What does middle class mean to you?

Ana I have grown quite fond of him over the years!

A circumcised gnome perhaps? How did we get into this! I haev embarrassed myself now. I will go and listen to the Archers.

....but was left with just a stump when the rod got broken, absent. He still looks quite hopeful though.....

absent Its only a particular part of Priapus that isn't small, (or relatively so).

He sounds strangely attractive, nanaej!

Well Marelli he should be ashamed of himself.

I have a concrete gnome called Knolly , named after the nursery where we bought him for my dad. 'Knolly' is clutching a sort of 'ink cap' toadstool making him look decidedly dodgy. He was an 'ironic' gift for my dad in the late 70s.. he disliked gnomes and 'godwottery' of all sorts! however when clearing the house and garden after dad died Knolly came to our house and has been with us ever since

But my gnome had a fishing-rod, absent

Ah yes, I've seen images of Priapus when I was in Greece.

Jeni when you find yours will you put it in your back garden or display it proudly in the front of the house?

Or in the hall, it could make a useful spare coat hanger!

I thought the defining characteristic of a gnome is that it is small. The defining characteristic of Priapus is that he's not.

That's a bit like my gnome, jeni......(I've just googled Priapus....

That sounds very middle class, jeni! (but having googled Priapus ])!!!!!

I'm still looking for my version of a gnome :- a statue of Priapus

We had breakfast, dinner and tea, but strictly tea should have been dinner because it was our main meal of the day. I noticed in reading 19th century novels that the times of meals have changed vastly. I don't remember the word lunch (or luncheon, if you are really posh) ever being used in my childhood.

I think we started to question who was middle class when the working class had no work to do. Up to then you saw the working class travelling to work or working. When I was going to school by bus and tram in 50s Sheffield, you never saw a man during working hours.
There was the divide between blue collar and white collar workers. Life was simpler then, and the class divisions because they were obvious were less talked about but accepted.

We never had dinner in the evening, always tea and since living abroad I don't know what I'd call it now. I use the German words at home anyway, but if visitors come from the South of England I say supper.

In past years Private Eye have had mooning gnomes for sale at Christmas and I suppose they must be post modern ironic considering their origin.

I'll look out for them this year and just hope that the neighbours understand the important difference between my gnome and their naff coloured ones?

We always had dinner in the evening but now it has become tea. Can't remember when it happened. I think it was something to do with the children inviting us for tea. Which class does that make me and have I gone up or down.

he he he!

Mine's concrete. But he's quite respectable.

We have an old concrete gnome. He did used to be holding a fishing rod, but it broke off, so now he looks as if he's holding..er....himself ! We've got him settled under a tree and are letting the lovely green moss cover him up a bit !

i am rather partial to my gnomes , think they bring good luck .

I like my gnome. He's playing his trombone.

He'll be getting his tinsel scarf soon.

Lady of the house speaking Thank you gransnet!!!
Right, now that I plan to be an expert of middle classness, I can assure petallus that gnomes may be regarded as post-modern ironic. If they worry you, you could be post-modern ironic and buy one of those "rude" mooning ones and set it up in opposition!

I once half considered buying a house in the depths of the country because it had a boot room.