A Short Note on Plebs & Andrew Mitchell
by pinkagendist
We’ve had a discussion on the issue this evening. I contend the word ‘pleb’ isn’t one that’s regularly used by police officers. Mike and I both agree it’s abundantly used in certain circles. I’m inclined to believe the officers. I very much doubt they pulled the word out of the air. It’s upper class slang. Or in Mitchell’s case, wannabe upper-class slang. He misbehaved, shamefully. Resignation wasn’t just appropriate, it was required.
I love the logic, anyhow I would never trust a politician on principle
You’re right, I’ve never heard any working class person ever using the word “pleb”
[...] We’ve had a discussion on the issue this evening. I contend the word ‘pleb’ isn’t one that’s regularly used by police officers. Mike and I both agree it’s abunda… [...]
But does the fact that Osborne can’t tell the difference between a second class and a first class train ticket mean that Osborne is in fact a pleb?
LOL. Osborne’s father is Sir Peter Osborne, Baronet
I imagine Osborne never knew there was ‘such a thing’ as a second class ticket!
Mitchell’s father was a first generation politician in their family. He’s one of those Thatcherite, chip on the shoulder people… Just the type you’d expect to say pleb.
We don’t have the word pleb down under. Or we just don’t use it often enough to understand what it means. Or the people I know all actually working class people, although many of us earn more than Andrew in my workforce. I am but a commoner.
I’m assuming it is the shortened version of plebeian, and though used frequently in the SciFi fantasy novels I read, I’m not sure how it got turned into a derogatory term. Do you know how, or was it a gradual thing over years
When I was at school it was used a lot to refer to the kids that came from less financially privileged backgrounds. If someone’s parents arrived in a cheap car or something, we’d say, “he’s such a pleb”.
And since people don’t change all that much when they grow up… It’s still used now. Last year someone built a house here on the street where we live and it happened to be compact. “Have you met the plebs who built the little house yet?”. It’s just a way to demean people.
In English common usage came from British public (private) schools. Students were enrolled as either sons of aristocrats, sons of gentry (landowners), or just plebs. As usual, kids use things like that against each other to form a hierarchy.
No wonder I use to beat up rich kids in boarding school…