe and have lived in Hawaii for years. NO ONE here sounds British, from ANY class. Most, especially the tossers that attended private school can barely form a proper sentence, their "dialect" is laughably performative depending on how "local" they want to sound.
As a native English speaker from Scotland (and living in the north of England - Cumbria), there were quite a lot of words I've never ever heard! I think some of these must very specific to the south of England.. equally some of the words are very everyday to me and the words used to explained were sometimes MORE posh to me
@@Seraphine07F OOOH! THat was naughty! Send for the serviettes and the soup spoons! ! So much better to be natural because someone will notice the slightest short vowel and peg one immediately.
Seedy meaning unwell is not in common usage (e.g. historic), Seedy typically means Sordid, Disreputable, Shabby, Squalid. Therefore - I would suggest you avoid telling anyone you are "feeling a little Seedy"
@@user-ry6jj6kx2s The rest are OK - though many are now somewhat dated or pretentious even in posh circles. Pronunciation and grammar usage will always be more important than vocabulary - and a much bigger tell tale barrier to overcome for most.
@@alanmoore2197 I would say a lot of these are used, but it depends on tone of voice. They're more likely to be used sarcastically. Yes I agree about the grammar. I know a few people who are obsessed with learning new, difficult vocabulary, without actually putting much time into practising what they already know out loud - and grammar / pronunciation are often best learned naturally through actual use.
