SIR,—In the following pairs of words or ex- pressions (all
taken from the article by Strix), I use the first of the pair. False teeth/den- tures; bike 'cycle; napkin' serviette; vegetables/ greens; my wife the wife; were going to the theatre I we're doing a show. This seems to put me in the upper class, except that I find myself impartial as between telephone /phone; and mad/ mental. As between 1 was petrified with fear II had the wind up, I cannot say, as these are not parts of my normal vocabulary. Probably I was scared stiff, but what does that make me? Only pudding' sweet lets me down, mainly because the sweet is more likely to be sweet than to be a pudding.
'Even if my score was 100 per cent. I doubt if Miss Mitford would accept me into the upper classes, for though my educational back- ground is satisfactory (it ended up at Oxford). my social background isn't (I started at an elementary school). All of which shows the limitations of this 'useful formula.' Beware, Miss Mitford I There are many non-U people using Upper-Class English. Perhaps U-class people make it sound better/nicer.—Yours faithfully,
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