DO you eat grouse or refer to your dinner as supper? Do you call your parents “mummy” and “daddy” despite being older yourself? If the answer to these questions is in the affirmative, then it seems you are quite likely to be “posh”.

 

Posh Spice?

No, if your mind jumped to the Spice Girls then I am afraid you are probably not “posh”, not according to the survey anyway.

 

So what does it say?

The nationwide study by researchers Perspectus Global explored what it means to be “posh”, coming up with a list of 40 signs that help determine whether or not an individual is indeed rather well-heeled.

 

And the signs are…?

Going to boarding school was the top indicator, with 34% of those surveyed agreeing this was a dead giveaway, while 28% felt that having antiques and family heirlooms also suggests poshness, and 26% said having a wine cellar - and also paintings of your ancestors - were key signs.

 

As were…

…belonging to an old private members club, with a quarter of those surveyed saying that was a sign of being genuinely posh, along with never discussing money, calling your parents "mummy" and "daddy" even when in adulthood, having a family coat of arms and riding horses. Rounding off the top 10 indicators was having your dinner parties catered.

 

Oh come on darling…

…if you drop “darling” into your conversation all the time, then the posh barometer is peaking and will probably shatter if you also tick the other boxes.

 

Including?

Shooting, skiing, sporting tweed jackets, playing croquet, calling champagne "champers", calling the toilet "loo", driving an old Land Rover Defender, wearing an old Barbour jacket and speaking Latin. A double-barrelled name is another posh pointer, as is calling friends by their surnames, eating partridge and grouse and liking rugby, but not football.

 

Where does the term “posh” come from anyway?

It is popularly believed that the term dates back to the days of the Raj - the rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent. Wealthy aristocratic Brits would sail out to India, with the most luxurious berths on the left-hand side - or port side - of the boat, situated in the shade. On the return journey, the right - or starboard side - was considered best option, so the saying was “Port out, starboard home”, which was shortened to “posh”.

 

“U” and “Non-U”?

English novelist Nancy Mitford - whose work The Pursuit of Love is currently airing in an adaptation starring Lily James on BBC1 on Sunday evenings - shows that what makes one posh has long been a matter of debate. In a 1955 article on the unspoken rules for being "U" or upper-class and “non-U”, her indicators were language-based. If you “took a bath” you were non-U and if you “had one’s bath” you were U. If you said “chimneypiece” you were U and if you opted for mantelpiece then you were non-U.