What Is The Opposite Of A Toff?

[naomi24]

On these pages we regularly see people who are perceived to lead privileged lives described as ‘toffs’ or 'posh boys', with no offence taken, but I can't recall seeing such blanket expressions used for people who are not perceived to live privileged lives. Is there an acceptable term for them?

[chaptazbru2]

When I use the words 'posh boy' in relation to Cameron and his fellow 'toffs', I definitely mean it in a derogatory way and I DON'T CARE !!!

'Common as muck' used to be bandied about a lot in my younger days, it seems to have been replaced with 'chav' now.

[New Judge]

Just out of interest, chaptazbru, why do you find it necessary to derogate the Prime Minister? Whether or not you like his politics Mr Cameron was educated at arguably two of the finest education establishments in the world and who emerged with a first class honours degree from one of the UK's top two universities. Would you rather your Prime Minister have this background or would you rather the country be led by someone who left school at sixteen with an 'O' Level in woodwork?

[TWR]

He did leave with a "No I do not have thoughts for you out NJ" he may have a Honours, but does not live in world that includes his Cronies, let's be right on this.

[TWR]

Out There

[Baldric]

//but does not live in world that includes his Cronies//

Surely that's a good thing, if he lives differently to all those 'Toffs' he works with?

[Prudie]

I thought it came from a Romany word, originally meaning children. Not sure though.

[Prudie]

^ that I agree with

[ichkeria]

Toffs and chavs: more or less equal in status derogatoriwise I would have said.
I used to take our son on a walk in his pram which took in a council estate and a private estate full of multi-million pound mansions, just across the road. I called it our "toffs and chavs walk". In reality a lot of the people in the former category were probably just those who'd made more money out of their crimes than the ones in the other place who got all the headlines in the local paper.

But the point is: that's what I called it.

[ladybirder]

agree with divebuddy @ 17.24.

[taichiperson]

Proles/proletariat (from 1984, George Orwell) or now 'Precariat' from the new BBC class divisions.

[naomi24]

Old_Geezer, // Has to be a ffoT.//

Perfect – with no disparaging connotations, completely inoffensive – and – dare I say it? - the double ‘f’ (shades of Audrey Fforbes-Hamilton and Ffion Hague) adds a nice touch of ‘class’! Thank you. It will be added to my vocabulary! :o)

[naomi24]

chaptazbru2, //When I use the words 'posh boy' in relation to Cameron and his fellow 'toffs', I definitely mean it in a derogatory way and I DON'T CARE !!! //

I know you don’t care, but who cares? No one it seems. ;o)