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U and Non-U: The Linguistic Class Divide That Rocked 1950s Britain
In the 1950s, a fierce debate erupted in Britain over a simple yet profound idea: that your choice of words could instantly betray your social class. From saying “toilet” instead of “lavatory” to “mirror” instead of “looking-glass,” the U (upper class) and non-U (middle class) divide became a national obsession, revealing deep-seated anxieties about who belonged and who was just pretending. This linguistic phenomenon, sparked by a little-known academic and fanned into flames by a famous novelist, offers a fascinating glimpse into the power of language to define and divide.
