social climbing
noun[U]
disapprovinguk/ˌsəʊ.ʃəl ˈklaɪ.mɪŋ/us/ˌsoʊ.ʃəl ˈklaɪ.mɪŋ/theactoftryingtoimproveyoursocialpositionby being veryfriendlytopeoplefrom ahighersocialclass:
Have youeverseensuch ashockingdisplayofsocialclimbing?
See
social climber
- Beth wasstungbycriticismthat thecouplehadengagedinopportunisticsocialclimbing.
- Theyannoyedsomepeoplewiththeirposhvoicesandeccentricmanners,behavioursomemistookforsocialclimbing.
- After all, if you haveambitionsofyoursonbecomingprimeminister, you have to bepreparedto do aspotofsocialclimbinginordertohelphimachieveyourdream.
- Herpenchantforaggressivesocialclimbingwasexposed, with herobsessionforsendingexcessivegiftsto thegreatand the good whom sheclaimedwere herclosepersonalfriends.
Class & class-consciousness in general
- anti-bourgeois
- anti-snob
- arriviste
- bougie
- gentrification
- gentrify
- go/come down in the worldidiom
- go/come up in the worldidiom
- pedigreed
- petit bourgeois
- petty bourgeois
- pleb
- social mobility
- the bottom of the heapidiom
- the gentry
- the petite bourgeoisie
- the upper crust
- trailer trash
- underclass
- upper class