Bloody 'Ell, as a regular user of 'pudding', 'napkin' and 'loo' (and eschewer of the alternatives you list - indeed I was brought up to say lavatory, but loo is simpler these days) that must make me very U. How disturbing.
*wikipedias quickly* I appear to be saved from full-out U-ness by my use of 'mirror' and 'glasses'. Phew. I must say, though, most of the apparently non-U terms sound like pretentious twaddle to me - greens? Preserve (for jam)? Pass on? Pardon? I mean, really!
Some of the alternatives are interesting. 'Couch' and 'Settee' are both non-U - I happily say settee but think 'couch' is the sort of word only used in Courts adverts. Meanwhile of course I wouldn't say the U 'drawing room' but hate the non-U 'lounge' - I would say sitting room, which isn't listed.
I think LoA's idea that what is U and non-U must change over the generations sounds very likely, so with any luck I'm now quite average ;-)
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*wikipedias quickly* I appear to be saved from full-out U-ness by my use of 'mirror' and 'glasses'. Phew. I must say, though, most of the apparently non-U terms sound like pretentious twaddle to me - greens? Preserve (for jam)? Pass on? Pardon? I mean, really!
Some of the alternatives are interesting. 'Couch' and 'Settee' are both non-U - I happily say settee but think 'couch' is the sort of word only used in Courts adverts. Meanwhile of course I wouldn't say the U 'drawing room' but hate the non-U 'lounge' - I would say sitting room, which isn't listed.
I think LoA's idea that what is U and non-U must change over the generations sounds very likely, so with any luck I'm now quite average ;-)