Up Front by Emma Hart

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Up Front: The C Word

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  • Danielle,

    I now feel smug for having made my coffee in one of those for years.

    (You'd probably scorn my cheese purchases, though.)

    Charo World. Cuchi-cuchi!… • Since Nov 2006 • 3828 posts Report

  • Emma Hart,

    One of the first people I met when I arrived in NZ was the Prime Minister, David Lange

    A man who, as a child, tried to hide his middle-classness by refusing to wear shoes to school.

    Can someone please explain to me the significance of the turned-up collar as a class signifier in NZ, me being a furriner round here and not used to your local ways?

    Um, it came up on one of David's threads. It's a Merivale Matron thing, though I'm pretty sure it's also a Sloan Ranger thing. Short blonde bob, string of pearls, standing-up collar. Even if you are also wearing gumboots.

    Christchurch • Since Nov 2006 • 4651 posts Report

  • Rich Lock,

    Short blonde bob

    'k. I get that.

    string of pearls

    Yep, sweet.

    standing-up collar

    ...whut?

    Interesting post/thread, but. I recently returned from a UK trip, which was a rather jolting reminder of how considerations of class in the UK colour every single thought and action of every person born there . While not literally forming part of their DNA, it might as well do.

    And yet, it's still so hard to define and pin down exactly where people sit on the spectrum. It sometimes seemed as if every conversation was an attempt to pin down exactly where you sat in the class pecking order, so as to establish whether certain rituals of conversational deferral and dominance should be adhered to.

    back in the mother countr… • Since Feb 2007 • 2728 posts Report

  • FletcherB,

    Am I silly if I own one of these and one of those?

    They both make great tasting coffee, but the italian one doesnt make much of a craema (sp?). Also its nice brass handle fell off.

    But yeah, a cheap no-name stove-top mocha can make pretty good real coffee, and while it's not as instant as boiling a jug and pouring it over a teaspoon of powder... it only takes maybe five minutes? Put it on before you put the bread in the toaster and your 2 course breakfast will be all ready together :)

    West Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 893 posts Report

  • Emma Hart,

    standing-up collar

    ...whut?

    We are not making this shit up. Surely you have those in Remuera?

    Cf here.

    Christchurch • Since Nov 2006 • 4651 posts Report

  • Jackie Clark,

    Rich, it's from the 80's I think. We all wore our collars up in the 80's - and the posh people didn't get the memo to cease and desist. I have to admit to liking raised collars - can't be doing with my neck.

    Mt Eden, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 3136 posts Report

  • Rich Lock,

    Cf here.

    Ah, missed that thread. I was off-grid on a UK visit. Carrying out first-hand anthropological work on the class phenomenon (see my edit above).

    back in the mother countr… • Since Feb 2007 • 2728 posts Report

  • Martin Lindberg,

    I own several suits and I like wearing them.

    So there!

    Stockholm • Since Jul 2009 • 802 posts Report

  • Emma Hart,

    Ah, missed that thread. I was off-grid on a UK visit. Carrying out first-hand anthropological work on the class phenomenon (see my edit above).

    Oh, no worries, don't expect anyone to read everything. It was just either link to that, or bellow for Megan.

    Christchurch • Since Nov 2006 • 4651 posts Report

  • Lucy Stewart,

    Um, it came up on one of David's threads. It's a Merivale Matron thing, though I'm pretty sure it's also a Sloan Ranger thing. Short blonde bob, string of pearls, standing-up collar. Even if you are also wearing gumboots.

    I too am unfamiliar with the standing-up-collar thing (as I am with most dress signals that aren't glaringly obvious) but the blonde-bob-and-jewellery thing is an upper - sorry, upper-__middle__-class marker all over NZ. They were the absolute worst for returns in retail, too.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 2105 posts Report

  • Aidan,

    Instant Coffee!?

    F**k that wank!

    Mine's a Bells tea bag, milk two sugars .. leave the bag in, there's a luv .. ta.

    Canberra, Australia • Since Feb 2007 • 154 posts Report

  • Martin Lindberg,

    I found out about the standing collar from a colleague back in the 1990-ies who wore his Friday poloshirts with the collars up. He explained that he even used starch to achieve that effect.

    Yes, he had gone to King's (Christ's?) College in Chch.

    Stockholm • Since Jul 2009 • 802 posts Report

  • Geoff Lealand,

    I expect the next time I'm in one will be my funeral?

    Why bother? I am sure your would look as serene in a comfortable shirt. A jacket isn't going to keep you any warmer in the soil. ;-)


    One of the great pleasures of academic life is is not having to wear the uniforms of business and corporate life. In fact, the only dress code I have to observe is checking that that my fly is zipped up before I step into a lecture theatre. You occasionally see blokes in suits and ties around the university but they must vice-chancellors or pro-vice chancellors (are there any anti-vice chancellors?) or SIS spies.

    Screen & Media Studies, U… • Since Oct 2007 • 2562 posts Report

  • Geoff Lealand,

    ...or academics who teach something called management studies.

    Screen & Media Studies, U… • Since Oct 2007 • 2562 posts Report

  • giovanni tiso,

    Or political science.

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report

  • Matthew Poole,

    You occasionally see blokes in suits and ties around the university but they must be ... academics who teach something called management studies.

    My MGMT101 lecturer was less formally-dressed than the majority of his students, and that looked to be the case with most of the faculty.
    The contrast was the Head of School for the School of Business, who was famous for his bow ties.

    Auckland • Since Mar 2007 • 4097 posts Report

  • Karen White,

    We all wore our collars up in the 80's

    Hmm we did. didn't we - & some American teenagers went that one bit further a couple of years back....

    http://www.tressugar.com/Douchebag-Pops-Four-Collars-Once-902714

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 79 posts Report

  • Islander,

    Bart Jansen - 'great to get the words out'?
    O yes! But then, there's a small matter of making the story and the characters actually work...

    which is why it has been a bit of a marathon, Ben W - and you are so right - the race isnt over until we are waving books at each other-

    Big O, Mahitahi, Te Wahi … • Since Feb 2007 • 5643 posts Report

  • Isabel Hitchings,

    I suspect that work and best attire is far less of a social marker than what one wears to dig the garden.

    Christchurch • Since Jul 2007 • 719 posts Report

  • Bart Janssen,

    But then, there's a small matter of making the story and the characters actually work...

    That's why I didn't say great to get it done. I'm guessing there is lots of work between drafts.

    But even so getting that first (nth?) set of words down even if few of them make it to the final ... that is a great feeling even for my much smaller manuscripts :).

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 4461 posts Report

  • Ross Mason,

    My $50 bike broke down irreparably two weeks ago. I needed transport, so I walked into a store and bought a new $800 one.

    Jeez George. Maybe Bill and Gerry are right. We MUST be catching Australia since you can afford to buy a $800 bike!!!

    Phew...we can rest easy.

    Upper Hutt • Since Jun 2007 • 1590 posts Report

  • Ross Mason,

    I lived in shoe box in t'middle o road.

    We were so poor I used to have (literally) pudding bowl haircuts.

    But we 'appy.

    One of the first people I met when I arrived in NZ was the Prime Minister, David Lange

    I lived with Muldoon for three nights at Scott base when he came down for the 25th anniversary celebrations 1n 1982. He had his bed applepied the first night. He thought it was a great joke. Management "forgave" the culprit 'cos Rob laughed it off.

    The second night some Fwit did it again and all hell broke loose. The infamous Red Suitcase was in the room unattended. Woe. The shit hit the fan. He still thought it a good joke though but got pissed off 'cos he had to make it again! The culprit this time was not found....Phew.

    Upper Hutt • Since Jun 2007 • 1590 posts Report

  • giovanni tiso,

    Jeez George. Maybe Bill and Gerry are right. We MUST be catching Australia since you can afford to buy a $800 bike!!!

    Where your theory falls down (and Bill's, and Gerry's) is that George currently lives in Australia.

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report

  • Lucy Stewart,

    You occasionally see blokes in suits and ties around the university but they must vice-chancellors or pro-vice chancellors (are there any anti-vice chancellors?) or SIS spies.

    And my ex-finance-industry history lecturer, the only bloke under about seventy on campus who wore suits and ties.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 2105 posts Report

  • Islander,

    Bart Janssen (sorry for mis-spelling your name before)
    nth = 5th draft, with incomplete beginnings and (especially!) endings.
    But you're right - it's great to have the thing sitting there, lowering at me, in its 8 x 200 & 100 clear-file volumes(there's other ideas-in-progress there also)...I do have copies of most of it but I am incorrigbly wed to working with paper-

    hey, any sized ms is joy to the creator!- cheers

    Big O, Mahitahi, Te Wahi … • Since Feb 2007 • 5643 posts Report

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