真正的“上流绅士”得先过语言关

     一提到绅士，我们立马就会想到英国人。在英国的上流社会中，不管是人们的出身、行为还是语言都是相当讲究的。如果你是英国社会的“上流绅士”，相信对于下面的单词你一定会避而远之。究竟为什么会有这样的单词，或者说为什么这些单词会带给“英国上流社会的绅士们”这些厌恶之情呢？

    下面我们总结了几个比较常见的词语，但是在英国上流社会却是比较避讳的词语。希望通过下面文章的介绍，您可以在跟“上流绅士们”的交流中有所注意，以免出现不必要的尴尬。

 Pardon

This word is the most notorious pet hate of the upper and upper-middle classes. Here is a good class-test you can try: When talking to an English person, deliberately say something too quietly for them to hear you properly. A lower-middle class will say "Pardon"; an upper-middle will say "sorry" (or "What- sorry?" or "Sorry- What"); but an upper class and a working class person will both just say "what".

Toilet

"Toilet" is another word that makes the higher classes flinch or exchange knowing looks, if it is uttered by a would-be social climber. The correct upper-middle/upper term is "loo" or "lavatory".

Serviette

It has been suggested that "serviette" was taken up by squeamish lower-middles who found "napkin" a bit too close to "nappy" and wanted something that sounded a bit more refined. Upper-middle and upper-class mothers gets very upset when their children learn to say "serviette" from well-meaning lower-class nannies, and have to be painstakingly retrained to say "napkin".

Dinner

There is nothing wrong with the word "dinner" in itself: it is only a working-class hallmark if you use it to refer to the midday meal, which should be called "lunch". Calling your evening meal "tea" is also a working-class indicator: the higher echelons call this meal "dinner" or "supper".